Marcel Khalife was born in 1950 in Amchit, Lebanon. He studied the Near Eastern lute, known in Arabic as the oud at the National Academy of Music in Beirut. Although at that time playing the oud was governed by very strict technical rules, Marcel Khalife and other musicians have since expanded the rules and developed the oud's potential. Khalife taught at the National Conservatory of Music and other institutions from 1970 to 1975. During that time, he also performed solo concerts throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America.
In 1972, Khalife formed a group of musicians in Amchit, the town where he was born. The group, which then performed throughout Lebanon, wanted to revive Arabic music and its choral heritage. The Amchit group was an experience Khalife built upon to launch Al-Mayadine Ensemble in 1976, which soon won high renown. He and Al-Mayadine Ensemble continue to perform in concerts in the Arab world, Africa, Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, and Japan. Starting in 1974, he has collaborated to write music for the dance shows of the Caracalla Dance Troupe. The powerful combination of Khalife's music and the troupe's dance has given birth to a new style of Near Eastern ballet with a popular appeal. He has also written soundtracks for documentaries and films directed by the late Maroun Baghdadi, Sophi Sayhf Eddin, and Sami Zikra.
The Arabic musical library has been enriched by scores of Marcel Khalife's works, surpassing 20 productions. The list includes Promises of the Storm, Ghina 'iyat Ahmad Al Arabi, Peace Be With You, Weddings, Arabic Coffeepot, Summer Night's Dream and Magic Carpet. Future releases include Body and Soul, Chants of the East, The Symphony of Return, and an Oud Concerto. Khalife's musical scholarship, particularly his mastery of the oud, express themselves in a seminal work the composer started writing in 1982, a six-part Anthology of Studying the Oud. In this work, he dwells on the theory and application of studying the instrument. A set of chapters are devoted to oud duo, trios, and quartets.
Marcel Khalife has received many honors and awards throughout his long and highly acclaimed career, including:

- Medal of Cultural Merit, Tunisia
- Star of the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism
- Golden Dagger of the United Arab Emirates
- Citation of Merit of the Cultural Lebano-Australian Club, Sydney
- Ivory Medal - Abidjan
- An honor from the Venezuelan Cultural League - Maracaibo
- Citations of Merit from Berlin, Cuba, Bulgaria, and Yemen
- Certificates and Letters of Appreciation from the Cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, and Houston.