Long Listen | Evening Concert Echoes Of The Unseen

Echoes of The Unseen features international festival headline artist Qais Essar on rabab with guest tabla player Shen Flindell from Brisbane.  This exclusive regional festival performance is part of his second Australian tour celebrating his new album release including shows at Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre.

“This is timeless, spellbinding music that wraps itself around you, and won’t let go.” - Sydney Morning Herald

Qais Essar is one of the leading Afghan composers and musicians of his generation. Given the Taliban's ongoing persecution of artists and musicians, he is an important voice.

Qais has composed music for three Oscar-nominated films: Yellow (2024), Three Songs for Benazir (2021) and The Breadwinner (2018) which was produced by Angelina Jolie.

Qais tours extensively, including performances at The Kennedy Center, SxSW, Aga Khan Museum, The BBC, and Newport Folk Festival.

Qais' performance features a blend of Indian and Afghan folk and classical music on the rabab - the national instrument of Afghanistan.

Shen Flindell (guest artist on tabla)

Shen Flindell has grown to become one of Australia's leading tabla players. He is the accompanist of choice for Indian classical artists visiting Brisbane, and also performs in fusion groups such as Tibet2Timbuk2. Shen founded Queensland Sangeet Mela Association (QSMA), to foster the development of Indian classical music in Queensland. Shen loves bringing people together to unite through music, whether it's playing with his students or collaborating with top musicians from around the world.