Tromsø World Festival – ZÖJ

Tromsø World Festival

Tromsø World Festival –ZÖJ (Iran / Australia)

One of the most haunting live experiences you’ll hear this year

Genres: Persian contemporary / Ambient jazz

 

ZÖJ exists in the space between tradition and experimentation, silence and intensity. The Australian-based duo of Iranian musician Gelareh Pour and percussionist Brian O’Dwyer creates deeply immersive music where Persian poetry, voice, kamancheh and textured percussion unfold through instinctive improvisation and fearless listening.

At the heart of ZÖJ’s music lies a commitment to cross-cultural dialogue and emotional honesty. Drawing from Persian musical heritage while embracing contemporary experimental practice, the duo creates soundscapes that feel intimate, cinematic and radically alive. Their performances often move slowly and patiently, allowing every gesture, breath and resonance to carry meaning.

Since emerging in 2016, ZÖJ has gained international acclaim for its boundary-crossing work and emotionally powerful live performances. Their albums — from Fil O Fenjoon to Give Water to Birds and the upcoming May The Devil’s Ear Be Deaf — explore themes of memory, fragility, displacement and resilience through minimalist yet deeply expressive compositions.

Live, Gelareh Pour’s extraordinary voice and masterful string playing intertwine with Brian O’Dwyer’s dynamic and highly textural percussion, creating performances that feel less like concerts and more like evolving conversations between cultures, histories and emotional states.

At Tromsø World 2026, ZÖJ brings one of the festival’s most immersive and emotionally resonant performances — music that invites deep listening, reflection and complete surrender to sound.

This concert is in collaboration with Tromsø Jazz Club.

Praktisk informasjon