Claude Chalhoub (Arabic: كلود شلهوب‎‎) born in Qaa, Lebanon in 1974, from a Christian musical family of 11 children, attended the Lebanese Conservatoire before entering the Royal College of Music in London as winner of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholarship award. He is fluent in Classical Western music and Arabic improvisation, and was concertmaster for Daniel Barenboim’s ‘West-Eastern Divan Orchestra’ (1999- 2002).