Dialogues

In “Dialogos,” Holland Baroque and Constantinople embark on a musical journey inspired by one of history’s most remarkable encounters: the meeting between Saint Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade in 1219. Eight centuries later, their gesture of openness becomes the creative spark for this collaboration—a meeting not of faiths or institutions, but of human voices and mutual respect. Drawing on ancient sources such as the “Laudario di Cortona” and works by the 17th-century Polish musician Ali Ufki (Wojciech Bobowski), the ensembles weave new compositions in which Persian, Ottoman and early Western Baroque traditions merge. Under the artistic direction of Kiya Tabassian and Judith and Tineke Steenbrink, the music becomes a living dialogue—a conversation of timbres and stories that places listening above division and resonance above conflict. Every note reflects an encounter between cultures, in which the old inspires the new and peace begins in sound. Known for their creative reinterpretation of the Baroque repertoire and intercultural encounters, both Holland Baroque and the Montreal-based ensemble Constantinople thrive on collaboration and stylistic exploration. Their meeting in Dialogos continues a creative tradition that also includes Holland Baroque’s recent recordings “Bach’s Queen” and “Metamorphosis.”