The Afghan rubab in image and sound

The Afghan rubab is considered the country's national instrument and on this evening it will take us through the various stages of Afghanistan's (musical) history. The focus will be on the materiality and sound of the instrument and will be illuminated in multimedia explorations and using instruments on site. The musicians Sobeir Bachtiar, Haider Khan and Peter Lell will give an insight into the Afghan musical tradition with musical performances – also in the context of political rule under the Taliban, who almost silenced music several times, for example by systematically destroying instruments and persecuting musicians. The lecture performance is conceived as an interactive format that begins with a scientific-artistic lecture and leads into a workshop setting that encourages a dialogue.

Peter Lell is an ethnomusicologist and currently a doctoral student in the structured doctoral programme "Music Matters" at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). His research deals with the Afghan short-necked lute rubab and its music. His research is focused on investigating how the knowledge and skills of the instrument are passed on today and how the important musical tradition can be preserved despite the ban on music in the country and the migration of many musicians.

Sobeir Bakhtiar is an Afghan-Austrian musician, music teacher and composer. Born in Kabul in 1943, he attended the Austrian music school there and was awarded a scholarship to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), where he studied classical trumpet and composition. He worked as a music teacher and soloist for western classical music, then increasingly devoted himself to the traditional music of Afghanistan, especially the Afghan rubab. His intensive study of the music has made him an outstanding expert in this musical tradition.

Haider Khan is an internationally acclaimed musician from Gorau (Rajasthan, India) and has called Vienna and India his home since 2014. He is a percussionist (tabla) and singer and has collaborated with renowned Indian and international musicians. Haider founded the ensemble "The Folk Brothers", has been involved in fascinating interdisciplinary projects, including "Mythos Mozart" (2022) and the "Traumreise" concert at Vienna's Musikverein (2022).

The lecture performance is co-organized by the Department of Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw).

As part of KlangBildKlang.
KlangBildKlang is a diverse and vibrant festival organised by the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna that will explore and bring to life creative manifestations and interactions of visual and auditory design in around 50 artistic and art education projects from May to June 2024. www.klangbildklang.at

Duration: 90 min.
To participate in the event, all guests need a valid museum ticket (or an annual ticket, a KHMembership or a membership of the Weltmuseum Wien Friends).
Registration online (limited number of participants)
Meeting point: WMW Forum