THE BOOK OF QUEENS

CAMILLE BORDET, artistic direction, vocal, tombak
MOSTAFA TALEB, kamancheh
YUNAH PROOST, cello || ALBANE IMBS, archiluth
BEHNAZ TOHIDI, santur

From Iran to France – historical and mythical female figures

From the Persian realm to Medieval Europe, from Iran to 21st-century France, love in its many forms is presented: dreamt, forbidden, mystical, and deadly – the place where transcendence and immanence meet. The Book of Queens, inspired by historical and mythical female figures, weaves together Persian melodies, European musical traditions, and texts from religious and secular sources – in a rich and vibrant soundscape. They are heroines, warriors, priestesses, saints, witches, poets, and composers. Through words and music, they keep on living. Their love language is universal – it defies both time’s distinctive features and social and religious upheavals. The project is based on works by, among others, Héloïse, Rabea Balkhi, Roudabeh, Hildegard von Bingen, Louise Labé, Barbara Strozzi, and Forough Farrokhzad.

The ensemble consists of Camille Bordet (artistic director, vocals, tombak), Mostafa Taleb (arrangements, kamancheh), Yunah Proost (arrangements, cello), Albane Imbs (arrangements, archiluth), and Behnaz Tohidi (santur). With their own distinct backgrounds, and experiences marked by exile and exclusion, the musicians are united in the service of the community, and create a unique musical language uniting older music, Persian themes, and mythical texts from both secular and religious traditions. The audience is invited on a dream-like and spiritual journey – a dialogue between time and place.

Camille Bordet is a French mezzo-soprano. She has her education in singing from Hochschule für Musik Basel, in addition to a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor’s degree in illustration from ENSAD. Bordet is described as a versatile artist, and her colourful artistry draws her to the opera stage as well as to traditional music, and then especially from Armenia and Iran, which languages she speaks fluently. With a love for the Baroque, Bordet has sung with, among others, Jordi Savall’s La Capella Reial de Catalunya.
Mostafa Taleb is an Iranian kamancheh player and singer. In 2016, he left Iran and established himself in Europe. Invited by the renowned viola da gamba-player Jordi Savall, Taleb has performed in numerous concerts in Europe as a member of the ensemble Orpheus 21 – Jordi Savall’s inspiring initiative to bring musicians who have fled their home countries, out onto Europe’s music stages with their rich traditional music. These cultural encounters between East and West have resulted in moving expressions, both in and outside of Orpheus 21.
Yunah Proost is a Belgian cello player and an interdisciplinary artist. She has created several productions, among them Habil Savagi (2019), based on Azerbaijani folk music, and children’s shows in Belgium as well as at the opera in Cologne. She regularly composes music for dance performances in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Proost is classically trained at the conservatories in Antwerp, London, Maastricht, Zürich, and Bern – where she now teaches the cello. She plays in several ensembles, and combines Western and Persian music through experimental projects.
Behnaz Tohidi is an Iranian santur player and composer based in Ghent. She holds a BA in Iranian Composition and is currently studying Music Composition for Film, Media, and Games at KASK & Conservatory School of Arts. Her artistic practice centers on storytelling through music, blending traditional Iranian influences with contemporary approaches. She has collaborated with two major Iranian orchestras and is a co-founder of the Nargol Ensemble, with which she was actively involved in live performances and studio recordings for six years. Behnaz has released and recorded several single tracks and composed the music for the video game Into the Deep. Her work also includes composing for animations and promotional teasers, as well as presenting three music-and-storytelling performances at De Centrale and KASK Cinema.
Albane Imbs started playing the Renaissance lute at the age of six, and has studied at CNSMD in Lyon under Rolf Lislevand. As a lutenist, theorbo player, and baroque guitarist, she performs with leading ensembles at the baroque music stage, among them Le Concert des Nations, Les Musiciens du Louvre, and Le Poème Harmonique. In 2015, Imbs founded her own ensemble, Les Kapsber’girls. The ensemble has received several awards for their recordings, among them the Diapason d’Or. Imbs’ solo album, Capricci, was chosen as one of the top 5 best classical albums of 2024 by De Standaard.

Photo: Camille Bordet: Anders Lillebo, Mostafa Taleb, Yunah Proost og Miriam Encinas: Loison, Albane Imbs: Morales