More than 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi walked barefoot and unarmed from his crusader camp in Egypt to the camp of ‘the enemy’. He came there to speak to Sultan Malik al-Kamil. Francis and Malik al-Kamil talked to each other for three days and did not get carried away by the hostility and violence of their contemporaries. They held spiritual conversations and recognized in each other a desire for peace. Sultan Malek Al-Kamil and Francis did something radically different from what the spirit of the times told them. They broke the cycle of violence.
This special meeting is the starting point of the musical encounter between the musicians of ensembles Constantinople and Holland Baroque. Together, they float between old and new music, improvisations and compositions, the Far East and the West. A call for international dialogue and peace. Ensemble Constantinople, founded by current artistic leader Kiya Tabassian, has chosen the journey – geographically certainly, but also historically, culturally, and internally – as its cornerstone. It draws inspiration from all sources and focuses on distant horizons. Holland Baroque builds bridges between styles and cultures through its free-spirited and open-minded approach. Driven by an inexhaustible curiosity, the ensemble approaches the score as an unfinished work of art: combining knowledge, expertise, imagination, and playfulness to transform baroque music into a fresh and vibrant experience. Both ensembles repeatedly demonstrate that curiosity, research, and creativity lead to truly unique programmes.
