Encouraged by his music-loving father, Anouar Brahem entered Tunisia's National Conservatory of Music at the age of 10 to study the oud. Under the guidance of master Ali Sriti, he was introduced to Arabic music and improvisation. In 1981, he moved to Paris, and began collaborating with choreographer Maurice Béjart and composing for theatre and film. Returning to his country of origin in the mid-1980s, Brahem became director of the Ensemble musical de la ville de Tunis. In 1990, he signed a contract with the ECM label, recording with acclaimed musicians from a variety of musical genres, from Dave Holland and Richard Galliano to Jan Gabarek and John Surman. In 2011, this virtuoso musician will be one of the stars in the Festival's Invitation series.