Classical music in Ethiopia: A discussion with Girma Yifrashewa
Hybrid event. Please use link below for webinar registration.
The piano music of Girma Yifrashewa blends Western classical and Ethiopian musical traditions in a unique example of how traditional Ethiopian music has evolved. In a discussion between Girma and music scholar Samuel Boateng, this seminar explores themes of authenticity and cultural hybridity in a globalised world. Girma will perform at Wigmore Hall at 11.30 on Saturday 15 March, as part of the African Concert Series.

Girma Yifrashewa is Musical Director of the Ashenafi Kebede Performing Arts Centre at Addis Ababa University and an acclaimed Ethiopian artist celebrated for effortlessly bridging the world of classical music with the vibrant musical traditions of Ethiopia.

Dr Samuel Boateng is a music scholar specialising in Jazz, African music and twentieth-century Black popular performance. His research draws from the intersections of music, migration, Atlantic history and decolonial activism across the African diaspora. He is a career development research fellow at St John’s College, Oxford.
Date: 12 March 2025, 15:30
Venue: 13 Bevington Road, 13 Bevington Road OX2 6NB
Venue Details: Seminar room, African Studies Centre
Speakers: Dr Samuel Boateng, Girma Yifrashewa (Ashenafi Kebede Performing Arts Centre, AAU)
Organising department: Centre for African Studies
Organiser: Jason Mosley (University of Oxford)
Part of: Northeast Africa Forum seminar series
Booking required?: Recommended
Booking url: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e8b4327a-632b-4442-890f-1a593af25e58@cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91
Audience: Public
Editor: Jason Mosley