Uşşak Saz semai (Tristan Driessens) – Shepherds & Sultans Quintet

Michalis Kouloumis (Cyprus): violin, Tristan Driessens (Belgium): oud, Serkan Halili (Turkey): kanun, Christos Barbas (Greece): ney flute, Miriam Encinas (Catalunya): frame drums. Uşşak Saz semai, composed by Tristan Driessens Shepherds & Sultans Quintet Live in Concertgebouw Brugge, Belgium, 2024 Tristan Driessens and Michalis Kouloumis bridge the gap between classical and folk music from Turkey, Greece and beyond. Their repertoire ranges from original compositions in classical Ottoman style to traditional rural dances from Cyprus and Anatolia. With their fresh interpretations and adventurous approach, the duet are constantly exploring new musical horizons. Cypriot violinist Michalis Kouloumis and Belgian oud player Tristan Driessens met in Venice and began their musical journey there. Later, Catalan multi-instrumentalist Miriam Encinas joined them. For their upcoming album “Zamanin Nefese - Music of the Ottoman Heritage” (2026), the trio invites two outstanding guest musicians from Turkey and Greece, Serkan Mesut Halili on kanun and Christos Barbas on ney.