Ibrahim Maalouf

Jazz trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf sounds at home no matter the musical context. In a career that spans back to the late ’90s, he has delved into Middle Eastern jazz jams, composed orchestral scores for film, and soloed over hip-hop beats. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in November 1980, Maalouf comes from a respected musical family—his father, Nassim Maalouf, is best known for designing a trumpet that can play the quarter tones of Arabic maqam scales. The younger Maalouf was just seven years old when he started studying Arabic classical music alongside Western baroque, classical, and jazz; by his teens, he was playing in a Middle Eastern jazz combo and performing works by Vivaldi and Bach on tour. Starting with his solo debut in 2007, Diasporas, he’s explored a heady fusion of sounds—over the years, his countless projects include an album reimagining a famous work by Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, a 15-track collaboration with Malian-born rapper Oxmo Puccino, and a guest appearance on a wintry folk album by Sting. Through it all, Maalouf has left his mark with sophisticated arrangements, subtle tonal shifts, and his trumpet’s sweet, soulful phrasings.