An exciting project, which could be described as "music at the crossroads of the world," is presented by German cellist Anja Lechner together with Greek pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos under the title "Chants, Hymns and Dances." The repertoire focuses not only on Tsabropoulos's works, inspired by ancient Byzantine hymns, but also on pieces by the Armenian-born composer and philosopher Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (c. 1877-1949). Gurdjieff's music draws its rhythms and melodies from both sacred and secular sources in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. This project deliberately blurs the lines between Eastern and Western traditions, between composed and improvised music, and between traditional and contemporary soundscapes.
