Waves of Sound 2026 - Evening Concert & Panel Discussion - David Helbock, Julia Hofer, Mahan Mirarab

Sara Hassan is an author, trainer, and moderator with international experience at the intersection of politics, the workplace, and society. Since 2012, Sara has been working globally on issues of power, responsibility, and structural abuse of power. Her professional career began as a political advisor in the European Parliament, followed by roles as a podcast moderator and co-author of the acclaimed publications "There Are No Gray Areas" and "Who Against Whom." After completing an interdisciplinary master's degree at New York University, supported by a Fulbright-Austria scholarship, Sara is now in demand internationally as an expert. In workshops, lectures, and training sessions – covering topics from New Work to organizational culture, exploitation, and abuse of power – Sara combines analytical sharpness with practical relevance and a clear socio-political commitment.

David Helbock is the face of Austrian jazz and captivates audiences worldwide with his projects. His virtuosity and creativity have earned him numerous awards, including several prizes at the world's largest jazz piano solo competition in Montreux (CH) and the "Outstanding Artist Award" from the Austrian government. For his latest project, Helbock has partnered with the versatile E-bassist and cellist Julia Hofer from Vienna. Hofer has primarily made a name for herself in the pop world. In addition to her impressive presence on YouTube, where her videos for the company Thomann delight millions of bass fans, she is now intensively exploring jazz alongside David Helbock. A joint album is set to be released in autumn 2025 by the internationally renowned label ACT Music. During the evening concert, the duo invites Iranian guitarist Mahan Mirarab, who lives in Vienna, to the stage. On his double-neck guitar, he weaves Iranian traditions with the freedoms of jazz, creating soundscapes that make stories of migration, memory, and belonging audible.