Akhtamar
Biography
Akhtamar, an Armenian legend. The name of the quartet is a reference to the Armenian Miniatures by Komitas/Aslamazyan, which the ensemble has performed with passion since its foundation.
Founded in Brussels in 2014 by Franco-Belgian artists, the Akhtamar Quartet quickly establishes a constant and rich connection with European string quartet centers (Brussels, Paris, Lyon, Vienna, Milan and Yerevan).
The ensemble is one of the six quartets selected for the “Tremplins Jeunes Quatuors” of Paris’ Philharmonie in 2016 and in the same year won the second prize at the Musiq’3 festival in Belgium. In 2021, the quartet won third prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition.
The Akhtamar Quartet performs in Europe’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls: Festival Radio France Montpellier, Concertgebouw Brugge (BE), Festival MonteLeón (ES)… as well as in Brazil, the United States and China.
Since 2020, the Cypres label has been releasing recordings by the Akhtamar Quartet. Each of their albums has been praised by the international press (BBC Music Magazine, Diapason, Classica, Octaves de la Musique, Fono Forum, Online Merker, etc.) and is regularly broadcast on major classical radio stations (BBC Radio 3, France Musique, SWR2, Musiq’3, etc.). This discography is notable for several distinctive features: the link between classical and folk music, between tradition and modernity, and the spotlight on a contemporary female composer.
The Akhtamar Quartet is highly committed to working with contemporary composers. Several composers such asJudith Adler de Oliveira, Roger Boutry, Eugénie Alécian, Ward De Jonghe and Jelena Dabić have asked the ensemble to perform and record their works.
To share its high quality classical repertoire with a wide audience, the ensemble has created several original shows, programmed in a diverse range of venues (psychiatric institutions, schools, hospitals, etc.). The ensemble’s performances have also won awards: The Dream Makers, a show for young audiences, and Freestyle Classics (a creation combining hip-hop dance and string quartet) were prizewinners at the YAM Awards in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
This enthusiasm has led to a number of humanitarian projects, which have received considerable support: Music 4 Armenia, a tour of twenty free concerts in Armenia after the war in autumn 2020; Harmonies of Dreams, a concert series for patients in psychiatritc hospitals in Belgium created in collaboration with healthcare professionals; and Music 4 Lebanon in September 2022.
The Akhtamar Quartet is supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the Centre National de la Musique, Le Dimore del Quartetto, the Boghossian Foundation, the Spedidam and Merita.
FIRST VIOLIN
Coline Alecian
Coline studied in Paris with Dominique Juchors, then at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. She perfected her playing with Stephan Picard in Berlin.
Coline is the founding member of the quartet and comes from a family of musicians. Her Armenian origins formed the initial tie between the group and Armenia, a country rich in musical heritage. Devoted to the continuous development of the quartet, her ideas for Akhtamar continue to proliferate together with the nuances of her sound.
She plays a Neapolitan violin, made around 1890 by Giovanni Pistucci.
SECOND VIOLIN
Jennifer Pio
Jennifer first studied the violin at the Conservatory of Colmar and then at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels.
Jennifer joined the quartet in 2016. She quickly embraced the project Akhtamar in its entirety, managing program notes and applications together with delighting in the role of second violinist of a string quartet. Passionate about literature, she weaves her musical interpretations like a novelist weaves a storyline.
She plays a Dom Nicolò Amati, made in Bologna in 1731.
VIOLA
Cléo Dahan
Cléo, a talented violist from the very beginning, is constantly adding new strings to her musical bow: she studied viola and violin at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris with prizes for harmony, counterpoint and fugue in the class of composer Thierry Escaich, as well as taking conducting lessons.
She puts all these skills to good use in her chamber music career, which remains her first passion. She performs in numerous ensembles across Europe (Ensemble Ataneres, Bryggen, Ensemble Marolles…)
In 2024, she became the violist of the Akhtamar Quartet, bringing a new harmonic depth to the ensemble.
She plays a 2024 viola by Aymeric Guillard.
CELLO
Cyril Simon
Cyril studied in Paris with Frédéric Borsarello and further improved from Marie Hallynck’s teaching in the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Passionate about chamber music, he is a founding member of the TetraCelli cello quartet. Alongside his career as a chamber musician, Cyril passes on his passion by teaching in Belgian music schools. With these students, he created an amateur cello ensemble: Les Encordés.
Cyril joined the Akhtamar Quartet in 2019.
He plays a 1924 cello by François Vial.
