The Quatuor Zaïde is a string quartet made up of Charlotte Maclet (first violin), Leslie Boulin Raulet (second violin), Céline Tison (viola) and Juliette Salmona (cello).

The Zaïde Quartet was founded in 2009 and has established itself on the international scene as one of the rare all-female quartets. The numerous prizes it has won at prestigious international competitions between 2010 and 2012, notably in Bordeaux, Vienna and Beijing (*), have established it as one of the leading chamber music ensembles on the classical music scene. Today it is recognised for its high standards and its ongoing exploration of the quartet's spectrum of sound.

The Quatuor Zaïde has been performing for 15 years in the world's finest concert halls, and has recently shared the stage with Martha Argerich, Nelson Goerner, Xavier Philips, Michel Portal and Lise de la Salle (*).

Excellence and benevolence

The quartet repertoire is recognised as being particularly demanding in the classical world.

So in 2021, the Quatuor Zaïde is founding the ISQA (International String Quartet Academy), an international, intergenerational academy where quartets can exchange ideas and provide the technical, musical, physiological and psychological support they need in a holistic approach. From the great masters to the young stars, all are invited to research and play together, receive invaluable advice and perfect their skills in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

The musicians also enjoy a special relationship with the NoMadMusic label and its artistic director Hannelore Guittet, who have been with them since their first recording project and with whom they have already released seven albums.

The quartet is also known for its diverse repertoire, which ranges from classical quartets to contemporary works, including those by Iannis Xenakis, Jonathan Harvey, Wolfgang Rihm and Sofia Gubaidulina.

Over the years, the Zaïde Quartet has forged close friendships and artistic ties with a number of composers, including Bryce Dessner, Suzanne Giraud, Francesca Verunelli and Cécile Buchet, to whom it has commissioned several pieces.

They have also collaborated with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Michel Portal, Marion Rampal, Sylvain Rifflet and Yaron Herman, and with various companies such as the Sydney Dance Company in the show Impermanence, set to music by Bryce Dessner.

In keeping with the heritage handed down by the great figures of the quartet, the four musicians offer interpretations inspired by their ‘imaginary laboratory’:

the relationship between sound and the body, artistic risk-taking and interaction with the audience.

The Quatuor Zaïde is an ‘associate artist’ of the Fondation Singer-Polignac and is supported by the City of Dijon, the DRAC Bourgogne Franche-Comté and Indosuez Wealth Management.

Charlotte Maclet plays a 1769 Milanese violin by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi on loan from the El Pasito association.

Leslie Boulin Raulet plays a 1715 violin by Jacques Bocquay.

Céline Tison plays an anonymous 18th-century Italian viola.

Juliette Salmona plays an 1876 cello by Claude-Augustin Miremont.

• Winners of numerous international competitions: ARD 2012, Beijing International Music Competition 2011 (1st prize), Charles Hennen 2010, Banff 2010, Bordeaux 2010, Vienna 2012 (1st prize).

• Concert halls: Wigmore Hall in London, Philharmonic Orchestras of Berlin, Cologne and Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Konserthuset in Stockholm, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Jordan Hall in Boston, Merkin Hall in New York, Hong Kong, Korea, Brazil etc...

• The great masters: Hatto Beyerle, Erbherard Feltz, Goran Gribajecvic, Johannes Meissl, Gordan Nicolic and Gábor Takács-Nagy.

First violin: Charlotte Maclet

Second violin: Leslie Boulin Raulet

Viola: Céline Tison

Cello: Juliette Salmona