MICHEL GODARD / SOFIA LABROPOULOU / TAHEREH NOURANI
concert
Thu. 09. October, 19:30
MICHEL GODARD Serpent / SOFIA LABROPOULOU Kanun / TAHEREH NOURANI Flute, E-Bass, Objects
For the third concert of Unbounded Sounds 2025, Sofia Labropoulou has the honor of sharing the stage with Michel Godard, a master serpent player and a groundbreaking figure in early and contemporary music.
In the second half, Tahereh Nourani, a mesmerizing Iranian-Austrian sound artist, joins them for a unique debut trio performance.
Location: Sargfabrik Kulturhaus (Goldschlagstraße 169, 1140 Wien)
Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible.
workshop
Fri. 10. October, 10:00 - 17:30
MICHEL GODARD “The mirror of time”: Exploring the Timeless Art of Improvisation
The workshop will focus on recreating the links between early music (Baroque or Renaissance) and jazz improvisation today.
There are many similarities between a musician-composer from the sixteenth or seventeenth century and a jazz musician from the twenty-first, each mirroring the other.
Using original compositions inspired by the past, we will discover and explore a way of being with music and improvising in complete freedom.
Location: mica – music Austria Seminarraum (Stiftgasse 29, 1070 Wien)
Duration: 6 hours
Time: 10:00 – 17:30 (with pause)
Participation fee: 80 euros
Language: English
Accessibility: The workshop room is wheelchair accessible
All workshops are open to composers and musicians of all instruments.
About the artists
Michel Godard
Serpent
“Michel Godard blends disparate sounds with a touch of magic, bringing the serpent to life in ways that transcend tradition.”
Creator and researcher Michel Godard explores and intertwines the connections between centuries and musical cultures. This journey unfolds through the art of improvisation and its codes, as well as through diverse collaborations with musicians from a wide range of traditions.
Initially a classical tuba player, Michel became a cornerstone of European jazz ensembles. He also rediscovered and championed a forgotten instrument—the Serpent, the ancestor of the tuba—which he now teaches at the CNSM in Paris.
Today, his artistry is an alchemy of the many musical cultures that inspire him. Michel Godard shares a music that transcends time; as a multidimensional musician, he opens new horizons for future generations of creators and researchers.
Sofia Labropoulou
Kanun player, composer, improviser and artistic director of Unbounded Sounds
“Sofia Labropoulou has translated the musical heritage of the European and Aegean musical tradition into a living practice.” Cecile Olshausen – SRF 2 Kultur
Sofia Labropoulou is an internationally acclaimed kanun player, composer, and improviser celebrated for her groundbreaking approach to the instrument.
By blending Eastern Mediterranean folk music, Ottoman classical traditions, Western medieval, contemporary, and experimental music, she creates a sound that is both deeply personal and globally resonant.
Classically trained in piano and percussion, Sofia discovered her passion for the kanun as a teenager and later moved to Istanbul to study Ottoman music in depth. Over the years, she has pushed the boundaries of the kanun, taking the instrument into entirely new territories, far beyond its traditional frameworks. Her innovative techniques and experimental compositions have redefined its role in contemporary music, establishing her as a pioneer in the field.
Sofia has collaborated with wonderful artists across genres, performing on prestigious stages worldwide and leading masterclasses in kanun and Greek folk music. Her acclaimed solo album Sisyphus (Odradek Records, 2020) showcased her unique ability to intertwine tradition and innovation, while her upcoming album Spiral continues to explore new sonic possibilities and brings the kanun out of its sonic limits.
As the founder and artistic creator of Unbounded Sounds, Sofia brings her vision of cross-cultural collaboration and artistic dialogue to life. The festival exemplifies her belief in the transformative power of music to connect people and traditions while pushing the limits of artistic expression.
Based in Vienna, Sofia Labropoulou continues to compose, perform, and inspire new generations of musicians with her revolutionary approach to the kanun and her dedication to reshaping the musical landscape.
Tahereh Nourani
Flute, E-Bass, Objects
“An artist who unveils depth through unwavering slowness and artful precision.”
Tahereh Nourani sound artist, composer, improviser taherehnourani.com English Tahereh Nourani is a Vienna-based composer and sound artist focusing on electro- acoustic and experimental music.
In her work, she explores the potential of slowness and silence as well as the connection between sound, text and video. Using free improvisation, extended playing techniques, amplified objects and field-recordings, she creates reduced, organic and archaic sound spaces that span an arc between ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Memory Response) and noise. Nourani is recipient of composition scholarship from Austrian Federal Ministry for Art and Culture, member of QMA artist collective, SHAPE+ Artist and winner of the PhonoECHOES Award for Experimental Sound Art. She has performed at venues and festivals such as Belvedere 21 (AT), RKH (AT), Moers Festival (DE), UH Fest (HU), Üle Heli Festival (EE) and composed music for installations, film, Theatre, contemporary dance and performance. She studied European classical flute at Tehran University of Arts and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) and was Artist in Residence at AQB (HU), Casa di Rosa (CH) and Hotel Pupik (AT).