Aklione Quartet: Revolutionizing the String Quartet Experience with MERITA

Stories | May 1, 2025

In a century of tradition and change, Quartet Aklione is proving that chamber music can remain rooted in classical tradition but flourish through fearless innovation. As participants in the MERITA Project – an EU co-financed network connecting string quartets, heritage houses, mentors, and artists from across Europe – these four Frenchmen are attempting to redefine what it means to perform in the 21st century.

What began over a decade ago as an ensemble of scholarship at the Paris Conservatoire has blossomed into an ambitious, women-only string quartet sharing a shared vision of integrity, respect, and creative inquiry. After a win at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition in 2016, Aklione’s path opened to endless opportunities across Europe. However, their journey is not characterized merely by award, but instead by a constant questioning: How can we play chamber music differently?

Human Connection at the Heart of Music

Apart from musicianship, the members of Quartet Aklione are bound together by their democratic, compassionate attitude towards work. “We operate in a strict democracy, an all-female democracy,” one member shares. This extends to their music-making, where listening profoundly – to each other, to the music, and to the room – becomes a kind of principle. Their rehearsals are as much about performing the score as they are about creating an environment where each voice is heard and no one is left behind.

From Czech Inspiration to Modern Innovation

A turning point came after attending a performance by Czech violinist Iva Bittová in 2023. Her personal relationship with the music, voice, and space infused the quartet with ideas for breaking away from the norms of classical concerts. Gone were the static seating and traditional setups; Aklione sought movement, engagement, and dialogue with the building itself – be it a castle, a church, or today’s gallery.

Their approach is research-informed and contextually grounded. To prepare for a Dvořák recording, they traveled to the Czech Republic to learn from manuscripts and collaborate with local musicians. The same curiosity fuels their MERITA residency, where they collaborated with renowned artists Rui Gato and João Garcia Miguel in Leiria, Portugal.

Source: Quatuor Aklione

Embodying the Space

The Aklione residency balanced practice between Casa Verde de Oliveira and the historic Castle of Leiria. The spaces themselves became collaborators in their process. “We didn’t just play in the space – we played with the space,” they remember. Instead of adapting music to fit into tradition, they adapted themselves to the acoustics, aesthetic, and energy of the space.

From creating Janácek’s Sonata on a train setup to mapping out the emotional progression of love songs in a castle, their performances became live installations. They embraced imperfection, with experimentation and vulnerability leading the musical experience. “Sometimes, it’s not as perfect as we would like technically – but it becomes more honest, more alive.”

Towards a New Performance Language

Quartet Aklione challenges the default “half-circle and four music stands” setup that has defined chamber music for centuries. While this setup enables string quartets to perform almost anywhere, it also runs the risk of stripping performances of their particularity and personality. For Aklione, MERITA offered the time, direction, and freedom to experiment.

They played from the heart. They believed in the space. They dissolved the audience-performer divide. The result? Not just a concert, but an experience where musicians and audience shared vibrations, glances, and silence in equal measure.

A Legacy of Emotion and Exploration

Aklione Quartet embodies the essence of MERITA: tradition, curiosity, and innovation. As musicians deeply rooted in their cultural heritage and the challenges of the modern world, they are not merely preserving the chamber music tradition — they are redefining it for their generation. “We want to talk to our generation,” they say, “and offer music that speaks to today.”

The result is a string quartet experience, not just heard, but felt – deeply, and in earnest.