In the press
2025
Article – Online Merker, “dvořák, dabić: origins” – November 2025 – ENG Translation
Article – Larsen, “dvořák, dabić: origins” – November 2025 – FR
Article – The Strad, Merita Project – September 2025 – ENG
Article – WeChat, Concert in Ghangzhou, Belgian Consulate – September 2025 – ENG
Article – WeChat, Concert in Zunyi – September 2025 – ENG translation (link CMN)
Article – WeChat, Concert in Shangrao – september 2025 – ENG translation
Video – Meet Jiangxi, Concert in Shangrao – september 2025 (link CMN)
Article – Armenews – September 2025
Article – L’union – March 2025 – FR
Article – La Prima Pagina – February 2025 – IT
2024
Video – Musiq’3, Festival Musiq’3 Brabant-Wallon – November 2024
Article –Armenews, US Tour – October 2024
Article – Philharmonie de Paris – September 2024
Article – Alliance Française, AF Bahia – July 2024 – PB
Article – Correio Braziliense, SESC – July 2024 – PB
Article – Correio Braziliense, Club do Choro Bsb – July 2024 – PB
Article – Concerto, CCBB Rio – July 2024 – PB
Article – Armenews, Brazil Tour – June 2024
2023
Show (radio) – Radio France (27’35”) – November 2023 – FR
Show (tv) – Musiq3 – October 2023 – FR
Article – DNA – September 2023 – FR
Article – Fono Forum – August 2023 – DE
Article – Larsen – May 2023 – FR
Article – Armenews – May 2023 – FR
Article – L’Echo – April 2023 – FR
Show – BX1 – April 2023 – FR
Show – BRF Radio – March 2023 – DE
Show (radio) – Nporadio4 – March 2023 – NL
2022
Show (tv) – Musiq3 – September 2022 – FR
Article – Ici Beyrouth – September 2022 – FR
Article – Armenian Mirror Spectator – September 2022 – EN
Article – Agenda culturel from Lebanon – August 2022 – FR
Article – France Arménie – July 2022 – FR
Article – Le Point commun – February 2022 – FR
2021
Article – Zindering festival – December 2021 – NL
Article – Classica – September 2021 – FR
Article – La Lettre – July 2021 – FR
Article – France Arménie – July 2021 – FR
Show (radio) – France Musique – June 2021 – FR
Show (tv) – Առաջին Ծրագիր – June 2021 – AM
Show (tv) – Tsayg – June 2021 – AM
Article – Armenian Mirror Spectator – June 2021 – EN
Article – Galatv – June 2021 – AM
Article – Iragir – June 2021 – AM
Article – LaLibre – June 2021 – FR
Show (radio) – Musiq3 – April 2021 – FR
Show (radio) – Radio Arménie – April 2021 – FR
Article – Alakyaz – April 2021 – FR
Article – Armenews – April 2021 – FR
Article – RTBF – March 2021 – FR
2020
Article – RTBF – November 2020 – FR
Article – Nouvelles d’Arménie Magazine – November 2020 – FR
Article – Diapason– September 2020 – FR
Article – Mfa – September 2020 – AM
Article – Point culture – September 2020 – FR
Article – DNA – September 2020 – FR
Article – Cultuurpakt – August 2020 – NL
Show (radio) – Musiq3 – July 2020 – FR
Article – BBC Music Magazine – May 2020 – EN
Article – Larsen – FR – May 2020 – FR
Article – MusicWeb International – April 2020 -EN
Show (radio) (1:16:50) – SWR2 – March 2020 – DE
Show (tv) – LRT – March 2020 – LIT
Article – musicalifeiten – February 2020 – NL
Article – RTBF – January 2020 – FR
2019
Show (tv) – Festival Monteleón – December 2019 – ES
Article – Nouvelle République – November 2019 – FR
Show (tv) – Babel Café – April 2019 – BE
2018
Show (radio) (30′) – France Musique – November 2018 – FR
Show (tv) (2’15 ») – BFM TV – September 2018 – FR
Article – Le dauphine – August 2018 – FR
Article – Ancy-Le-Franc – June 2018 – FR
Article – Les Colibris – May 2018 – BE
Article – Le dauphine – April 2018 – FR
2017
Article – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – December 2017 – FR
Article – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – December 2017 – FR
Article – l’Alsace – December 2017 – FR
Article – DAAC – October 2017 – FR
Article – l’Alsace – August 2017 – FR
Show (radio) – France Culture – July 2017 – FR
Article – Festival Radio France Montpellier St-Georges d’Orques – July 2017 – FR
Article – Festival Radio France Montpellier Vendargues – July 2017 – FR
Article – Krant van West-Vlaanderen – May 2017 – NL
Article – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – April 2017 – FR
Article – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – April 2017 – FR
Article – Ophicléide – April 2017 – FR
2016
Article – Tagblatt – June 2016 – DE
Article – Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – March 2016 – FR
2015
Article – Sud info – December 2015 – BE
2014
Show (radio) – Musiq’3 – November 2014 – BE