On so few occasions these days do I attend an event that moves me to tears and shivers ~ from the first 10 seconds last night, I found myself elevated to an overwhelmingly heartfelt state. The music and energy that you and Faisal put out into the world is such a precious gift to us who feel whole and at home in between the notes. Shukran la illak, ya Ali” – Audience member from Ali Paris concert, June 9, 2017 at Old First Concerts
“One of the most eclectic and diverse artists” ~ Alicia Keys
“Unrivaled unique artist” ~ Quincy Jones
Ali Paris captivates audiences worldwide with his unique fusion of Middle Eastern and Western music styles highlighted by both technical virtuosity and emotional expression. He accompanies his singing with his instrument, the Qanun, a rare Middle Eastern 76-string zither that dates back to the 14th century. Ali’s music education began at the age of 5 in his native countries of Morocco and Palestine studying Arabic traditional music with master Simon Shaheen. He quickly became known as a child prodigy, performing great concert halls by age 9 and touring internationally by the age of 11.
Since then he has received multiple international awards including the TBA Awards 2017, The Glickman Award 2016 & Marcel Khalife Artist of the Year (2010-2012), and has expanded his musical career exponentially relocating to the United States to earn his degree at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. He has collaborated with a long list of world-renowned artists such as Alicia Keys, Quincy Jones, Paco De Lucia, and Bobby McFerrin. His solo performances have reached diverse audiences from the Newport and Istanbul Jazz Festivals to the White House in Washington DC and the Royal Palace in Jordan to play for both President Abbas of Palestine and Queen Rania of Jordan. He has appeared as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Philharmonic and is featured in the renowned Grammy-winning Spanish documentary Entre2aguas, the Hollywood movie Noah and Forbes under 30 concert series, These appearances were the first to feature the qanun as a multi-genre instrument on a grand scale. Ali has also collaborated with numerous world-renowned artists to benefit the work of Doctors Without Borders, Save a Child's Heart and Keep A Child Alive including an album with Alejandro Sanz that has funded numerous humanitarian projects around the world.
Ali Paris tours extensively in the US, Europe & the Middle East. These performances are marked for their exploration of fertile ground in the crossover between Eastern and Western cultures and music genres.