Ilyes is a singer, pianist, composer and arranger from Algeria. He was born in 1972 in Batna?s mountains, Algeria. He started to appear at the age of 12 as a singer, during parties and weddings where he was singing the Berber and Arab-Andalusian repertoires.

At the age of 15, he entered the academy of music in Batna to learn the Western classical instruments (cello, piano and composing). Quickly, Ilyes made himself known as a prolific creator. He quicly became the director of Batna?s philarmonic orchestra, which associated 40 musicians into an original project of harmonization and re-interpretation of Chawi (Chaoui) traditional repertoire. This orchestra would cut across the Arab and Muslim world (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, etc.). At the same time, Ilyes started a collaboration with the French composer and arranger Serge Folie, and they are still working together to make Ilyes? music more and more universally understood.

In 1998, Ilyes left Algeria and chose to settle in Lyon (France). In a very short time, he created an orchestra with 6 to 19 musicians, choosing to play mainly with French musicians with a purpose of fusion.

Since he arrived to France, Ilyes conquered the audience of many prestigious stages (Auditorium of Lyon, Opera of Lyon, and differents French theaters) achieving one of his most beloved dreams, which was to present his own repertoire, inspired by the Chawi (Chaoui) and the Aur?s : the traditional style of the Eastern mountains, mixed up with the classical music culture and a modern sound approach. Ilyes tackles the contemporary themes of the Algerian situation, a mix of hope and suppressed anger.

Official Web Site: www.ilyes-music.com

Ilyes & Batna's Musical Ensemble (1998)

Voyageur (2004)