SHAHYAR, Golnar

Golnar Shahyar is an Iranian-Canadian vocalist, composer, poet, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Vienna. Her work weaves together improvisation, storytelling, and interdisciplinary practices, treating the voice as both instrument and narrator. She composes for small and large ensembles—including the Vision String Quartet, NAWA Orchestra and the Beyond the Roots Large Ensemble—and performs as a soloist and composer with orchestras such as the Tonkünstler-Orchester and the NDR Bigband. Her debut album Tear Drop (2022) was nominated for the German Jazz Prize in 2023 for its “outstanding vocal qualities” and production, and she received second prize at the Austrian Jazz Prize 2025 in the Best Live Act category.