Praised for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Strad Magazine), Maxim Calver first gained public recognition as a BBC Young Musician 2018 Grand Finalist and Strings Category winner where he made his concerto debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Since the competition he has been in high demand as a soloist across the UK and Europe and in October 2021, he made his European Concerto Debut in the Grosse Saal of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, where he performed Schumann’s Cello Concerto.
Maxim has appeared as a soloist in many of Europe’s leading venues including Tonhalle Zurich, Cadogan Hall, St. Johns Smith Square and Kulturcasino Bern. He has also appeared as concerto soloist with the Bath, Stockport, Ipswich, Maidstone and Young Musician Symphony Orchestras, the Orpheus Sinfonia and Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra. As a recitalist he has appeared at Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, Kings Lynn Festival, Menuhin Hall, Norwich Chapel Concert Series, 1901 Arts Club and St. James’ Guernsey amongst others.
Throughout the 23/24 season Maxim performs a wide variety of solo and chamber concerts. Upcoming highlights include a solo recital at Cambridge Summer Music Festival, performances at Kronberg Academy’s bi-annual ‘Chamber Music Connects the World’ Festival, and Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht at Wigmore Hall amongst others. Maxim will also make a debut recital at this years Oranjewoud Festival in the Netherlands after winning the ‘Oranjewoud Award’ at the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival.
In 2023, Maxim was invited by composer Matthew Coleridge to appear on his new album ‘Requiem’ alongside the Southern Sinfonia and Choir of Royal Holloway directed by Rupert Gough which was released on Convivium Records and received glowing reviews including a 5-star review by BBC Music Magazine.
A passionate chamber musician, Maxim has appeared at many festivals across Europe including the Gstaad-Menuhin, Schiermonnikoog, Lewes, Stamford and International Pau Casals Chamber Music Festivals. Other highlights have included live radio broadcasts from Konzerthaus Berlin and Amsterdam Concertgebouw, frequent appearances alongside the LGT Young Soloists and a CD recording of Arnold Schoenberg’s Quartet no.1. Maxim has also been working with conductor John Wilson as a part of his renowned ‘Sinfonia of London’ Orchestra.
Originally from Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk, Maxim started the cello at the age of 4 with Maja Passchier before moving to the Yehudi Menuhin School to study with Thomas Carroll aged just 8 years old. He currently studies at the Royal College of Music with Professor Melissa Phelps, where he is proud to be an ABRSM Scholar for his postgraduate studies. Maxim has received guidance and inspiration from many of the worlds leading cellists including Heinrich Schiff, Frans Helmerson, Steven Doane, Colin Carr, Paul Katz and Gary Hoffman. Maxim has also recieved masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy Cello Master-course, Tibor Varga Academy and International-Musicians-Seminar at Prussia Cove amongst others.
Maxim is very grateful to have received support from the Amaryllis Fleming Foundation, Geoff and Val Richards, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Drake Calleja Trust and the Hattori Foundation. He is also grateful to the Young Classical Artists Trust for their generous support in their aftercare scheme for BBC Young Musician Finalists.
Maxim plays an Alberto Aloyisius Blanchi cello, dated 1906.
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