Faris Ishaq feat. Zela Margossian and Adem Yilmaz– Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026

London-based Palestinian Nay master, percussionist and composer Faris Ishaq is redefining the possibilities of the Nay, an ancient Middle Eastern flute with a history stretching back 5,000 years.

A frequent collaborator whose work includes projects with multi-GRAMMY Award- winning bassist John Patitucci and contributions to the BAFTA-nominated Assassin’s Creed Mirage soundtrack, Ishaq brings music from his acclaimed new album JASAD to The JazzLab. Pairing the Nay with a leg-mounted frame drum, he creates a
captivating musical language of breath-led improvisation, rhythmic drive and richly layered acoustic textures.

The second half of the evening features a special collaboration with ARIA-nominated pianist and composer Zela Margossian, whose kaleidoscopic original works draw on Armenian musical traditions, joined by Turkish percussionist Adem Yilmaz. Together with Ishaq, the trio combines original music, traditional influences and improvisation in a meeting of three distinctive musical voices.