The Swiss violinist Armène STAKIAN, the daughter of an Armenian father and a disciple of Corrado ROMANO and of André GERTLER, obtained a Premier Prix de Virtuosité from the Geneva Conservatoire de musique, followed by a Premier Prix and Diplôme Supérieur, both with distinction, from the Brussels Conservatoire Royal de musique.  She went on to develop her repertoire with Sandor VEGH; the artistic personalities of André GERTLER and Sandor VEGH have always been for her a reference and a source of inspiration. Since the 1970s, Armène STAKIAN has performed as a soloist with orchestra in Europe, South America, India, Japan and Armenia; her performances include violin-piano duos, notably with Frédy FELGENHAUER, Daniel SPIEGELBERG*, Sylvie KOUMROUYAN* and Daniel FUCHS*, violin-organ duos with Mina BALISSAT, violin-guitar duos with Miguel CHAROSKY* and also solo violin recitals*.  Her passion for music led to the creation of a tango group with Nicolas HAFNER and even to playing jazz … Since 1973 she has been teaching violin at the Conservatoire de musique in Geneva. Her many years of playing intermittently with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande testify to her interest in orchestral activity.  For several years now the Orchestre du Festival MOZART, founded and conducted by René SPALINGER, has invited her as leader. A number of contemporary works have been composed for Armène STAKIAN, including Lionel ROGG’s recent violin and piano sonata which she has recorded with Daniel FUCHS, and «La Danse d'Armène» for violin solo, composed by Martin SIGRIST. In addition to a varied discography, in which she gives a place of honour to the music of her time, she also records for radio and television. In October 2008 Armène STAKIAN was in Armenia for a five-concert tour – «Swiss Music Week in Armenia.» The tour comprised a violin-organ recital, two violin-piano recitals with Daniel FUCHS and two recitals of mediaeval and 20 th century music with René Zosso and Anne Osnowycz for voice, hurdy-gurdy, hungarian citera and violin. The recitals took place in Erevan in the Chamber music hall and the hall of the Khachaturian Museum, and in Vanadzor in the hall under the St-Grigor Naregatsi Church. This extremely successful series of concerts gave the Armenian public the opportunity of hearing a number of works, among others, by Swiss composers, notably Eric Gaudibert, Lionel Rogg, Patricia Jünger, Frank Martin, Martin Sigrist, Dominique Porte, René Zosso and Paul Giger. Armène STAKIAN currently plays a «Carlo TONONI» (Bologna 1702). Her sense of balance, her quest for harmony, her culture, stemming from her dual lineage of East and West, endow her playing with an exceptional radiance. * See the list of CDs under « Discography »