Origin: Quebec City, Canada

Decades: 1990's, and 2000's

When he was only four, Steve Barakatt fell under the spell of music and began piano lessons. Over the next 10 years he studied classical music, and then switched to jazz.

Steve enjoyed many challenging musical experiences from an early age, including that of guest soloist with l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec when he was only 13. When he was 16, Steve became fascinated by composition, arranging and production. He studied the new technology available and soon mastered all the intricacies of music programming. So much so that the prestigious Japanese firm Roland invited him to present their new products at the 1992 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.

A versatile and imaginative musician, Steve has been invited to appear on various recordings and live performances with many artists and ensembles from the Alexandrov Red Army Choir to the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. A true passionate artist, Steve enjoys meeting musicians and exploring all styles of music.

Steve Barakatt recorded his first solo album, Double Joie, when he was only 14. It was released in Canada on November 11, 1987 and less than a week later the album was in the top 20 best-selling albums.

Steve has composed and produced numerous instrumental albums: Audacity, Escape, Steve Barakatt LIVE, Quebec, Eternity, A Love Affair, All About Us. These recordings reached the charts in many countries around the world and his music is broadcast on various radio stations. A number of his compositions are also used as themes for popular TV shows.

As composer/producer, Steve Barakatt has collaborated with many artists from all over the world. In 1997 Steve produced the young Canadian singer, Natasha St-Pier’s album. His composition Sans le Savoir instantly hit the top 5 on the radio charts, and the video of the song became number one on Musique Plus, Quebec’s MTV.

In 1997 he wrote many other songs including C’est une Promesse for Canadian singer Johanne Blouin and En la arena for Argentina’s male singer Guillermo Saldana.

In Hong Kong, Steve has been asked to compose for a number of great artists. In 1995, he composed Mou Tian which was performed by the Asian stars Kelly Chen, Joyce Yau, Daniel Chan and Ray Chan. In 1996 he composed a duet for superstars Leon Lai and Alan Tam, Song of Stars, which featured them singing together for the first time on record. Steve also wrote Ni Shi Shui for Leon Lai’s solo album Feel Leon released the same year.

In Japan, Steve’s song Kaze To Kino Uta-Quebec 1608 was performed by the Japanese singer Sincere. The popular singer Yoko Oginome recorded Steve’s composition We’ll Be Together and the song became the main theme for the highly popular TV show Shitteru Tsumori on the NTV network. Steve composed Watashi Dake De Ite for superstar Noriko Sakai. His instrumental selection Nuit d’Amour à Paris was the theme for the TV drama Kiss Again on the NHK network. Steve’s compositions have been used in major TV sports programs including the FIFA World Cup 2002 in Japan (NHK) as well as for the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco (Fuji TV).

Steve also composed the score for the TV series Urban Myth Chillers starring Omar Sharif. In 2006, Steve composed and produced the song Here We Are, in which he duets with Canadian singer, Audrey de Montigny. The song is featured on Steve’s first vocal album "Here I Am" and simultaneously on Audrey’s album Take Me As I Am. In 2007, Steve collaborates again with Audrey when he produced John Lennon’s song “Love” for the Amnesty International project “Make Some Noise” in collaboration with Yoko Ono.

In 2003, Barakatt was inspired to create a music work of a major scale, by composing and conceiving a symphonic work based on the sixteen stages of human experience. After more than 30 months creating this work, on September 30, 2005, the world premiere of "Ad Vitam Aeternam" was presented at the Grand Théâtre de Québec accompanied by Orchestre Symphonique de Québec.

On June 16, 2006 the European premiere was presented at Yaroslavl, Russia with the "Yaroslav Symphony Orchestra" under the baton of renowned conductor Murad Annamamedov.

On September 7th 2007, Ad Vitam Aeternam was performed by Steve Barakatt for the first time in Asia with the Ditto Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Canadian conductor Gilles Ouellet.

This production was an official event for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, Canada. Several concerts were presented on June 17-18-19, 2008, at the Grand Theatre of Quebec. In 2010, "Ad Vitam Aeternam" will be performed during the festivities celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the city of Yaroslavl, Russia a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2007, Steve Barakatt released his first vocal album “Here I Am”. Steve Barakatt explores a powerful musical style, distinct voice, and timeless melodies, backed by a production that carries the listener to new horizons.

The artist’s eclectic appeal and rich musical experience shine through from the very first notes. To create “Here I Am”, Steve Barakatt called on the elite of the music production world including British lyricist Roger Davis and sound engineer Rupert Coulson (Oasis, George Michael, Massive Attack, Rolling Stones). The album was recorded in London and Hollywood in the famous studios of Sir George Martin and Bernie Grundman.

In 2009, Steve Barakatt composed the UNICEF International Anthem, Lullaby, a choral symphony which has been premiered by symphony orchestras on five continents and in space on the international space station on November 20th, 2009. Several musicians and ensembles have performed in the original recording including conductor Myung-whun Chung, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Nana Mouskouri, Angélique Kidjo, Helmut Lotti, Leon Lai, Agnes Chan, Maxim Vengerov, Richard O'Neill, Miri Ben-Ari, la Maitrise de Radio France and The choir of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Some facts about Steve Barakatt:

- He’s sold over 3 million albums during his career;

- He’s played over 500 concerts in 15 countries;

- His compositions have been used for several major events including the FIFA World Cup, the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, and over 150 films and television shows;

- On March 9, 2007, he was appointed UNICEF Canada Ambassador.