Five string players may form a relatively small ensemble.
They can nevertheless carry a much larger story.
On 12 October at Église Saint-Louis, Bilal Alnemr and Semaan Wehbe on violin, Anuschka Cidlinsky on viola, and cellists Assif Binness and Idil Pulat will perform “Le chant universel des cordes”, opening the 2026-27 Festival de Musique de Toulon season.
An afternoon launch at Port des Créateurs begins at 5 p.m., including a textile-art installation by Valmigot and a meeting with Bilal Alnemr before the concert.
Les Cordes de Shams is more than a performing ensemble. The association supports young Mediterranean musicians facing exile or precarious circumstances through training, artistic support and performance opportunities.
That context does not mean every note should be reduced to biography.
But it does make the concert's title unusually meaningful.
Classical instruments belong to established musical traditions, while the musicians themselves move between countries, cultures and experiences.
Chamber music therefore becomes, quite literally, a place of encounter.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Monday, 12 October at Église Saint-Louis in Toulon.
