Bachar Mar-Khalife

Born in Beirut and settled in France at a young age, Bachar Mar-Khalife develops work that sits between Lebanese musical heritage and contemporary European creation. A composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist, and the son of musician Marcel Khalifé, he trained in percussion and composition at the Conservatoire de Paris before joining classical and contemporary ensembles, which places him in constant dialogue with Western art music. His output blends singing in Arabic, occasionally in French, piano, raw rhythms and electronic textures, with a marked attention to silence, repetition and pulse. Based on the Paris scene, Bachar Mar-Khalife released his first projects on the InFiné label, then developed a repertoire where intimate songs, instrumental pieces and reinterpretations of Near Eastern traditional themes intersect. On stage he performs solo or in small formations, in venues and festivals oriented toward world music, jazz and contemporary creation, in Europe as well as the Middle East, continuing a practice of crossing family memory, Arabic poetry and current forms.