Cellist – Composer

Sary Khalifé is a Franco-Lebanese cellist and composer who pursues an exceptional career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and composer, moving with ease between jazz, classical music, and the musical traditions of the Middle East.

Trained at the Beirut Conservatory and the CRR de Boulogne-Billancourt, he went on to study at the CNSMDP in Paris under Rolland Pidoux and Marc Coppey, graduating with both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in cello performance in 2016.

A member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra since 2004 under the direction of Daniel Barenboim, he has held the position of principal cellist for the past four years. He is also a member of the Divan Ensemble, a chamber music ensemble led by Michael Barenboim.

This season, he joined the Orchestre Colonne in Paris as co-principal cellist, having previously been a member of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras in Lebanon, Qatar, and France.

As a composer, he is a laureate of the AFAC Prize for Soobia (2018), an album co-written with his brother Ayad Khalifé. He is also a member of Legacy, an intergenerational trio alongside his uncle, legendary Lebanese oud master Marcel Khalifé, and pianist Rami Khalifé. He is a member of Crozphonics, a jazz trio and finalist of the Jazz à la Défense competition, as well as various classical chamber music and world music ensembles.