Fanoos Ensemble
2 p.m. Sunday, May 16, 2027 | Polsky Theatre
Tickets start at $25.
Season ticket packages on sale now. Individual tickets on sale June 15.
Individual Tickets Season Tickets (save 15-20% per show)
This family of passionate musicians is redefining Afghan music by blending traditions with Western flair to showcase a unique perspective on Afghanistan and the country's rich cultural heritage.
Fanoos Ensemble is composed of individuals from the world-renowned Fanoos musical family, featuring Ahmad Fanoos, vocalist and harmonium player, and his two sons, Elham Fanoos on piano and Mehran Fanoos on violin, along with a family friend, Sohail Karimi on tabla. They perform songs in the Afghan Classical style, at the crossroads of Persian poetry, Hindustani rhythms, and Central Asian and Western harmonies.
Their live performance repertoire includes Afghan folk songs, traditional ghazals based on the poetry of Rumi and other prominent poets, originals, and some popular songs from the legendary singer Ahmad Zahir, who was active in the 1960s and ’70s and is one of the most iconic Afghan singers. Notably, the ensemble performs original Afghan works enriched with their original improvisations. They perform on traditional Afghan and classical Western instruments.
The members of the ensemble reunited in the U.S. in 2021, after five years apart, and made their U.S. debut in the spring of 2022 in New York City, one year after the flight to freedom from the Taliban threats. Fanoos Ensemble’s mission is to unite people and cultures from all over the world through their music, while emphasizing Afghanistan’s rich cultural and musical heritage. The ensemble aims to show a side of Afghanistan that has not yet been shown and experienced previously.