Kudsi Erguner is one of the foremost ney masters of our times. He currently lives and works in Paris as a musician, composer, musicologist, teacher and author.
Coming from a family of Turkish musicians, he studied music and underlying philosophies from various traditional musical communities, and received his training directly from his father, Ulvi Erguner, the last great master of the ney. He has given concerts and played in major festivals throughout the world, founded diverse music ensembles, recorded and released more than a hundred CDs, and devised many original projects for international music festivals.
Erguner has made authoritative contributions to world music. He has documented and revived nearly forgotten musical traditions, bringing them to the Western public and securing them a place within Europe's cultural inheritance; in this way he also initiated the renaissance of Ottoman classical and traditional music in Türkiye. He was designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace and awarded honorary doctorates. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Bülent Ecevit University in Türkiye and by the University of Arts Audiovisual Skopje in Macedonia.
Pierre Rigopoulos studied at the Pantin Experimental Conservatory of Contemporary Music. There, he studied percussion and discovered the Zarb (Iranian drum). A versatile percussionist, he practiced contemporary music for several years and played in jazz, traditional, and classical music ensembles, in concerts and for theatrical, choreographic, and operatic performances. He has collaborated with Kudsi Erguner on several concerts and albums, as well as with numerous artists.