Rabat – Tomorrow, Franco-Lebanese virtuoso trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf will take the stage at Rabat Royal Theater, bringing his acclaimed album “Trumpets of Michel-Ange” to the heart of Morocco’s capital.
The concert offers an evening built around Maalouf’s signature ability to move between musical worlds. His sound brings together jazz, oriental melodies, and contemporary sound, reflecting the different cultural influences that have shaped his career.
A sound that crosses borders
Released in 2024, “Trumpets of Michel-Ange” is more than just an album. The project centers on the quarter-tone trumpet and Maalouf’s effort to make the unusual instrument more accessible to musicians around
It also carries a deeply personal story to him, as his father, trumpeter Nassim Maalouf, developed the quarter-tone trumpet in the 1960s. Ibrahim has since made the instrument a defining part of his own sound and career.
“Trumpets of Michel-Ange” also reflects that idea of transmission. Maalouf has described the project as a way to carry his father’s invention into a new generation, while opening the instrument to musicians beyond his own work.
His approach often pushes the instrument beyond its traditional role, using it to create sounds that feel both familiar and unexpected.
That mix has become part of what makes his performances so recognizable. Rather than keeping genres in separate corners, he lets them meet, overlap, and respond to one another.
From Beirut to the world
Born in Beirut in 1980, Maalouf grew up in a musical family before settling in France during his childhood, where he pursued classical music and studied at the Conservatoire de Paris.
His early classical training later became one part of a much broader musical identity. Over the years, he moved between jazz, pop, rock, film music, and live performance, collaborating with artists from different musical backgrounds.
That journey has taken him to major stages around the world, such as the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul.
He has also earned consecutive Grammy nominations, including nominations for “Queen of Sheba” with Angélique Kidjo and “Todo Colores.”
Bringing the album to Rabat
The September concert takes part of the artist’s ongoing “Trumpets of Michel-Ange” tour, which continues the project beyond the original 2024 release.
The choice of Rabat also adds another layer to the performance. The capital has long welcomed artists from different musical traditions, making the Royal Theater a fitting stage for an artist whose work often revolves around crossing cultural and musical boundaries.
The venue will provide the setting for an evening where Maalouf’s trumpet takes the lead, bringing together the Eastern and Western influences that have defined his musical language.
For listeners who enjoy music that refuses to stay in one box, the evening offers a chance to experience that musical dialogue live.
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