Key Points
- An Assyrian concert will be held at the Sydney Opera House for the first time
- The concert tells refugee stories through jazz music
- The performance was Inspired by a music album
This is not the first time Evan Yako has played in a concert at the Sydney Opera House. He has previously performed alongside many famous Australian artists and Jazz singers in many concerts. But this is the first time he has fully funded and performed in a concert of Assyrian music.
SBS Assyrian spoke to Mr Yako about his preparations and feelings in the lead-up to the concert entitled 'Inspirational Stories'.
Mr Yako told SBS: "Inspirational Stories is a collection of my compositions about many refugees and migrants who have endured a lot of trauma and hardship trying to reach Australia."
He says many of those people, including himself, have succeeded in integrating into the Australian community and achieve their aims.
The 'Inspirational Stories' concert was inspired by his latest album with the same title, he said. It includes instrumental pieces depicting endurance and suffering, the ups and downs of settling into Australian life and the general determination to succeed.
The album's 12 tracks includes an Assyrian folk song - 'Liliana' - and many other modern Assyrian songs, including one song by the legendary Assyrian singer, Ashur Bet-Sargis.
There is another song by another legend, Assyrian singer Biba. Mr Yako says: "I added my own touches and developed the song into a musical piece."
The concert will take place at the Playhouse venue, the second-largest concert hall at the Opera House.
“The Hall has a capacity of almost 400 seats, and so far, 75 per cent of tickets have been sold," Mr Yako says.
He added: "Two years ago and due to the pandemic, many concerts in Australia were cancelled so people developed the habit of buying tickets at the last minute." For this reason, he says he is confident the concert will be sold out.
Mr Yako says he believes that many members of the Assyrian community have seen the Opera House from the outside, but few had experienced a concert in the iconic Australian building.
He says he chose not to have any sponsors and managed to finance the project by himself. He says his aim is to have the Assyrian community’s name known to the general Australian public through his music.
For details, people can contact the Opera House at:
Read about Evan Yako's refugee experience
My journey to my new home: The story of Evan Yako
My journey to my new home: The story of Evan Yako
