About Me
Born 1979 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ibrahim studied at the University of Regina with Karen Finnsson; the University of Calgary with Jeremy Brown; Université Européenne de Saxophone in Gap, France with Claude Delangle; Bowling Green State University with John Sampen; Karlheinz Stockhausen Course in Kürten, Germany, with Suzanne Stephens; and the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany with Marcus Weiss. After having taught at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College, he is currently freelancing in New York while pursuing doctoral studies at the Manhattan School of Music studying with Paul Cohen. His past year's engagements include Luciano Berio's Chemins IVb for saxophone and chamber orchestra, Louis Andriessen's Hout, the North American premiere of Pierre Boulez's Dialogue de l'ombre double, and several premieres. Michael Ibrahim recently won the 2007 Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition for Woodwinds, the 2006 Performance Prize for Contemporary Music in Darmstadt, Germany, and the 2004 North American Saxophone Alliance Classical Artist Competition. He has also won first-place at the MTNA Woodwind Collegiate Artist Competition, first-place at the MTNA Chamber Music Competition, first-place at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, second-place at the 32nd CBC National Competition for Young Performers and was a semi-finalist at the 3rd International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant, Belgium. Saxophonist for Fireworks Ensemble, “the hottest new classical band in New York†(New Music Connoisseur), he has also worked with the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, SEM Ensemble, Columbia Sinfonietta, TACTUS Contemporary Ensemble, Red Light New Music, and Amp Music. Outside of New York, he has performed with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Band, Faenza International Saxophone Orchestra, and Meta4 Saxophone Quartet. His debut CD "Bach: For Saxophone" covers solo transcriptions of violin and cello works as well as a concerto performed with the Players Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Dan Bartholomew. Apart from his interpretation of transcribed, traditional, and contemporary repertoires, he also works with funk and improvisation. "Ibrahim completely captivated the audience through the sheer virtuosity and musical intensity of his playing." - Calgary Herald
