The siblings Kiya and Ziya Tabassian of Persian origin are researching and interpreting the musical traditions of the East. Illuminating East and West, the band was established in 1998 in Montreal as a forum for the crossroad of traditions. During the last decade, the group has performed 35 new concerts in about 120 cities in 22 countries. The virtuoso musicians of sitar and tombak collaborate with great instrument players from all over the world, like the virtuoso oud musician and composer Kyriako Kalaitzides from Salonica, Greece.

Musicians

Kiya Tabassian: sitar, voice

Ziya Tabassian: tombak, percussions

Kyriakos Kalaitzides: oud

(21/7 @ Geroskipou Pafos within the framework of the collaboration with Pafos2017)

Constantinople is nominally a French-Canadian early-music trio, based in Montreal. But it is not quite that simple. It was founded in 1998 by Kiya Tabassian, an Iranian-born performer on the setar: a Persian lute with a long, rounded neck. The ensemble, which Mr. Tabassian directs, includes his brother, Ziya Tabassian, a percussionist who is particularly adept on the Persian tombak, a goblet-shaped drum, and Pierre-Yves Martel, a viola da gamba player who splits his time between Montreal and Paris. But the group seems rarely to work in this stripped-down form: its Web site lists a long roster of regular collaborators who play Middle Eastern stringed instruments and sing, as well as a flamenco guitarist, a clarinetist and a D.J.

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Both ensembles have performed in a number of Canadian cities. Kiya has collaborated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on several occasions as a performer and special co-host. In addition, he performs regularly throughout the U.S., France, Greece and Mexico, both as a soloist and in collaboration with other musicians.