Constantinople is a musical ensemble that chose the journey — geographical, but also historical, cultural, and inner —as its cornerstone. It draws inspiration from many sources and aims for distant horizons. Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople was founded in 2001 in Montreal by Kiya Tabassian.

Setar virtuoso and acclaimed composer Kiya Tabassian has secured a prominent place on the international music scene with his ensemble Constantinople and as a soloist. Renowned for his cross-cultural musical collaborations, Tabassian performs his creations worldwide.

He has contributed as composer, performer, and improviser to numerous projects, including collaborations with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, CBC, and Nouvel Ensemble Moderne. From 2002 to 2005, he participated in the international MediMuses project, researching Mediterranean music history and repertoire, and contributed to various publications and recordings. Since 2009, he has worked with the Netherlands-based Atlas ensemble and Academy, merging contemporary music with oral traditions.

Kimintang Mahamadou Cissoko, also known as Ablaye Cissoko, is a singer and kora player who embodies the fusion of Mandinka traditions and contemporary musical creation. Renowned as one of the world’s finest kora players, he effortlessly collaborates across genres, including jazz, world, and classical music. Now based in Saint-Louis, he is a true globetrotter, having performed worldwide with esteemed artists such as Randy Weston, François Jeanneau, Eric Bibb, Simon Goubert, Sophia Domancich, Majid Bekkas, Omar Pene, Emmanuel Bex, and many more. Since 2012, Ablaye Cissoko has been a regular collaborator with Constantinople. Together, they have recorded two albums, Itinerant Gardens (Ma Case, 2015) and Traversées (Ma Case, 2019), and performed over 100 concerts across five continents.