Sounds of Cyprus Revives Rare Medieval Music from the Cypriot-French Court

Sounds of Cyprus Revives Rare Medieval Music from the Cypriot-French Court A Concert and Lecture on the Manuscript Torino, Biblioteca Nazionale, J.II.9 Queens College, City University of New York The ensemble Sounds of Cyprus will present a unique concert and lecture introducing selections from the Cypriot-French repertory preserved in the manuscript Torino, Biblioteca Nazionale, J.II.9. Written in Cyprus during the rule of the French House of Lusignan (1192–1498), this extraordinary medieval collection represents one of the most significant surviving bodies of music connected to the island’s multicultural courtly tradition. The Manuscript Torino consists of four volumes containing Polyphonic Mass Movements, Ballades, Motets, Virelais, and Rondeaux. While the manuscript has been known to scholars for decades, the repertory has rarely been performed, and only a small portion has been recorded. This concert and lecture will introduce audiences to selections from the secular repertory contained in Books II through IV of the manuscript. The program will be held at CUNY Queens College - Room 230, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367, on the 16th of November 2026 at 7:00PM. The ensemble will perform selections from the opening portions of Books II through IV of the manuscript, representing the secular music of the Cypriot court. The performance will feature the distinctive instrumentation of the Sounds of Cyprus ensemble, combining traditional and contemporary instruments with vocal performance in the Latin-based early French dialect of the repertory. Because much of this music has rarely been heard in modern performance, the works will be interpreted with attention to stylistic practices of the medieval period while also incorporating contemporary orchestration and performance approaches. The project will illuminate Cyprus’s musically historical heritage while connecting those historical traditions to modern artistic practice. This multimodal program combines live performance with contextual discussion, offering audiences historical insight into the cultural life of medieval Cyprus and the musical exchanges that took place within the Lusignan court. The event will then culminate in a performance of Cyprus’ intercultural legacy with traditional music selections of Greek-Cypriot, Turkish-Cypriot, and Cypriot-Arabic linguistic background sung by Elena Chris. The event will be conducted by Project Director, Peter Douskalis, narrated by Elena Chris, and will feature guest vocalist Demetris Bonaros. This event is supported in-part by the New York State Foundation for the Arts - Queens Arts Fund - Arts Access Grant (2026), The New York City Department of Culture, and the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus. The event is presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus in New York and produced in collaboration with the Department of Sociology at Queens College, City University of New York, and the Hellenic American Project. EVENT LOCATION DETAILS: CUNY Queens College - Room 230 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 16 November 2026 7:00PM - 9:00PM Follow @soundsofcyprus on all social media for future updates and see the full NYFA Queens Arts Fund at https://www.nyfa.org/news/new-york-foundation-for-the-arts-nyfa-and-nyc-department-of-cultural-affairs-dcla-announce-493350-in-grants-for-129-queens-based-artists-artist-collectives-and-small-nonprofits-through-the-que/?mc_cid=944437c912&mc_eid=0a1c05de23. Follow #QAF2026 to follow all grantee projects.

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