about this event
BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist 2018. Praised for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Strad Magazine).
He made his concerto debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall, Birmingham as part of the Grand Final of the BBC Young Musician Competition 2018. In high demand as a soloist across the UK and Europe, in October 2021 Maxim made his European Concerto debut in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie (Grosse Saal), where he performed Schumann's Cello Concerto.
Maxim has performed as soloist in many other leading venues across the UK and Europe, including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Tonhalle Zurich, Kulturcasino Bern and the Apex, Bury St. Edmunds. He has recently performed as concerto soloist with the Bath, Stockport, Ipswich, Maidstone and Young Musician Symphony Orchestras, the Orpheus Sinfonia and Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra amongst many others. Last seasons recital highlights include appearances at the Menuhin Hall, Norwich Chapel Concert Series, St. James’ Guernsey and others. In 2022 he was selected as a Countess of Munster Recital Scheme Artist for the 2023/24 season.
His upcoming highlights include a wide variety of solo and chamber concerts with venues including Vienna Musikverein (Brahms-saal), Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room and a return to Hamburg Elbphilharmonie (Grosse Saal). He will perform recitals across the UK including a debut recital at the Kings Lynn Festival and his upcoming concerto performances include performances both Elgar and Shostakovich cello concertos.
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. He has received masterclasses from many of the worlds leading cellists including Heinrich Schiff, Guy Johnston, Julian Lloyd Webber, Paul Katz and most recently with Gary Hoffman as an ‘active participant’ at the Kronberg Academy cello masterclasses and with Steven Doane at the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, Cornwall.
A passionate chamber musician, Maxim has appeared at many festivals across the UK and Europe, including the International Pau Casals Festival in El Vendrell, Klosters Winter Music Festival, Lewes Chamber Music Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Stamford International Chamber Music Festival. He has also appeared as a chamber musician in leading venues across Europe including St. Johns Smith Square, Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin (Grosse Saal) and a live radio broadcast from The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Maxim is extremely grateful to have received support from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Drake Calleja Trust, Hattori Foundation and 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.Kumi Matsuo is a versatile solo pianist, chamber musician and accompanist. She has won numerous competitions including First Prize in the 6th Isidor Bajic Memorial Piano Competition in Serbia and First Prize in the 5th Louisiana International Piano Competition, USA. She is now on the staff at RCM, working as Duo Coach to the String Faculty, as well as accompanying other instruments.
Kumi studied at the Toho Gakuen College of Music, Tokyo, and then at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London studying with John Blakely and Ashley Wass and completed her studies there with Artist Diploma and Master of Music in Performance with Distinction. She has also finished the Anthony Saltmarsh Junior Fellow in Accompaniment. Her study was generously supported by Charles Napper Award, the Russell Gander Award and the Rohm Music Foundation.
During her study at RCM, Kumi won RCM concerto competition twice and performed Ravel's Piano Concerto for Left Hand in Cadogan Hall with RCM Sinfonietta conducted by Peter Stark and Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto with RCM Symphony Orchestra under Martin André in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, RCM. She also played Schnittke's Concerto Grosso No.1 with RCM Chamber Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
As soloist and chamber musician Kumi has played extensively in the UK, and in the USA, France, Italy, Holland, Poland, Romania, UAE, India, Korea and Japan. She made her New York debut at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall and gave an extended concerto and recital tour in Louisiana.
Programme
IntervalBeethoven - 12 Variations on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" op.66Bruch - Kol NidreiRobert Schumann - Fantasiestücke op.73Nadia Boulanger - 3 pieces for cello and pianoProkofiev - Sonata for cello and piano op.119
This concert is fundraising for Cranleigh Arts
