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Ibrahim Maalouf, a Franco-Lebanese composer and trumpeter of international renown, has recently unveiled T.O.M.A, his new trumpet brand. The fruit of a collaboration with Adrien Jaminet and manufactured by Antoine Courtois, the quarter-tone trumpet presented by Ibrahim Maalouf is inspired by his father’s original idea. To celebrate this occasion, an album will be fully available in September, and a tour is planned in conjunction with it.
Ibrahim Maalouf, an internationally renowned Franco-Lebanese trumpeter and composer, recently unveiled T.O.M.A, his new trumpet brand, featuring a unique quarter-tone trumpet with a fourth valve. This trumpet, manufactured by Antoine Courtois and designed by Adrien Jaminet, represents the culmination of exceptional craftsmanship, rooted in several decades of French brass instrument manufacturing tradition, incorporating the quarter tones characteristic of Arabic music, a concept originally developed by his father, Nassim Maalouf, sixty years ago.
Ibrahim Maalouf has named his new trumpet “Trompette de Michel Ange” (T.O.M.A) in homage to the creative genius of Michelangelo, who embodied the spirit of artistic mastery and innovation. This project is not only a tribute to Michelangelo, but also a continuation of the trumpeter’s mission to innovate in the field of music. T.O.M.A, or Trumpet of Michel-Ange, is the perfect harmony between tradition and innovation. The quarter-tone trumpet is an exact replica of the one Ibrahim Maalouf uses in concerts, featuring a fourth valve that allows playing quarter tones. It is designed to excel in a variety of repertoires, from classical to contemporary, including jazz and world music, notably from the Middle East, India, Africa and Eastern Europe.
Collaboration with Adrien Jaminet
In an interview, Ibrahim Maalouf shared his experience working with Adrien Jaminet. For him, Adrien, whom he describes as an exceptional craftsman and savvy businessman, understood his needs to create the trumpet of his dreams, one that allows him to be comfortable in all registers and achieve the perfect sound. With his expertise, they succeeded in creating a unique trumpet, whose sound and technicality are perfectly suited for classical, contemporary, jazz, salsa and all world music repertoires. The trumpet is lightweight, easy to play, with a magical sound and rare precision.
According to Adrien Jaminet, they envisioned a trumpet that meets Ibrahim’s expectations, with its own colors and sound. This trumpet represents perfection for him. The innovation of the fourth valve adds an extra dimension to the instrument without detracting from its traditional qualities.
Ibrahim Maalouf and Adrien Jaminet are currently working on a study version of this trumpet, which will be less expensive while maintaining high quality, making this instrument accessible to a greater number of musicians. This initiative promises to open a new chapter in the history of the trumpet. T.O.M.A has already won the Grand Prix de l’Espoir at the Made in France fair, a recognition of its innovation and quality.
An album and a tour
More than an exceptional instrument, the artist aims to create a musical adventure and encounters through this trumpet. Indeed, each buyer of the T.O.M.A trumpet will have the unique opportunity to participate in Ibrahim Maalouf’s international T.O.M.A tour by simply registering, thus having the chance to share the stage with him. The trumpeter will perform on December 6 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.
To mark the occasion, Ibrahim Maalouf is unveiling his next album, which bears the name of this new trumpet, Ibrahim Maalouf—Trumpets of Michel-Ange. The album cover features a 1925 photo by an unknown author, depicting members of the brass band from his ancestral village in Lebanon, including his grandfather. The limited-edition 7-inch vinyl contains two tracks from this studio album: Side A—Love Anthem and Side B—Fly With Me. A mix of oriental rhythms, jazz and Latin American music, reflecting the trumpeter’s style, immersing us once again in his colorful universe. This album, recorded at the end of 2023 by Oscar Ferran and Vincent Joinville at the Studio de Meudon (France) and mixed by Oscar Ferran at the Studio Diasporas (Ivry-sur-Seine, France), will be fully released in September.
In parallel with the release of his new album and tour, Ibrahim Maalouf will participate in a major event as part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad. On June 21, 2024, the Institut du Monde Arabe and Konbini are joining forces to celebrate the Fête de la Musique on the forecourt of the IMA. From 8:30 PM to midnight, Ibrahim Maalouf & The Trumpets of Michel-Ange will headline this event, which is labeled by Paris 2024 as “the global musical relay of the Games.” This unique evening will highlight cultural diversity and the music of the Arab world through the performance of the famous Franco-Lebanese trumpeter and composer, thus bridging sport and culture in the spirit of the Olympic values. It is an exceptional rendezvous that promises to elevate the presentation of the new quarter-tone trumpet T.O.M.A., while celebrating the richness of cultural exchanges on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
