Echoing Travelogues: The Beyond and Us Concert
Echoing Travelogues: The Beyond and Us
Dareyn Ensemble & Holland Baroque in Concert
Echoing Travelogues: The Beyond and Us, led by artistic director and lead artist Emine Bostanc, is an immersive performance shaped by a curatorial vision that brings together music, history, and storytelling into a unified dramaturgical journey. Under her leadership, an international ensemble bridges Ottoman, Persian, and European traditions within a single interdisciplinary work.
Featuring Emine Bostanc (Istanbul kemenche), the ensemble includes Zeynep Yldz Abbasolu (kanun), Judith Steenbrink (baroque violin), Tineke Steenbrink (positive organ), and Vinsent Planjer (percussion), withnarration by Nora Fischer. Together, they spanOttoman court music,Mevlevi ritual traditions,Persian classical music, andEuropean Baroque repertoire.
The programme invites audiences on a journey acrosscenturies and cultures; fromIstanbul to Vienna, and fromPersia to Europe. Inspired by thetravel diaries of diplomats and explorers (15th18th centuries), it brings to life the sounds and encounters that shaped cultural exchange across continents.
The work draws on historical travel diaries, including figures such asLevinus Warner, exploring how cultures define themselves through encounters withthe other. It highlights identity as something shaped throughexchange and perception, rather than fixed boundaries.
The performance features music fromOttoman, Persian, and early European traditions, performed on historical instruments. Iconic spaces such asHagia Sophia,Topkap Palace,Mevlevi lodges, andSt. Stephens Cathedralare reimagined through4D sound design, creating an immersive spatial experience.
The production is supported by an international creative team, including Head of Research Dr. Zeynep Yldz Abbasolu, sound designer Dr. Hasan Baran Frat, and video designer Ataman Giriken, and is developed in collaboration with Holland Baroque and 4DSound. Produced by Muziekgebouw Productiehuis and Dareyn Foundation, the work combines historical research, spatial audio practices, and contemporary performance technologies to create a richly layered artistic experience.
Organised byYunus Emre Institute London, the project positions London as a meeting point for historical reflection, artistic dialogue, and intercultural exchange.
More than a concert, Echoing Travelogues: The Beyond and Us is a sensory exploration of memory, identity, and cultural imagination.
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