Biréli was born in 1966. He started playing the guitar at the age of 4, with his father. By seven, Lagrene was playing jazz, eventually focusing on Reinhardt's distinct style. In his late teens, Lagrene's musical taste began to evolve as he absorbed players like Wes Montgomery and Jimi Hendrix; he also began playing electric guitar.

Lagrene has been an active live performer since the 1970s. In 1984 as his career was just beginning, he appeared at the Django Reinhardt Tribute at Fat Tuesdays in New York City. In 1997, Lagrene appeared at the New York Blue Note with Larry Coryell and Billy Cobham. Lagrene has also continued to record a steady stream of albums. In 2002, Dreyfus issued Gypsy Project, a recording that found him returning to Reinhardt and the classic jazz songbook.

"Lagrène has gone way beyond the precocious ­virtuosity he displayed as a teenager three ­decades ago. Hearing him is like watching an expert ­juggler throw more china in the air, not worrying about the ­occasional drop, while the audience gasps and grins with pleasure."
The Guardian

"Biréli Lagrène is a phenomenon of the guitar. "
John Mc Laughlin