The fourth Asia+ Festival will bring an imaginative blend of Middle Eastern music and live Arabic calligraphy to Hong Kong with “Canvas of Sound”, making its Asian premiere on October 23 and 24.

The performance pairs Syrian-born musicians Feras Charestan and Basel Rajoub with Pakistani-born visual artist Tazeen Qayyum, whose spontaneous brushwork responds to the music as it unfolds. Charestan’s qanun and Rajoub’s duclar, joined by percussion and saxophone, create rich musical textures as Qayyum draws on Arabic, Persian and Urdu scripts to explore hope, kindness, justice and peace.

Each canvas takes shape in the moment, allowing sound and calligraphy to interact in a unique artistic dialogue. The works will be displayed the following day.

Curated by the Aga Khan Music Programme, “Canvas of Sound” debuted as a gallery exhibition at Qatar’s National Museum in 2024 before its stage edition won acclaim at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival.

The performances will take place at 8pm on October 23 and 24 at Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre Theatre.