In Persian, "Golnar" means the flower of Pomegranate. Here, it represents a journey or rather the emotional imprints of a woman who sees her music as the reflection of her changing identity and the coming together of many different worlds, just like the pomegranate grains all together in one body.
Golnar Shahyar is a Viennese based vocalist/composer/performer/lyricist who has already made a name for herself as the lead singer of her bands Sormeh, Choub, Gabbeh, and Golnar & Mahan. She has been performing internationally for years in many renowned venues and festivals and has done many dance and theatre collaborations.
"The hypnotic polyphonic weave of Golnar Shahyar s voice, her guitar or piano, takes place so naturally as a floating story about the diversity of life, crossing her fondling fingers over your mind and heart." (Danas Newspaper). Golnar s musical signature is her ability to connect different music styles and cultures in such an organic way that makes the complexity of her compositions and singing almost effortless. Her voice is powerful yet very subtle and covers a whole range of emotions. In her performances, she creates an atmosphere where authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy are celebrated as a strength. "I don t play to please," she says, "I play, to be honest." She sings in many languages; Farsi, English, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Sephardic, etc., and sometimes compromises the actual language for her fantasy language to be more authentic. Being a true improviser, she continually breaks out of her comfort zone in her performances and seeks to make a new musical dialogue. The core of her work is communication, personal expression, and storytelling.

GolNar accompanies herself on piano and guitar and sings about human essence, emotions, and social struggles in her solo act. Her lyrics are deliberate yet straightforward and direct. They pass through personal experience, cultural and gender identities, and speak to the audience in an empathetic and unifying way.