A Portrait – The Byzantine Choral Tradition from Constantinople to California

CAPPELLA ROMANA
+ ALEXANDER LINGAS

Hear ancient chants from Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, including music by Kassía the Nun, the oldest female composer in the world from whom we have music. When Greek communities established themselves in California, American composers including Frank Desby, Theodore Bogdanos, and especially Tikey Zes reimagined ancient forms while honoring their ancestral tradition. Works by contemporary masters—Tavener, Moody, Pärt, and Kyr—draw from Byzantine wells, feeding a living river that still touches the heart with deeply mystical and contemplative music.