Khabat Abas is a cellist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist from Kurdistan-Iraq. Her work explores time, space, and memory through music, everyday sounds, and noises. She delves deeply into how we experience sound, particularly in various geopolitical contexts. Abas uses her instrument beyond traditional norms—improvising, composing, creating videos and sound installations, crafting cellos from diverse materials, and incorporating her body into performances. Through this approach, her work merges politics with personal expression, challenging conventional values and control.

Khabat has performed with various ensembles, including the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, Sulaymaniyah string orchestra, Gothenburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, and the Non-Ensemble for experimental music in Sweden, London Improvisation Orchestra and ONe_Orchestra New, Noise women.  She has also collaborated with curators, artists and musicians in Kurdistan-Iraq, Sweden, Germany, and the UK, Aba’s electro-acoustic cello  piece was performed in Slemani-Kurdistan as a part of the Global Listening Biennial . She  performed in   Irtijal festival  in Beirut  Lebanon,  Space21 festival in Slemani in Iraq Kurdistan, Breach in Nicosia, Cyprus ,  Borderline Festival Athens,Soundout festival Caberra Australia, EAR WE ARE Festival Sweitzerland, and she participated in the project  (Abandoned space) collaboration between the Sonorities festival in Belfast and Space21 festival in Kurdistan and her composition played in Klangwerkstatt, Festival for New Music in Berlin and Space21 festival n Kurdistan and London new jazz festival in London. She is co-founder of Duo Moment; together with Hardi Kurda, they released two albums, “Broken Resonance” on Space21 Label and “Illegal Performance” at Café Oto 2021. She has been awarded a grant from Salam culture house in Iraqi Kurdistan and the Swedish art council community, and Stim Forward Fund in Sweden.

  Upcoming

  • Bråk duo with Colin Weber 27th of April 2024
  • Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge 30th of April 2024 , solo performance with a Bombshell Cello
  • Cafe OTO Maggie Nicols, Mark Wastell, Matilda Rolfsson , Khabat Abas 1st of May 2024
  • Mystery Planes Walthamstow Trades Hall solo cello at 4th May 2024
  • Cafe OTO Space21 festival 12th May 2024

  • Curious Ear St Margaret’s in Manchester duo with Caroline kraabel 25th May 2024

     

  

2024

  • Sonorities festival  Belfast 13th of April 2024
  • Cafe OTO ,  INK-PAPER-SOUND, Trio 19th March 2024
  • NNNNN x Telegrafía: Cedrik Fermont with Khabat Abas & Hardi Kurda, 15th March 2024
  • Kings College London, One Orchestra New 8th MARCH 2024
  • Jazz Rumours, Caroline kraabel& Khabat abas Duo 3rd March 2024
  • Newcastle ICMuS seminar 31st January 2024
  • Cafe OTO Trio,  Pat Thomas, Alya al-sultani , Khabat Abas 28th January 2024
  • Institute of incoherent Cinematography Zürich, Switzerland 20th January 2024

  

2023 

  • Hundred years Gallery 16th of December 2023
  • London School of Economics and Political Sciences 8th  December 2023  
  • Zero Parameters residency October 2023
  • Experimental festival  London 19th August 2023
  • Cafe OTO, Duo  & Trio Caroline Kraabel , Pat Thomas and Khabat Abas 13th of August 2023
  • Shubbak festival , Duo moment Hardi & Khabat 8th of July 2023, Watermans Arts Centre, London 
  • Daylight Music , Duo moment, 24th of June 2023, St John’s Leytonstone, London
  • Krama festival, Duo moment,  Athen 17th June 2023
  • Cafe OTO,  Space21 festival May 2023
  • Breach Festival  Duo Moment 19th -20th April 2023 in Nicosia Cyprus 
  • Space21 festival  16th -17th April 2023  in Slemani- Iraq
  • Irtijal festival,  Duo moment 12th of April 2023  in Beirut, Lebanon. 
  • Cafe OTO,  “A” Trio  and Hadi Kurda and Khabat Abas 5th April 2023 
  • Cafe OTO, Performance Dror Feiler, Hardi Kurda, Khabat Abas, 5th February 2023 London
  • EAR WE AREfestival, Steve Berssford, Faradena Afifi, Beibei Wang, Khabat Abas, 4th February 2023 Sweitzerland 
  • Soundout festival27th January 2023 Canberra Australia 
  • BRÅK,Duo  with Cath Robrts – Khabat  Abas, in Waterintobeer , 21th January 2023 London  
  • Iklectik performance 17th January 2023 London 

2022

  • Klangwerkstatt, Festival for new Music on 13th of November 2022 in Berlin.  
  • Hundred years gallery performance with Douglas Benford, Alan Wilkinson and Tasos Stamou on 16th October 2022.
  • Free womenDuo performance with Maureen Wolloshin, Free Range Canterbury,  on 13th October 2022 
  • Space21 In Partnership with Sonorities Festival, sound research project Abandonment Spaces on 29th September 2022 Supported by British Council Iraq and Northern Ireland, Queen University Belfast, STIM Forward Fund.
  • National Theatre London, Frankenstein in Baghdad workshop with Mariam raze, Director:  Jack McNamara Writer:  Josh Azouz  at  26 – 28th July 2022 
  • Mosaic RoomLondon , performance 29th of June 2022
  • Arch1Live Music Venue performance 13th of June 2022
  • Hundred years Gallery– Duo ( Caroline Kraabel – Khabat  Abas) 20th of May 2022   
  • Space21 FestivalKurdistan Graphic notation installation ( Lailaya – lullaby) 13-14 April 2022 
  • Borderline Festival – Onassis foundation Athen  Duo moment (Hardi kurda-Khabat Abas) 8th April 2022
  • Cafe OTOOrchestra New (women) 1 April 2022
  • Cafe OTO Duo moment with Alya al-sultani 14th March 2022
  • IklectikDuo moment  23th February 2022
  • Noisy womenat Hundred Years Gallery 20th February 2022
  • Movement_athensRadio interview with Christina Hazboun February 6th 2022
  • Syrphe at Colabradio/FR- BB.org by Cedrik Fermont 
  • Winter sound festivalin Canterbury  January 2022

