Praised for the “elegance of his technique, overall sound and natural poeticism” (Charlotte Gardner, Strad Magazine), British cellist 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 across the UK and Europe, appearing as a concerto soloist in many leading venues, including Tonhalle Zurich, Cadogan Hall, Kulturcasino Bern and the Grosse Saal of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, where he made his European Concerto debut. A regular recitalist, he has recently collaborated with pianists Kumi Matsuo, Jams Coleman and Gorka Plada Giron, with 25/26 venues including the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Lichfield Festival, Miry Konzertzaal, Wiltshire Music Centre and St. George’s Bristol amongst others. Furthermore, in November 2025, Maxim joined acclaimed violinist Nicola Benedetti, guitarist Plinio Fernandes and accordionist Samuele Telari for a 14 concert UK Tour, with venues including Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Ulster Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Maxim’s 26/27 season includes concerto performances with the Casco Phil, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra (in London’s Cadogan Hall), Plymouth Symphony Orchestra (a Tour in the South-West), Orchestra of the City and the Amersham Festival Orchestra as a part of his 2027 Festival Residency. He will also perform debut recitals in MIM Brussels and the Harrogate International Festival as well collaborate with fellow young artists Leo Appel, Jaren Ziegler and Kasparas Mikuzis for Piano Quartet performances across the UK.
A passionate chamber musician, Maxim has collaborated with acclaimed musicians including Lawrence Power, Anthony Marwood, Antje Weithaas, Diyang Mei, Gidon Kremer and Thomas Adès. He performs frequently at chamber music festivals across Europe, with recent highlights including the Verbier Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, East Neuk Festival, Chamber Music Connects the World Festival at the Kronberg Academy and the International Pau Casals Festival as well as leading venues including Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Flagey Studios and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. He also regularly collaborates with the Choir of Royal Holloway, releasing two albums of music by Matthew Coleridge on Convivium Records to widespread critical acclaim. A further album featuring music by Nathan James Dearden is scheduled for release by Signum Records in November 2026.
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 completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music with Professor Melissa Phelps and is currently an ‘Artist in Residence’ at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, studying with Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling.
In 2025, Maxim was the recipient of the inaugural ‘Goldman Sachs Gives Award’ at the Verbier Festival Academy for a musician of exceptional merit. He also recieved the ‘Oranjewoud Award’ at the Schiermonikoog Festival in 2024. He is very grateful to have received support from the Amaryllis Fleming Foundation, Geoff and Val Richards, The Rev Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity, Hattori Foundation, Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Drake Calleja Trust. He is also grateful to the Young Classical Artists Trust for their generous support through their ‘UK Artists Directory’ scheme for young UK-based musicians.
Maxim currently plays a fine David Tecchler cello loaned to him through the Beare’s International Violin Society with thanks to a generous patron.
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