Awami introduces herself.
I was born in 1984 in Brittany and began studying the violin at the age of nine with Sylvie Garzuel. Two years later, upon entering the Brest Conservatory in Jean-Philippe Brun's class, I switched instruments to begin studying the viola. In 2003, I obtained my Diploma of Musical Studies (DEM) from the Brest Conservatory while pursuing my studies in cultural management, which led me to travel between Brest, London, and Paris, my viola always close at hand. It was also during this period that I began teaching violin and viola in various music schools.
A few years later, I flew to Argentina to discover new horizons. I spent two years there, during which I joined the viola section of the National Radio Youth Symphony Orchestra of Buenos Aires. I also participated in the creation of La Orquesta Sin Nombre, a group offering a blend of traditional South American themes and songs with jazz.
Back in France, I resumed teaching violin, viola, and music theory in several music schools and conservatories in Brittany. This was in 2017 through a mutual friend, a luthier Jérémie LegrandI had the chance to try a Yann Besson viola. I immediately fell under the spell of this magnificent instrument and never left it.
Today I perform in a variety of settings, ranging from the Fest Noz scene with the groups Mo'Jo and Skrab to classical ensembles such as the Ensemble Romantique de Bretagne or the Ensemble Sable et Ciel. For the past few years I have also regularly played in duos or trios, notably with guitarist Arthur Manuel, performing a diverse repertoire that blends Bluegrass, Jazz, songs by Georges Brassens, traditional Irish and Breton music, and sonatas and arrangements for alto flute and harp by Claude Debussy.
Awami Kollo plays a cello made by Yann Besson.
