Award Winning Composer Ibrahim Maalouf Performs the World Premiere of his Levantine Symphony No. 1 on March 1, 2018

"Virtuoso of the quarter-tone trumpet" - The New York Times

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Feb 26, 2018, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Levant Initiative is honored to present distinguished trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf in the world premiere of his impassioned composition, Levantine Symphony N°1 on March 1, 2018 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theater. This single performance is sold out but we have limited availability for the press.

Heralded by The New York Times as a "virtuoso of the quarter-tone trumpet," Maalouf gracefully marries musical traditions from his native Lebanon and his adopted France, blending Levantine melodies with modern jazz improvisations. In 2016, he performed at the Lincoln Center, alongside pianist Frank Woeste, saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Clarence Penn, in an unforgettable tribute to Oum Kalthoum, the legendary Egyptian vocalist.

Performing with Maalouf this evening is the Free Spirit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Rossi, the National Children's Chorus, and the pianist Ji.

The New Levant Initiative commissioned Levantine Symphony N°1 to celebrate the vibrant and shared identity of the Levant. Maalouf describes this musical composition as an ode to the Levant. With his new work, Maalouf weaves together the threads that bind the people of the Levant together not only in music and poetry, but also in a shared collective identity and memory, with the hope that a progressive and integrated new Levant will thrive once again.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in the midst of the Lebanese Civil war in 1980, Ibrahim Maalouf has today emerged as the most popular instrumentalist in France—and his work has been recognized worldwide for over 10 years.

Maalouf has received four victoires de la Musique awards (the French equivalent of the Grammy awards). In 2016, he won a Césarde la Musique de Film (the French equivalent of Best Film Score at the Academy Awards) and a Prix Lumières (comparable to a U.S. Golden Globe) for best film score.

For more information visit http://www.new-levant.org/ibrahim-maalouf/

Media Contact:
Val Voci
202.830.2900
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SOURCE New Levant Initiative