Laurent Boutros (Guitar)
Laurent Boutros was born in 1964 in Maisons-Alfort , near Paris. While still young he attracted to music from oral traditions, and became interested in Flamenco, then popular Brazilian and Argentinian music, final folowing the music through to his origins.
The search for the roots of such music now runs through his veins, and today Laurent Boutros counts Armenian and Caucasian traditionnal music among his passionate interests. In 1992 he began to compose several works for guitar that are imbued with the characteristic modes and rhythms of Asia minor. Then in 1997 he began to travel through Europe, making several tours in Turkey, Armenia, Maroc, Hungary, Montenegro, Switzerland and Cuba. As a guitarist he enjoys playing with others, and has performed with the jazz bass- player Renaud Garcia Fons, the Iranian Percussionist Bijane Chemirani and the Indian musician Ikram Khan.
In 2003, Laurent Boutros formed in own trio, with F. Ziouani on the cello and F. Thiant on the accordeon.
In 2004, upon request by the Pompidou Center Museum, he composed a pièce for guitar about Joan MIRO painting «Carnaval d'Arlequin». Last, but not least he is the director of the festival «Nuits musicales de Cieux», in the Limousin departement, which is centred around the guitar. Here several different styles rub shoulders, including world music, jazz and classical.
In 2007, his last CD is available «A guitar in Armenia» around his own compositions. This Year Laurent Boutros make several tours in Cuba ( invited by «The Instituto Superior del Arte» and Venezuela (Festival internacional de guitarra de Choroni).
Emilie Lawrence (Violin)
Emilie Lawrence started playing the violin at the age of five. At fifteen, she was admitted to the National Regional Conservatory in Versailles, and later pursued her studies at the National Regional Conservatory in Rueil Malmaison.
Emilie Lawrence then studied under Zygmund Kowalsky and Katy Sebastyen at the Brussels Royal Conservatory, where she earned a Master of Music, and was awarded the first prize in Violin, Chamber Music, Music Theory and Composition.
Emilie Lawrence plays in different ensembles. She has performed as a soloist in the Paris area and in the Vendée and has given several sonata concerts (piano-violin) in France and in Belgium. In 2006 she was the laureate of the chamber music competition «Le Printemps de la Musique» in Lyon.
As first violin in the Lineam Quatuor, she has regularly appeared in France as well as in the Armenian capital Erevan, promoting French music. She also performs in Madagascar. In 2006, Emilie joined the Eure-et-Loir orchestra as co-soloist.
Eager to discover other musical forms, Emilie joined the Laurent Boutros Trio, performing compositions by Laurent Boutros, which are inspired by music from the Caucasus. The Trio has appeared in different theatres in Paris, Italy and Spain.
Emilie Lawrence also devotes herself to teaching. In 2004 she obtained her state certification, and now teaches in several conservatories throughout the Eure-et-Loir and in the Paris area.
Nicolas Freund (Clarinet)
Nicolas Freund started his musical training at the age of seven at the Strasbourg Conservatory. Discovering jazz, he joined the conservatory big-band and studied improvisation under pianist Benjamin Moussay. He recurrently participated in the contemporary music festival «Musica», which allowed him to learn from the many contemporary composers in residence, such as Georges Aperghis, Pascal Dusapin, Luis de Pablo, Ramon Lazkano, Betsy Jolas, or Thierry de Mey.
At the age of twenty, he entered the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatory. Here he studied under Jean-Max Dussert, who was to have a lasting influence on his relationship to his instrument as well as on his aesthetic choices. He further pursued his collaboration with contemporary composers such as Alain Louvier, Philippe Hersant or Allain Gaussin. He then left for the Brussels Royal Conservatory, where he studied under Ronald Vanspaendonck, and earned his degree with a high distinction.
He currently shares his passion with the younger generation at the Bondy Conservatory, performs chamber music with the Silneak ensemble in various summer festivals (Figaro-ci, Figaro-là, Musique en Seine) and plays in a trio with guitarist Laurent Boutros and violinist Emilie Lawrence.
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