City of Poets: Music and Song from Khorezm to Kashgar

Wednesday 14 October, 2026

Doors and bar open 7pm for 7.30pm concert

Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT)

This concert reunites musicians across the Soviet-Chinese divide through an original exploration of the stunning maqām-based classical repertoire of the Central Asian Uzbek and Uyghur peoples.

A group of leading musicians from different sides of the border, led by Uzbek tanbur, sato, dutar player and vocalist Abror Zufarov and Uyghur dutar player and vocalist Saniyem Ismail, draw on the musical and poetic connections that have been deeply submerged by the forces of 20th-century nationalism to create an extraordinary and inspiring original concert repertoire. The programme is centred around the 17th-century mystic poet and wandering dervish Baba Rahim Mashrab, who wandered the cities of Central Asia from Namangan to Kashgar, Bukhara to Khotan and whose poetry still inspires musicians on both sides of the divide.

The concert will also feature prominent musicians: Guzal Muminova, Arslan Gait, Sherzod Nazarov

A Central Asian Collaboration produced by Nava Arts and supported by the London-based research project, Maqām Beyond Nation

Tickets are available on Nava Arts ticket platform:

https://deerevents.com/city-of-poets-mystic-music-of-central-asia/

Or below for SOAS students