It is also a vast educational initiative by the musician, aimed at making the quarter-tone trumpet, invented by his father in the 1960s, accessible to musicians around the world, thanks to a range of instruments identical to the trumpet he plays, but also thanks to an academy that participates in his live concerts and future recordings!

"Symbolically, this album represents a passing of the torch between my generation and the next, a celebration of the values passed down from parents to their children, teachers to their students, and so on," explains Ibrahim Maalouf.

"And it's also a wonderful opportunity for me to fulfill my father's dream of sharing his quarter-tone trumpet with the whole world."

It is difficult to imagine a better representative for this instrument than Ibrahim Maalouf. Born in Lebanon and raised in France, he studied music at the highest international level at the Paris Conservatory and, within a few years, rose to become one of the most promising young classical trumpeters of the modern era, winning a series of prestigious international competitions.

Ibrahim quickly created an innovative, cross-cultural sound that catapulted him into the limelight as an outstanding musician, much appreciated by the general public and professionals alike.

Very quickly, Ibrahim traveled the world with his unique trumpet. Hailed as a "virtuoso" by the New York Times, Knight of the National Order of Merit, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, Ibrahim now plays to sold-out crowds three times at the Accor Arena in Paris Bercy, as well as at the Lincoln Jazz Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul. In 2017, he was adopted into the circle of living legend Quincy Jones, who became his manager in the US and Canada.

From Wynton Marsalis and Jon Batiste to Josh Groban and Sting, via A$AP Rocky and Angélique Kidjo, Ibrahim proves through his collaborations that music knows no boundaries.

In recent years alone, Ibrahim Maalouf has received two consecutive GRAMMY® Award nominations, composed the music for legendary French director Claude Lelouch's latest film, served as president of the Sound Award jury at the Cannes Film Festival and is a member of the jury for the 2024 Deauville American Film Festival, performed at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Jacob Collier for Quincy Jones' birthday, performed in front of an audience of six million people in front of the Eiffel Tower on July 14 (French National Day), and has sold over a million albums worldwide.

"When I was a child, I would turn on the radio and switch from station to station, trying to play along with all the different kinds of music I heard. I feel like I'm doing the same thing now, just on a much larger scale."

Listening to Trumpets of Michelangelo, it is clear that Ibrahim Maalouf's excitement and curiosity are more vivid than ever. Built around a fascinating and symbolic story, the album represents the journey of young lovers who come together to start a family. The album begins with the proposal, then the celebration of their union, followed by the promise, and finally the bittersweet farewell of the child who has grown up and is taking over.

"Why do we unite? Why do we form families?" asks Ibrahim Maalouf. And he formulates his answer as follows: "It's all about transmission and love. That's the philosophy of this album.