ENSEMBLE CHAKÂM

Ensemble Chakâm, named after an ancient Persian poetic form, unveils a language of conversing strings, delicate prose and confronting verses resolving into a powerful breath, at times laying a peaceful harmony for words to triumph. Drawing upon the classical foundations of Persian, Arabic and Baroque repertoires, where intense rhythmic sections give way to vibrant melodious tirades, the performances of Chakam resonate with personal, authentic yet modern compositions entwined with soulful improvisations. Since its inception in 2019, Chakam Ensemble is shining with lightning ascension in France and Europe.

Known for their distinctive compositions, the 3 musicians of Ensemble Chakâm are opening in 2027 a new chapter with the addition of the oud to their sonic universe. Following their album Les Vents brûlants, which explored memories shaped by absence, displacement, and silence, this new creation questions what is passed down, what remains, and what is reshaped.

In the collective imagination, it is still rare to see three women musicians who are both instrumentalists and composers. The spotlight often falls on a lead singer, accompanied by musicians. Chakâm chooses a different path: allowing the instruments to engage in dialogue, like three unique voices meeting on equal terms. They embrace fully instrumental music as an inexhaustible source of stories and soundscapes, where each musician’s sensitivity and virtuosity serve the collective expression.

Bringing together Persian and Baroque influences, Sogol Mirzaei, Avin Ahmadi, and Marie-Suzanne de Loye develop a distinctive musical language in which rebellion, grief, hope, and transformation coexist, opening up new shared sonic horizons in a delicate and fertile balance between “I” and “we.”

ZAM is the title of Ensemble Chakâm’s new creation. Rooted in an ancient Iranian and Avestan word, “Zam” means “earth.” Earth as a cradle, gathering traces, burying secrets, and holding within itself all that awaits rebirth. Shaped by memories and new beginnings, it embodies the continuous movement of all that emerges, fades, and begins again: a fertile ground where our transformations can take root. Stay Tuned…

Awards :
Official WOMEX 2024 Selection
Prix des Musiques d’Ici 2023 Award
ICART Session 2021 Award

Sogol MIRZAEI – târ, composition
Trained in Iran in the art of the târ and setâr, emblematic instruments of Persian classical music, Sogol Mirzaei quickly established herself as a soloist, composer, and member of prestigious ensembles, renowned for the precision and elegance of her playing. She moved to France in 2006 to continue her studies and earned a Master’s degree in Musicology from the Sorbonne. Today, Sogol performs worldwide, both as a soloist and with a variety of ensembles, bringing her compositions and improvisations to life within the rich tradition of Iranian music while contributing to its contemporary influence. She is the founder of Ensemble Chakâm and has also developed numerous collaborations, performing with Orpheus XXI under Jordi Savall, Sowal Diabi alongside Mamani Keïta, and the quintet Atine, as well as with Iranian singers Sepideh Raissadat and Maliheh Moradi, Franco-Iranian percussionist Keyvan Chemirani, and flautist Jocelyn Mienniel.

Avin Ahmadi  – oud, composition (in ZAM)
Avin Ahmadi is an Iranian oud player, singer, composer, and improviser based in Vienna. Born in Tehran in 2004, she began her musical journey at the Tehran Conservatory, moved to Austria to pursue her artistic career and currently studies jazz improvisation at Anton Bruckner University in Linz. Rooted in Persian traditional music, Avin explores new possibilities for the oud, challenging conventions and expanding the instrument’s expressive boundaries. Her distinctive style blends Persian musical heritage with jazz improvisation, intertwining voice and oud in a unique musical language. In 2025, her solo project Qayeq was selected for NASOM (New Austrian Sound of Music), opening doors to international stages. She has since toured across Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, and England, while developing other projects, including her EP Liminal and collaborations with Lorenz Widauer and Victoria Kirillova.

Eleanna PITSIKAKI – qanun (in Les Vents Brulants)
Eleanna Pitsikaki is one of the most distinctive voices of the qanun on today’s international music scene. Rooted in jazz and shaped by memory, tradition, and improvisation, her music explores transcultural expression as a living, constantly evolving language Born in Crete and based in Germany, she approaches the qanun as a dynamic instrument, where East and West meet, makam encounters jazz, and ancestral heritage unfolds into contemporary forms. Her debut album received the Silver Award from the Global Music Awards and was nominated for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. She has performed at numerous prestigious festivals and venues across Europe and beyond, and has collaborated with leading figures of the international music scene. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Trickster Orchestra, whose work led to a recording with ECM Records. Alongside her performing career, Eleanna is active as an educator, researcher, and cultural mediator. She is currently completing a PhD at the University of Music Mainz, focusing on transcultural music, migration, and belonging

Marie-Suzanne DE LOYE – viola da gamba, composition
Marie-Suzanne De Loye is a French-Vietnamese viol player whose eclectic musical journey bridges early music, contemporary creation, and diverse musical traditions.
She graduated from the Conservatoire, earned a degree in musicology from Paris-Sorbonne University, specializing in ethnomusicology and completed the Kreiz Breizh Akademi dedicated to modal music. She performs internationally with early music ensembles such as L’Achéron and La Tempête, while collaborating with contemporary composers like Lionel Ginoux for Vanda, and Jean-Pierre Seyvos  for Le Chant des arbres. Her musical language has continued to expand through encounters with other traditions and artistic styles. She performs with the saz player Ruşan Filiztek, and clarinetist Julien Stella’s Atrium trio and was invited to contribute to albums by flautist Jean-Luc Thomas and clarinetist Catherine Delaunay. In 2025, the Institut Français welcomed her to Villa Saigon in Vietnam, where she developed a project with vocal artist and performer Violaine Lochu exploring individual and collective healing in relation to traditional Vietnamese medicine. Committed to interdisciplinary creation, Marie-Suzanne also co-wrote the music for Labes, a performance directed by Franco-Tunisian choreographer Selim Ben Safia, in collaboration with DJ and producer Hazem B.

Artists based in France, Austria and Germany.