United Strings of Europe

Julian has been the artistic director of United Strings of Europe since 2013, helping it to grow into one of the most sought-after string ensembles.

Heralded as one of ‘the leading string ensembles of its era' (Gramophone), the United Strings of Europe, led by director Julian Azkoul, has forged a reputation for developing engaging and experimental programming that pushes beyond the confines of the concert hall. The ensemble's focus on commissions and bespoke arrangements of established repertoire has led to a long-term partnership with BIS Records/Apple, seeing the release of at least one album per year, and collaborations with a wide range of artists including the BBC Singers, pianist George Fu, violinist Itamar Zorman, percussionist Colin Currie, flautist Sharon Bezaly, folk ensemble Lodestar Trio, bandoneonist and composer JP Jofre, and jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock.

Recent appearances include the Southbank Centre, Antwerp's De Singel, Snape Maltings, West Wicklow Festival (Ireland), Canterbury Festival, Two Moors Festival and the Chiltern Arts Festival, with plans to return to the Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, King’s Place and the Victoria Hall (Geneva) over the coming seasons.

The United Strings' interdisciplinary projects stretch their practice and reach out to new audiences beyond classical music. send back the echo which began as a lockdown film exploring disability and social exclusion with deaf actor Vilma Jackson, has become a live project connecting with d/Deaf audiences and exploring the many different ways of experiencing music. They will be touring this project in 2027. The group has also collaborated with Gandini Juggling and Concert Theatre Works to create touring shows that combine mime, dance, and juggling, blending music old and new.

Since 2020, the ensemble has built an enviable catalogue of recordings on BIS Records/Apple with six critically-acclaimed albums praised for their 'compelling programmes' (BBC Music Magazine) and 'superb performances' (The Strad). With two albums selected for Apple Music’s ‘10 Classical Albums You Must Hear this Month’ and over 3 million streams on that platform alone, their recordings are celebrated for their ‘technically polished and highly expressive playing’ (Fanfare) and for being ‘supremely executed’ (Stereophile Magazine). They are increasingly sought after by leading artists to develop collaborative projects with several more recordings in the pipeline alongside commissions by Joanna Marsh, Gabriel Prokofiev and Misha Mullov-Abbado.

Believing in music’s power to connect and bridge divides, in 2024 the group partnered with SANSARA Choir and Syrian musician Basel Saleh to curate a concert celebrating themes of Sanctuary and Solidarity at the Barbican Centre alongside an album release on Platoon/Apple. Outreach activities are central to the United Strings' artistic output, collaborating with refugees and marginalised communities to make meaningful long standing connections and explore social issues through their work.

‘Technically secure, rhythmically precise, richly colored...USE delivers with pristine focus’
– The Arts Fuse