Hichem Khalfa

Hichem Khalfa, a trumpeter and composer of Franco-Algerian descent, grew up backstage at the venues where his father performed as a professional musician. It was there that he forged his connection to music and the stage at a very early age, long before he took the stage himself.
At age seven, he began playing the trumpet and has never looked back since. He laid his technical foundation at his local conservatory and later at the Geneva University of Music, where he studied classical music. But it was while listening to Lee Morgan and Clifford Brown as a teenager that jazz became an obvious choice for him.
In 2012, he moved to Montreal to enroll in McGill University’s jazz program. Rooted in classical technique, his artistic journey flows freely across genres: jazz, groove, and contemporary influences blend together, balancing composition and improvisation. This versatility has led him to perform in settings as varied as symphony orchestras, jazz projects, and electro, funk, and soul ensembles.
On the Montreal scene, he joined the funk band The Brooks and collaborated with Kalmunity, Nomadic Massive, and Dominique Fils-Aimé. He also performed throughout Europe, Canada, China, and Mexico at numerous international festivals and venues.
His first two albums, *Histoires sans mots* (2015) and *Réminiscences* (2017), reflect a personal approach to composition, in which sound, texture, and collective interaction take precedence over strict stylistic boundaries. For Khalfa, the trumpet is not an end in itself, but a vehicle for ideas, dialogue, and movement.
In 2016, he received the Festi Jazz de Rimouski grand prize as well as the François-Marcaurelle Prize from the OFF Jazz.
After nine years without a new release, he signed with the Montreal-based label Ensoul Records and is currently working on a new EP, releasing in early 2027.