Born into a family of musicians, violist Louise Desjardins was introduced to chamber music at a very young age, playing regularly with her relatives. Throughout her studies at the conservatories of Châtillon and then Boulogne-Billancourt, she took advantage of her instrument’s central role to develop a keen sense of listening within a wide range of ensembles – string trios and quartets, piano quartets, and orchestra. After studying with Isabelle Lequien, she entered the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM) in Gérard Caussé’s class, then continued her studies with Antoine Tamestit, obtaining her Master’s degree in viola in 2015.

In June 2015, Louise was awarded Third Prize as well as the Suntory Foundation for Arts Special Prize for the Best Performance of a Japanese Work at the Tokyo International Viola Competition. She subsequently performed in concert in Tokyo, Osaka, Kurashiki, and Nagoya (Japan).

Eager to further explore the string quartet repertoire, she founded the Akilone Quartet in 2011 with three close friends, performing in numerous festivals throughout France and Europe. Alongside their studies in Vladimir Mendelssohn’s class, they joined the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) in September 2013, where they received guidance from distinguished chamber musicians such as Hatto Beyerle, Johannes Meissl, and Miguel Da Silva.

Also passionate about orchestral playing, Louise spent several seasons with the Orchestre Français des Jeunes and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, performing in major concert halls across Europe under the baton of renowned conductors including Daniele Gatti, Kwame Ryan, and Dennis Russell Davies. She also took part in the academies of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Orchestre de Paris.

In 2015, Louise was awarded a grant from ADAMI.