An intimate musical encounter shaped by beauty, imagination, and more than fifteen years of artistic collaboration.
In Estuary, Constantinople brings Persian setar virtuoso Kiya Tabassian, Senegalese kora master and vocalist Ablaye Cissoko, and percussionist Patrick Graham together in a musical conversation of remarkable warmth, subtlety, and emotional depth.
The flowing resonance of Cissoko’s kora meets the expressive voice of Tabassian’s setar, carried by Graham’s finely textured percussion. Melodies intertwine, rhythms gather and recede, and the music moves between composition and improvisation as the three artists respond to one another in the moment.
Named for the place where fresh water meets the sea, Estuary reflects the possibilities that emerge when distinct musical currents meet. Persian and Mandinka traditions retain their own character while revealing new points of connection through the musicians’ extraordinary rapport, shared experience, and creative freedom.
“(…) a rare delight: music unlike anything heard before.” – Le Monde
Experience the Music
At the centre of Estuary are the kora and the setar, two string instruments with distinct musical histories, expressive qualities, and approaches to melody and improvisation.
The kora is a 21-string West African harp-lute closely associated with the hereditary musical and oral traditions of Mandinka griots. Across its 21 strings, Ablaye Cissoko creates flowing melodic lines, resonant patterns, and interlocking layers of rhythm and harmony.
The setar is a long-necked Persian lute with a delicate, highly expressive sound. In Kiya Tabassian’s hands, ornamentation, melodic variation, and improvisation allow a musical idea to expand, change direction, and respond closely to the other performers.
Patrick Graham’s percussion adds another voice to the conversation, introducing colour, momentum, silence, and precisely judged rhythmic detail.
Listen for the way musical ideas travel among the performers. A phrase may begin on the kora, be answered by the setar, and take on a different character through the percussion. Rhythms breathe rather than rush. Melodies return in altered forms, and moments of silence create space for the next gesture to emerge.
Musicians draw from distinct traditions. Through attentive listening and years of collaboration, they discover connections while allowing each instrument and artistic voice to remain recognizable.
Every performance develops through that exchange. The more closely you listen, the more clearly you can hear the conversation taking shape.
Artist Bios
Kiya Tabassian
Born in Iran and based in Montreal, Kiya Tabassian is a composer, setar virtuoso, and the founder and artistic director of Constantinople. His work brings Persian music into conversation with artists and traditions from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, creating projects rooted in deep listening, artistic exchange, improvisation, and discovery.
Ablaye Cissoko
Ablaye Cissoko is a Senegalese kora master and vocalist born into a respected griot family in Kolda, Senegal. Based in Saint-Louis, he carries Mandinka musical and storytelling traditions into contemporary creation and has performed extensively across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His collaborators have included Randy Weston, François Jeanneau, Majid Bekkas, Richard Galliano, Beñat Achiary, and La Chimera.
Patrick Graham
Patrick Graham is a Montreal-based percussionist, improviser, composer, and educator. His work draws from contemporary percussion, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern frame drumming, South Indian rhythm, and Japanese taiko. He has recorded and performed across chamber music, jazz, dance, theatre, and soundtrack projects, and is a longtime collaborator with Constantinople.
Friday, October 23
8:00 p.m.
Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts · 427 Bloor Street West
Venue details →