In the space of 19 albums, Ibrahim Maalouf has gone from winner of the most prestigious international classical trumpet competitions to one of the leading jazz figures on the French music scene. He has sold out prestigious venues such as Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena, New York's Lincoln Center and Washington's Kennedy Center. In 2016, he became the first jazzman in history to sell out the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy.
Spotted by Quincy Jones and described as a "virtuoso" by the New York Times, Ibrahim Maalouf has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Angélique Kidjo, Melody Gardot, the Kronos Quartet, Trilok Gurtu, Josh Groban, Marcus Miller, Salif Keïta and many others.
In 2021, he appeared on Stephen Colbert's Late Show alongside Jon Batiste, who introduced him as a living jazz legend. After taking part in the reopening of the Bataclan with Sting, paying tribute to the victims of the 2015 attacks and composing a hymn performed by Louane at the national ceremony, Ibrahim Maalouf is establishing himself as a committed artist and a symbol of dialogue between cultures.
In recent years, he has received two consecutive GRAMMY® Award nominations, composed the music for Claude Lelouch's latest film, sat on the Cannes Film Festival jury and played at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Jacob Collier.
Today, Ibrahim Maalouf continues his journey with the T.O.M.A(Trumpets of Michel-Ange) tour, a festive, unifying project featuring his new generation of trumpeters. In November 2025, he will present the Kalthoum tour, a vibrant tribute to the great singer Oum Kalthoum.
In 2027, he will mark another major milestone in his career by celebrating 20 years in the music business with an exceptional concert at the Paris La Défense Arena, Europe's largest concert hall.
A look back at the story of Ibrahim Maalouf
Born in Beirut in 1980, Ibrahim Maalouf is one of the most popular musicians on the French music scene today. A trumpeter, composer and producer, over the past 15 years he has established himself as a major figure in the fusion of jazz, classical music, pop and oriental sounds.
His career has taken him to over forty countries and the world's greatest stages. In 2017, he was spotted at the Montreux Jazz Festival by legendary producer Quincy Jones, who became one of his supporters through Quincy Jones Productions in Los Angeles.
In 2019, he releases his eleventh album, S3NS, and plays three sold-out nights at the Olympia, before embarking on a tour of Zeniths in France and abroad. 2020 sees the release of 40 Mélodies, a double anniversary album celebrating the singer's 40th birthday and featuring exceptional guests such as Sting, Marcus Miller, Jon Batiste, Trilok Gurtu, Matthieu Chedid and the Kronos Quartet.
A composer for the cinema, Ibrahim Maalouf's credits include the soundtracks to 9 jours à Raqqa, Leave No Traces and Citoyen d'Honneur. He also wrote the music for Mathilda May's play Monsieur X, starring Pierre Richard, which won the Molière for best one-man show in 2020.
On July 14, 2021, he closes the Grand Concert de Paris on the Champs-de-Mars with an original version of La Marseillaise, accompanied by the Orchestre National de France.
Alongside his career as an artist, Ibrahim Maalouf devotes much of his time to teaching. Since 1999, he has taught trumpet and improvisation at conservatories, founded the first classical music improvisation class in Paris, and in 2022 created the Free Spirit Ensemble, the world's first classical orchestra dedicated to improvisation. Sponsor of the Orchestre à l'École association, he regularly shares the stage with young musicians from all over France.