Blackbird: In the Footsteps of Ziryab
Friday, November 20, 2026
8 pm
Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium
Member pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 29 at 10 am.
Public sale begins Friday, July 31 at 10 am.
$60 Regular • $54 Friends • $45 Students and Seniors
Unlock the full Duende experience:
Attend all three shows at the Aga Khan Museum for $150 and receive 10% off the Qawwali Flamenco show on November 19th at Massey Hall.
Blackbird: In the Footsteps of Ziryab makes its world premiere as a bold new multidisciplinary performance celebrating the enduring connections between cultures, oral and artistic traditions. Connected through centuries of migration, poetry, rhythm, and memory, Canadian and Spanish Andalusian artists collaborate in a meaningful artistic dialogue, led by Artistic Director Amir Amiri. The essentials of flamenco are all present: voice, complex rhythm, and dance.
This presentation ultimately asks how music travels through history, how cultures reshape one another, and how artists continue to carry ancient knowledge into contemporary life. The project seeks to illuminate the enduring connections between Persian and Andalusian artistic worlds, while creating a contemporary performance grounded in research, artistic integrity, and shared humanity.
The 9th-century figure of Ziryab is central to this work. Ziryab meaning “Blackbird,” is the name by which he is most remembered for his beautiful singing voice and dark skin. His actual name was Abu al-Hassan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi, a visionary musician, poet, and cultural innovator who left the region of Beyn al-Nahrain (present-day southern Iraq, then part of the Persian cultural world) over one thousand years ago and journeyed westward to Córdoba. Upon arriving in Al-Andalus, he established what is considered one of the first music conservatories in Europe and profoundly influenced Andalusian society through music, aesthetics, etiquette, gastronomy, fashion, and cultural refinement.
Ensemble
Óscar de los Reyes
Dance
Amir Amiri
Artistic Director, Composer, Santur
Gaspar Rodríguez
Flamenco Guitar, Composer, Musical Director
Elham Manouchehri
Cante (Voice), Tar
Omar Abou Afach
Viola
Javier Rabadán
Cajón, Percussion
Esperanza Soria
Flamenco Singer (Cante)
Unlock the Full Duende Experience
Attend all three shows at the Aga Khan Museum for $150 and receive 10% off the Qawwali Flamenco show on November 19th at Massey Hall.
Please note: The discount is not applied automatically. Please use the link to purchase the package. Upon purchase of the package, a 10% discount code for the Qawwali Flamenco show will be in your confirmation email.
Public ticket sales for the Duende package will go on sale Friday, July 31 at 10 am.
The Museum’s Performing Arts programming is generously supported by the Nanji Family Foundation.
Carmen Romero serves as Associate Curator for the 2026 Duende International Flamenco Festival.
Government Partners