Project Description
Qayeq is Avin Ahmadi’s solo project for oud and voice, bringing Persian musical traditions into dialogue with jazz and improvisation through her own compositions. Rather than accepting the oud’s often narrow and underestimated role, she explores its untapped possibilities and has developed a distinctive language in which instrument and voice become one expressive body. The project began in October 2023, when Avin gave her first solo concert at Porgy & Bess in Vienna at the age of 19. Its name comes from the Persian word for “boat” (قایق): a vessel that moves freely with the water, reaches unfamiliar shores and connects different worlds. Selected for NASOM 2025/26, Qayeq has since appeared on stages across Europe, West Asia and North Africa.