[1] Maalouf studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with the great French trumpeter Maurice André, graduating in 1970.
Although he wished to interpret the numerous Arabic modes (known as maqamat, singular maqam) on his instrument, he nevertheless found this quite difficult, as the necessary "half-sharps" and "half-flats" could only be obtained via the unreliable method of modulating lip pressure.
Maalouf worked for two years with the craftsman Michel Wikrikaz of the Henri Selmer company in Paris to produce his design of a "quarter-tone" trumpet and flugelhorn, both suitable for performing Arabic maqamat throughout the full chromatic range of the instrument.
In addition to his career as trumpet soloist, Maalouf has also taught at the National Conservatory in Beirut.
Maalouf has released a solo CD, Improvisations Orientales (1994), on the Club Du Disque Arabe label.