 2021

    • Space21 festival In Kurdistan Iraq December 2021
    • Nomus new art museum, Illegal Performance by Khabat Abas, Hardi Kurda Gdansk / Poland 2021
    • Cafe OTO Duo Moment release
    • Caffe OTODuo Moment, Khabat Abas, Hardi Kurda London 2021
    • London improvisation orchestra and Norway’s Bergen Improstorband in Iklectik London 2021
    • Listening Biennial in Space21In Kurdistan /Iraq 2021
    • fmKultur Symposium Weimar  interview with Khabat Abas, Hardi Kurda Germany 2021
    • Rewire festivalproject by Wojciech Rusin 2021
    • Eavesdropping Series Performance filmed in the chapel at oxford House

2020

  • Performance inSpace 21 Radio Art festival in Kurdistan Iraq
  • Performance with Non-Ensemble Illegal Performance two new work Dokan dam by Hardi Kurda and Beams of Light by Stefan Klaverdal in Malmö & Lund Sweden
  • Performed inHorse Improvisation Club online at Iklectik, London
  • London New wind Festival-hosted by Catherine Pluygers /  Composition by Khabat Abas  (Sound picture) for Three solo.
  • The whole is encountered by going further into the parts by Scott McLaughlin
  • When the will, instrument singingconcept by Shero Abbas, composition by Hardi Kurda and performance by Khabat Abas, Hardi Kurda and Sherko Abbas, exhibited as a video in the Arsenal Gallery Power Station for Kurdish Artist in Poland.
  • Co-Curating Noise Night 2.0 at the Bishopsgate Institutein London
  • Performed with London improvisation orchestra, at Iklectik, London
  • Performed Only strings can save us now, Iklectik, in London, by KUBOV duo/Mira Benjamin/Khabat Abas. A blend of strings, electronics and improvisation.

2019

  • Performed in Daylight Music 312 in the Union ChapelLondon
  • Performed Mikrophonie Iby Karlheinz Stockhausen at Goldsmith university of London
  • Performed Treaties by Cornelius Cardew at Goldsmith university of London
  • Performed with Stefan Klaverdal and Hardi Kurda in  ExploratoriumBerlin

2017

  • Schwarm 13 .4 – Free Improvisation Large Ensemble at Artist-HomesBerlin, German
  • Schwarm 13 .4 – Free Improvisation Large Ensemble in ExploratoriumBerlin, German
  • Performed Klang bilder – Sound Printings – Kunst raum SteglitzBerlin, German

2016

  • Performed Associations between the imageand the sound atSOEHT 7 Berlin
  • Improvisation in Acker Stadt Palast, 2017 Berlin German
  • Performed in Clamor projectin Kurdistan /Iraq
  • Performed with Ensemble for New Music Inter Arts Centre, Malmö, Sweden
  • Performed Graphic 4 Notation in Artisten, GothenburgSweden
  • Performance When the wild instrument sing Visual art exhibition, Goldsmiths university,
  • Performance Conversation – Improvisation – CompositionMadam Claude Berlin
  • CIC Goldsmiths university Festival in London

2010-2015

  • Wait Here for Further Instructions by Alan Hilario in Iklectik, London
  • Time-Place-Space by Hardi Kurda  (The vibration of Books) Stadsbiblioteket Gothenburg
  • Conversation-Improvisation-Composition Deptford town Hall in London
  • Seven Angel by Stefan Klaverdal Cello and Electronic Inter Art centreMalmö/Sweden
  • CIC300815 Improfestival in Gothenburg
  • Sounding map in Röhsska museumin Gothenburg
  • Sounding map in Konstmuseumin Gothenburg
  • Space in Brewhouse concert hall in Gothenburg,
  • The memories in Sherwana Castle, Garmian- Kurdistan/Iraq

2005-2010

  • Camerata Gothia orchestra, several Concert. Gothenburg Sweden
  • Gothenburg Academy Symphony Orchestraseveral Concert
  • Elgar cello Concert with Daniel Björkdal piano in Gothenburg/ Sweden
  • Fågelbarn, Short fiction film by Salar Said, Composer Hardi Kurd, Cello voice, Khabat Abas
  • Breath Documentary film directed by Darya Allaf, composer Hardi Kurda, Cello& voice Khabat Abas.
  • Gotland sinfonietta

1995- 2004

  • Iraq National Symphony Orchestra several Concert
  • Washington DC National Symphony Orchestra, in Kennedy-center  Collaboration with Iraq National Symphony Orchestra
  • Solo Cello Recital in Kurdistan /Iraq
  • Sulaymaniyah string Orchestra several Concert
  • National string Orchestra in Sulaymaniyah several Concert
  • Sulaymaniyah Chamber Orchestra several Concert
  • Sulaymaniyah University Orchestra sevaral concert
  • Participate in most of the Concerts in the institute of fine art and Music in Sulaymaniyah/Iraq