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Armenian national football team and Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan on Tuesday attended a concert by renowned Lebanese-Armenian violinist Ara Malikian held at Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.

“Such a pleasure to meet you in person Ara Malikian. You were on fire tonight! Thank you for the incredible concert,” the Armenian football star said in a Facebook post, posting a photo with the musician.

The comments on Mkhitaryan’s post show that his fans don’t recognize the violinist well, with some having confused him with French footballer Mattéo Guendouzi.

Ara Malikian is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant and expressive violinists of his generation. In possession of a personal style, forged from his own origins and rich musical experience, his artistic voice has emerged as an original and innovative presence on the world musical scene.

Born in Lebanon in 1968 to an Armenian family, Ara Malikian began studying the violin at a very early age with his father. His talent was recognized and nurtured despite the difficulties encountered because of the war, forcing him to study during long periods of time in air-raid shelters. He gave his first concert of significance at the age of 12 and when he was 14, German conductor Hans Herbert Joris heard him and obtained a grant from the German government to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover. At 15, he was the youngest pupil to be admitted in this prestigious centre for higher musical studies.

He later furthered his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, and studied with renowned professors such as Franco Gulli, Ruggiero Ricci, Ivry Gitlis, Herman Krebbers and members of the Alban Berg Quartett.

An undiminishing musical and human restlessness have led Ara Malikian to deepen his relationship with his own Armenian roots, and to assimilate the music of other cultures like those of the Middle East (Arab and Jewish), Central Europe (gypsy and kletzmer), Argentina (tango) and Spain (flamenco). All this is achieved within a personal language in which the rhythmic and emotional strength of these types of music go hand in hand with the virtuosity and expressiveness of the great European classical tradition.