Ara Malikian

Ara Malikian will stop by on March 16, 2026, at Le Vinci – Palais des Congrès de Tours, in Tours. A violinist of Armenian origin who served as first violin in the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Madrid, he has for years charted a singular course between the classical repertoire and popular cultures. He composes, arranges, reworks, and makes Bach converse with Romani melodies, Arabic modes and rock nods — from Jimi Hendrix to Guns N’ Roses, with Björk in between. His agile and highly embodied playing carries music that constantly shifts ground without losing its thread or its sense of listening.

With Intruso, his current project, he pushes this mixing of idioms further. One hears minimalist themes, rhythms that draw as much from folklore as from urban pulses, and violin lines that move from tenderness to momentum, always in service of a clear musical narrative. Between personal pieces and reinterpretations, Ara Malikian offers a concert where energy and precision hold together, for an evening that tells his journey and influences, up close to his instrument.