Projects

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Carmina Nisibena brings together a repertoire of Syriac chants from Greater Syria with the Cantigas de Santa Maria from Spain. Featuring Efrén López Sanz (gittern, oud, and hurdy-gurdy), Ziya Tabassian (percussion), Marie-Laurence Primeau (viola da gamba), and Nizar Tabcharani (qanun), as well as Lamia Yared (vocals and artistic direction). The melodies, arranged by Efrén López Sanz, will immerse the audience in the world of Assyria in the 3rd century AD, extending to the Iberian Peninsula in the 14th century.

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Ensemble Urmawi presents a wide musical spectrum, spanning from the Levant region (Syria and Egypt) all the way to Central Asia. It brings together musicians from Arab and Persian musical traditions, highlighting the Muwashah, paired with the Tasnif. The ensemble includes Showan Tavakol (kamancheh and compositions), Nizar Tabcharani (qanun), Sheila Hannigan (cello), Joseph Khoury (percussion), and Lamia Yared (vocals, oud, artistic direction).

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A new project between Istanbul and Montreal, Diwan Songs brings together the rich musical repertoires of the Arabic, Greek, and Ottoman traditions. In collaboration with Fotini Kokkala (qanun) and Nikos Papageorgiou (lavta).

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A project which unites musicians well-versed in the Trecento and Ottoman traditions. Joined by Peppe Frana (tarhu, tanbur, oud, and lute) and Antonino Anastasia (percussion), Lamia Yared shares a musical journey through the Mediterranean, blending the musical traditions of the Near East and Italy. This encounter highlights the rich heritage of classical Arabic and Ottoman music, intertwined with the Trecento repertoire of the Italian Ars Nova. The project invites listeners to discover medieval ballads from the Italian Ars Nova, woven into the fabric of the classical Arabo-Ottoman repertoire.

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Collaboration with Ensemble Takht Attourath in Paris, featuring renowned musicians from the heritage of Arab music: Abderrahman Kazzoul, Adel Shams El Din, as well as their choir, as part of the Les Andalouses Festival in France on March 24, 2024.

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Fréquences de Byzance invites the audience to discover the chants of the early Eastern Christians, as well as the hymns of the Phanariot and liturgical traditions dating back to the Byzantine era. Fréquences de Byzance takes on the challenge of revealing these centuries-old musical traditions, offering the public an immersive experience in the sacred music of the Near East, Phanariot chants, and Ottoman music.

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Lumières ottomanes explores the shared music along a spatio-temporal axis connecting Asia Minor, the modern and contemporary Balkans, and the medieval Iberian Peninsula. Composed of Didem Başar (qanun and arrangements), Omar Abou-Afach (viola), Olivier Bussières (percussion), and Lamia Yared (vocals and oud), the ensemble highlights the Sephardic memory that reveals a musical heritage inspired by the coexistence of Greek, Turkish, and Sephardic communities within the Ottoman Empire.

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Chants des Trois Cours album brings the audience to the golden age of the Ottoman era. Lamia Yared, accompanied by an ensemble of virtuoso musicians — Didem Başar (qanun), Reza Abaee (gaychak), Nazih Borish (oud), Ziya Tabassian (tombak and daire), Joseph Khoury (riqq and bendir), Noémy Braun (cello), and Jérémi Roy (double bass) — explores a wide range of poetry from the palaces of the Ottoman court, the Levant, and Samarkand, drawing from Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions. Honoring the intertwined heritage of these cultures, Lamia Yared brings together masters of the music from the three Eastern regions: Turkey, the Levant (Syria-Lebanon), and Persia (Iran).

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Portraits du Levant brings together the many gems of Near Eastern music, including the repertoire of Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Halim El Roumi, and the classical Turkish music composer Sadettin Kaynak. The concert is presented in collaboration with OktoEcho, featuring musical arrangements by Alexandre Grogg and Ramzi Kandalaft. The ensemble includes Naeem Shanwar (qanun), Amijai Shalev (bandoneon), Joseph Khoury (riqq and bendir), and Abdel-Wahab Kayyali (oud).