Over the past decade, Europe-based non-European musicians from diverse diasporic backgrounds have had increasing opportunities to raise their voices and showcase the creativity and complexity of their classical and traditional music. Europe has become home to musicians from all around the world, including those who have studied there and those who have brought with them the cultural heritage of classical and traditional music from their regions of origin.

At the same time, terms such as “World Music” continue to raise important questions, as they often group together highly diverse musical cultures outside Europe and North America under a single label. Through this project, we seek to highlight the richness, complexity, and equal artistic value of musical traditions from different parts of the world.

The Inner Unity Ensemble was founded through the collaboration of Mahan Mirarab, the ensemble’s musical director, and Yalda Yazdani, ethnomusicologist, curator, and artistic director. Mirarab has been based in Austria since 2009 and is active internationally as a composer, arranger, instrumentalist, and musical director. Yazdani has curated numerous festivals in Germany, including Female Voice of Iran, Female Voice of Afghanistan, Female Voice of Kurdistan, and Ukrainian Female Voices, all dedicated to amplifying women’s voices from regions affected by conflict, displacement, and social challenges.

The Inner Unity Ensemble seeks to build bridges between Eastern and Western musical cultures, creating a space for equal and creative dialogue between these musical worlds.

The ensemble presented its first performance at the Duisburg Philharmonie in February 2023, together with the Iranian-Azerbaijani singer Samin Ghorbani. Bringing together musicians from a range of cultural and artistic backgrounds, the group develops original repertoire that combines modal and microtonal concepts from Iranian Radif and Arabic and Turkish Maqam traditions with harmonic approaches drawn from European classical music and jazz. Rhythm, dance, and improvisation play a central role in the ensemble’s musical language, resulting in a rich and diverse sound world that encourages cultural dialogue and artistic exchange.

A defining element of the project is its commitment to supporting and presenting female voices from different cultures, particularly from countries where, due to social and political conditions, women are not able to sing freely or participate openly in musical life. Inner Unity seeks to create a platform where these voices can be heard, recognised, and placed in dialogue with one another. In March 2025, the ensemble presented Female Voices United at Duisburg Philharmonie, featuring artists from Iran, Kurdistan, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey, including Basma Jabr, Sakina Tayna, Simin Tander, Merve Akyildiz, and Golnar Shahyar.

For upcoming concerts and festival appearances, the ensemble collaborates with outstanding vocalists such as Mahya Hamedi and Sakina Teyna, who perform repertoire in Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, and Azeri traditions. The instrumental core of the ensemble includes Uygur Vural, a Turkish cellist known for his distinctive interpretation of Turkish Maqams and his versatility as both cellist and bassist; Valentina Bellanova, an Italian multi-instrumentalist deeply engaged with Arabic and Turkish Maqam traditions; Amir Wahba, a versatile percussionist with extensive knowledge of Middle Eastern rhythmic traditions; and Shabnam Parvaresh, a clarinetist and composer whose work creatively connects Iranian classical music with jazz.

The Inner Unity Ensemble plans to invite and work with singers from additional regions and cultural backgrounds, particularly from countries where, due to social and political conditions, women are not able to sing freely or participate openly in musical life. Through these collaborations, the ensemble aims to develop a space for artistic equality, mutual listening, and creative exchange, while celebrating the diversity, resilience, and artistic excellence of women’s voices around the world.

Upcoming Concerts

• June 27 — Marxloh Music Festival, Duisburg Philharmonie
• September 26 —Female Voices of Resilience – Iranian Women Singing for Freedom,  In collaboration with  Gürzenich Orchestra - Cologne Philharmonie More info:  https://www.koelner-philharmonie.de/en/events/female-voices-of-resilience/9346