Bandleader/violinist Chris McKhool was raised in a Lebanese-Egyptian (Makhoul) household just bursting with music and diversity. Growing up, he was fed a steady diet of delicious musicality alongside Middle Eastern cuisine and violin lessons. When he first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. Added to this rich foundation for the performance is in-the-pocket bass master Drew Birston.

Sultans of String has been crisscrossing North America for the last several years at many taste-making forums such as the legendary jazz club Birdland in NYC, Boston’s Scullers, and California’s hip music scene, including the San Jose Jazz Festival. They recently sold out Koerner Hall (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall), and performed with Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Stratford and Niagara Symphony Orchestras, as well as Maine’s Kingsfield POPS and Maryland’s Annapolis Symphony.