With a concert program consisting of sweeping improvisations, masterpieces from the Ottoman heritage as well as his own original compositions, Tristan Driessens reflects on the many musical routes he has travelled since his childhood, from his first encounter with the oud through Sufism and Andalusian music, up to his journeys to Cairo, Istanbul, Crete (Labyrinth Musical Workshop), Samarkand and other great hotspots of Oriental music.
In March 2023, Tristan Driessens released his first solo album Lahza (A Glimpse), presenting a series of improvisations played on the oud. The album was published by the Iranian label Mahoor Institute of Culture and Arts and reveals a different side of Tristan Driessens as an oud player. Whereas he has emerged over the past decade as a prolific creator and artistic director of several large line-ups, A Glimpse marks a new direction only accompanied by his faithful oud.
Today, Tristan Driessens continues to explore the multi-facetted expressive richness of his beloved instrument, resulting in his album ‘Istanbul Anilari‘ (Memories of Istanbul), which is scheduled for release for the Seyir Muzik label in October 2026.
Onze zuiderbuur Tristan Driessens behoort tot een van ’s werelds meest gerespecteerde Udspelers, de Arabische luit. In zijn nog relatief korte carrière produceerde hij al een aanzienlijke catalogus. Veelal in specifieke samenwerkingen of in projectvorm, waarbij hij gerespecteerde muzikanten uit diverse landen uit de Mediterrane -en oosterse gebieden rond zich verzamelde.
CONCERTZENDER, NL
Belgian musician Tristan Driessens found his inspiration and his calling east of the Bosphorus, becoming one of the West’s few masters of the oud and of Ottoman classical music.
HÜRRIYET DAILY NEWS, TR
A great musician and a musical world traveler.
MUSIC FRAMES, NL
