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The English choral conductor, organist and composer, Piers Maxim, began his musical career singing – as a boy chorister in Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. An organist since his teens, he was Organ Scholar at his school, Christ’s Hospital (1981-1987). He continued to play during his time at Wells Cathedral and as a Choral Scholar at Clare College, Cambridge, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (1988-1991). After graduating, he continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he obtained his Certificate of Advanced Studies in Music, Conducting (1992-1993).
During his career Piers Maxim has been involved with many choirs as conductor, assistant conductor and chorus master. Singing, organ playing, composing and teaching are large part of his life too. In the field of opera, he has worked in European opera houses, including Staatsoper Berlin, Le Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, Netherlands Nationale Reisopera (1997-2002), and Bayreuther Festspiele. From 2002 to 2004 he was Chorus Master at Scottish Opera and conducted Puccini's La Bohème and Verdi's Aida. From September 2004 until 2009, he was Chorus Master at Le Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels. There he worked on around 40 operas on stage and in concert.
From 1996 to 2012, Piers Maxim was Assistant Conductor to René Jacobs and worked on many George Frideric Handel operas and oratorios. Piers made his USA debut conducting W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in New York in April 2007. This same production toured South Africa in September 2007, where he received glowing critiques. In October 2010 he conducted the first performance of a staged Baroque opera in China - G.F. Handel's Semele.
Piers Maxim has conducted much of the choral repertoire while leading several choirs in England - G.F. Handel's Messiah and Saul, J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232), W.A. Mozart's Mass in C minor, Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Ralph Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony, Tippett's A Child of our Time, to name but a few.
Piers Maxim was appointed Director of Music of the Elgar Chorale in January 2015. He is currently Organist and Director of Music of Malvern Priory and Conductor of EC4 Orchestra based in London. He teaches piano and singing at schools in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Piers Maxim has been composing music since he was 7 years old, having songs, carols and piano works published while at school. One of his composition highlights was And I said to the Man at a millennium eve service of celebration at Southwark Cathedral, in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II. In 2011 he was joint winner of the Longfellow Chorus Cantata Composition Competition in the USA. His oratorio The Musket Ball premiered in Greenwich, London, in March 2016. He composes and arranges many songs for the choirs he directs. He has recently compiled and co-edited an upper voices resource for the Royal School of Church Music - All Glorious Above - which includes many of his compositions.
Piers Maxim is married to Gilly Maxim and currently lives in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, England. |
