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 and has recently appeared as a soloist in leading venues including Tonhalle Zurich, Cadogan Hall, Kulturcasino Bern and the Grosse Saal of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, where he made his European Concerto debut in 2021. Throughout the 24/25 season, he gave recital performances alongside pianists Kumi Matsuo, Jams Coleman and Gorda Plada Giron with venues including Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, the Oranjewoud Festival, Hay Festival, Cambridge Summer Music Festival and St. George’s Bristol amongst others. Maxim was also recently awarded the inaugural ‘Goldman Sachs Gives Award’ at the 2025 Verbier Festival Academy, the ‘Oranjewoud Award’ at the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival and a Hattori Foundation Senior Award in both 2025 and 2023.
This season, Maxim’s highlights include performances of Elgar’s Cello Concerto, recitals alongside regular duo partner Kumi Matsuo and a 14-concert UK Tour alongside acclaimed violinist Nicola Benedetti, guitarist Plinio Fernandes and accordionist Samuele Telari - with venues including Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Ulster Hall, Belfast and the Royal Albert Hall, London.
A passionate chamber musician, Maxim has participated in prestigious festivals across Europe, including the Verbier Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, IMS Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music and the International Pau Casals Chamber Music Festival. His performances have also included appearances at venues including Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Chamber Music Connects the World Festival at the Kronberg Academy, where he performed alongside artists Lawrence Power, Gidon Kremer and Antje Weithaas. Maxim also regularly collaborates with the Choir of Royal Holloway, releasing an album of music by Matthew Coleridge entitled ‘Requiem’ in 2023 to critical acclaim. A further two albums featuring music by composers Matthew Coleridge and Nathan James Dearden are scheduled for release in 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 in Waterloo, Belgium studying with Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling. Maxim has also received guidance from many of the worlds leading musicians including Steven Isserlis, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Frans Helmerson, Colin Carr, Ilya Gringolts, Steven Doane, Nicolas Alstaedt, Wolfgang Emmanuel Schmidt and the late Heinrich Schiff. Maxim has also participated in masterclasses at the Verbier Festival Academy, Kronberg Academy Cello Master-course 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, The Rev Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity, 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.
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