Our guest artist for Vol.5
For Beyond Music Vol.5, we celebrate one of the world's most universal instruments:
the trumpet. Across cultures, continents and generations, it has been a symbol of celebration, communication, spirituality, leadership, resistance and hope. Together with our guest artist Ibrahim Maalouf, we invite musicians worldwide to explore how one instrument can connect cultures, traditions and creative voices through collaboration and dialogue.
We believe this project is far more than an album. It is a global artistic celebration of the trumpet—and of the people, cultures and stories it connects, reminding us that music is one of humanity's most powerful languages for understanding, unity and positive change.
Ibrahim Maalouf
Trumpeter, Pianist, Composer & Arranger
"Why I do music is because it connects me to everybody on this planet."
Ibrahim Maalouf is a French-Lebanese trumpeter, composer and producer born in Beirut in 1980. After leaving Lebanon with his family during the civil war, he grew up in Paris, where he received a classical education while developing his distinctive musical voice.
Renowned for his mastery of the quarter-tone trumpet, invented by his father Nassim Maalouf, he seamlessly blends jazz, classical music, Arabic traditions and contemporary influences into a sound that is uniquely his own. Widely praised for his extraordinary virtuosity and emotional expressiveness, Maalouf has redefined the possibilities of the trumpet for a new generation.
Over the past two decades, he has released more than twenty acclaimed albums, composed award-winning film scores and collaborated with artists including Sting, Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Miller, Angélique Kidjo, Jon Batiste, Gregory Porter and the Kronos Quartet. A two-time Grammy nominee, he is celebrated not only for his musical innovation but also for his commitment to intercultural dialogue, using music as a powerful force for connection, understanding and hope. His genre-defying artistry has made him one of the most influential and distinctive voices in contemporary instrumental music.
