Michalis Kouloumis (Cyprus): violin,
Tristan Driessens (Belgium): oud,
Serkan Mesut Halili (Turkey): kanun,
Christos Barbas (Greece): ney flute,
Miriam Encinas (Catalunya): frame drums,
Belgian oud player Tristan Driessens and Cypriot violinist Michalis Kouloumis bridge the gap between classical and folk music from Turkey and Cyprus. Their repertoire ranges from original compositions in classical Ottoman style to traditional rural dances from Cyprus, Asia Minor and Anatolia. With their bright performances and energic approach, the duet is constantly exploring new musical horizons.
The two musicians met at the San Giorgio Island in Venice, where they played and recorded alongside Turkish ney master Kudsi Erguner. Later on, Catalan multi-instrumentalist Miriam Encinas Laffitte joined them on their musical journey, which resulted in the release of their very well received debut album Music for Shepherds and Sultans (Homerecords, 2023). A follow-up was recorded next year during Driessens’ prolific artistic residence at the Concertgebouw of Bruges. On this occasion, the ensemble welcomed two new members from Turkey and Greece, kanun player Serkan Mesut Halili and ney player / composer Christos Barbas.
From 2023 until the present day, Shepherds & Sultans performed in festivals and concert halls around Europe, Cyprus and Turkey, including Rialto World Music Festival (Cyprus), Albert Long Hall, Boğazici Üniversitesi, (Istanbul), Concertgebouw Brugge, Merodefestival and De Warande (Belgium), and De X (Leiden, The Netherlands).
As of 2026, Michalis Kouloumis & Tristan Driessens continue to carry out new projects, most importantly as a trio with Serkan Mesut Halili.
THE PRESS ABOUT SHEPHERDS AND SULTANS
Photo credit: Sylwia Malachowska
