Inaugural Toronto Makam Music Forum Brings Five Days of Global Music, Workshops and Concerts to Toronto
September 15–19, 2026
East End Arts and East End United, Toronto
Free and ticketed programming available
Labyrinth Ontario launches a new Toronto music gathering with free workshops, conversation circles and three nights of performances
Toronto’s remarkably diverse music scene is adding a new gathering this September with the first-ever Toronto Makam Music Forum, presented by Labyrinth Ontario from September 15 to 19, 2026.
The five-day event explores makam, the microtonal musical systems and practices found throughout West and Central Asia and the Mediterranean. Rather than presenting the tradition only from the concert stage, the Forum combines performances, workshops and open conversations, inviting audiences and musicians to experience makam as a living and continuously evolving musical practice.
The inaugural programme includes two workshops, two free conversation circles and three evening concerts, with events taking place at East End Arts and East End United.
Makam Workshop with Sami Abu Shumays
September 15 & 16 | 4–6 p.m. | East End Arts
Musician and educator Sami Abu Shumays, co-author of Inside Arabic Music and creator of the Maqam Lessons series, leads an introductory workshop open to everyone from complete beginners to experienced practitioners.
Using group call-and-response singing, participants will explore Arabic music through melody, improvisation, composed songs and listening. The workshop is designed as an approachable introduction rather than a formal music lesson, making it suitable even for people without previous musical experience.
Umm Kulthum Music Group Workshop
September 15–19 | 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | East End Arts
More experienced musicians can take part in a five-day intensive devoted to the music associated with legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum.
Participants will learn two complete songs, Ansaak and Awidti Eini, exploring the repetitions, variations and improvisation that are central to this repertoire. The advanced workshop is intended for instrumentalists with experience in makam or a related musical tradition. Musicians attending at least four rehearsals will be invited to perform during the September 19 finale at East End United.
Mehdi Rostami + Folios of Turkish Makam
September 17 | 8–10 p.m. | East End United, 310 Danforth Avenue
The Forum’s first concert features Iranian setar player Mehdi Rostami, whose contemporary approach draws on traditional Iranian melodies.
The evening also features Folios of Turkish Makam, performing a repertoire of classical Turkish compositions reaching back to the early Ottoman era. The ensemble brings together musicians from varied sonic traditions, creating a programme rooted in historic repertoire while leaving room for contemporary interpretation.
Naomi McCarroll-Butler and Sam Shalabi + Folios of Iranian Dastgāh
September 18 | 8–10 p.m. | East End United
The second concert moves into more experimental territory. Naomi McCarroll-Butler and Sam Shalabi combine saxophone and clarinet with guitar in an improvisational collaboration influenced by everything from experimental folk and drone music to punk and spiritual expression.
They are joined by the Folios of Iranian Dastgāh, featuring Sadaf Amini, Ava Rostamian, Soheil Sadeghi, Sasan Salaseli and Araz Salek. The ensemble places improvisation at the centre while exploring both historic and contemporary dimensions of the 19th-century Iranian dastgāh tradition.
Makam Music Conversation Circles
September 17 & 18 | 6:30–7:30 p.m. | East End United | Free
Before the evening performances, audiences can participate in free Makam Music Conversation Circles facilitated by Jonathan Adjemian, PhD, from York University’s Programme in Social and Political Thought.
Joined by Labyrinth Ensemble musician Yang Chen, the discussions will question familiar ways of categorizing music while examining makam as a living, evolving practice. No ticket is required.
Sami Abu Shumays’ Umm Kulthum Music Group
September 19 | 8–10 p.m. | East End United
The Forum concludes with a celebration of the music of Umm Kulthum. During the 20th century, Egyptian composers developed extended works for the iconic vocalist in a form sometimes described in English as the “Long Song.” Performances can change through repetition, variation and improvisation, making each interpretation distinct.
For the Toronto Makam Music Forum finale, the music becomes both performance and culmination, with qualifying participants from Abu Shumays’ week-long workshop invited to join the September 19 programme.
A New Kind of Toronto Music Festival
What sets the Toronto Makam Music Forum apart is the way it connects listening, learning and participation.
Visitors can simply attend one of the evening concerts, join a conversation, discover makam through a beginner-friendly workshop or spend five days studying repertoire in depth. That range makes the inaugural Forum not only a celebration for musicians already connected to these traditions, but an inviting entry point for Toronto audiences encountering makam for the first time.