Lamia Yared and Efrén López

Lebanese-born singer Lamia Yared and Spanish multi-instrumentalist Efrén López perform music from the Arab world and medieval Iberia. 

Lebanese-born singer and oud player Lamia Yared unveils her third album, From Minho to Euphrates, a sweeping musical journey that interlaces sacred and secular traditions from Iberia to Mesopotamia. Joined by acclaimed Spanish multi-instrumentalist Efrén López, the duo breathes new life into historic repertoires spanning languages, religions, and centuries. 

Weaving 4th-century Syriac Maronite hymns, Muwashahat (classical Arab poetic songs) from Aleppo, and a rare 13th-century composition by one of the great theorists of Middle Eastern music, Safi al-Din al-Urmawi, this unmissable performance is a masterful dialogue across civilisations. 

‘This record is a dialogue across time. We wanted to show how music from different worlds - Christian hymns, Sufi poetry, and medieval song - speak to each other in ways that still resonate today.’ – Lamia Yared  

Praise for Lamia Yared & Efrén López

‘★★★★. To say that this album explores medieval religious music from around the Mediterranean undersells it. – Songlines UK

Lamia Yared & Efrén López will be joined by koza player Nawres Alfreh for this performance. 

Tickets

Standard $50 ($40 Concession)

Please note, seating in the Primrose Potter Salon is General Admission.

A Transaction Fee between $4 and $8.50 applies to orders made online and by phone. Delivery Fees may also apply. A ticket limit of six is in place online to ensure fair ticket access for all. Want to bring a bigger party? Call our Box Office during business hours on (03) 9699 3333 to book.

About the Artists

Lamia Yared
A singer, oud player and artistic curator of Lebanese origin, Lamia Yared specialises in the repertoires of classical Arabic and Ottoman music. She is actively involved in projects dedicated to preserving the musical heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean region. In collaboration with renowned musicians, she has produced the album Chants des Trois Cours (2019), praised by Songlines magazine, Ottoman Splendours (2022), under the Analekta label, as well as the newly released album From Minho to Euphrates, in collaboration with Efrén López and guests.

Efrén López 
Specialising in hurdy-gurdy and lutes from European medieval, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian traditions, Efrén López is a versatile musician who has contributed as a composer, performer, and producer to some of the most creative and influential projects across diverse traditions.

López’s expertise in hurdy-gurdy, lutes, and other instruments from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions has been honed through years of study with distinguished musicians, including Ross Daly, Erkan Oğur, and Zohar Fresco. His deep knowledge of medieval, traditional, and modal music allows him to bridge ancient and contemporary styles in distinct ways.

Nawres Alfreh
Nawres Alfreh is an Iraqi-born musician and accomplished performer specialising in the Iraqi maqam tradition. A graduate of the Baghdad Conservatory of Music, he has performed alongside renowned artists including Naseer Shamma and Farida Mohammad Ali.

Based in Brisbane, Nawres performs on violin, Joza and kamanche and is the founder of Shanasheel Arabic Music Ensemble, which regularly performs at concerts, festivals and cultural events. He has also performed with Camerata of St John’s, the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, and various Arabic and Middle Eastern music projects across Australia.