CONSTANTINOPLE FEATURING BENEDICTE MAURSETH: Presented by the AZ Early Music Society

Inspired by the ancient city illuminating the East and West, Constantinople was founded in 2001 in Montreal by Iranian artistic director, Kiya Tabassian. Since its founding, the ensemble promotes the creation of new works incorporating musical elements of diverse musical traditions around the world. Regularly invited to perform in international festivals and prestigious concert halls, Constantinople is acclaimed by the public, music professionals and critics alike. The ensemble has 21 albums to its credit, and over the past fifteen years, has created nearly 60 works and travelled to more than 290 cities in 57 countries.

Constantinople is pleased to present this concert “Nordic Lights”, a collaboration exploring the sounds and musical gestures of Nordic music. Virtuoso and champion of the Hardanger fiddle, Norwegian folk musician Benedicte Maurseth joins Constantinople to create music that is strongly influenced by nature and the spectacular landscapes of the North. The Hardanger region in southwestern Norway, known for its majestic fjord and the blue ice of its Folgefonna Glacier. Its isolation has ensured a well-preserved cultural heritage, particularly its dance and music traditions. The foremost representative of these ancestral traditions is the Hardanger fiddle (or vielle), which differs from its classical cousin by the addition of four sympathetic strings that vibrate as the other strings are played to enrich the tone. 

Born in 1983 in Eidfjord, Benedicte is a bearer of traditions of the Hardanger region. A composer, performer, and writer, she is a major figure in the Norwegian folk music scene. In 2007 she came to wider attention when she was named Norway’s Young Folk Musician of the Year. Benedicte is joined on stage by Canadian Percussionist Patrick Graham and Kiya Tabassian, who performs on the setar, a traditional Persian long-necked lute.