Maksim

Maksim, the performance name of Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica, is a classical crossover artist from Šibensko-kninska županija in Croatia. He is born in 1975 and is associated with piano-led instrumental music, with a style that crosses classical repertoire and crossover presentation.

Early life and training

He grows up in Šibenik, a medieval Adriatic coastal town in Dalmatia, where his parents, Slavica and Karmel, know little about classical music and prefer pop radio. His talent becomes clear early, and he is enrolled in Šibenik’s state music school. During the war in Croatia, when he is 15, his family spends long periods sheltering in a basement, and he continues to practise despite the disruption. He later recalls a competition in Zagreb in 1993 as a major turning point, winning after his performance and drawing strong audience response.

After this, he studies in Zagreb with Vladimir Krpan, then at the Ferenc Liszt conservatoire in Budapest, and later in Paris.

Recording career

He returns to Croatia to record his first album, Gestures, in 2000. The album becomes one of the fastest-selling releases in Croatia and wins four Porin awards. In 2001, he meets Tonci Huljic, who writes original pieces for him and introduces him to music impresario Mel Bush.

His first crossover album for EMI Classical, The Piano Player, follows in 2003 and becomes a major success across Asia. It earns gold status in Malaysia, China and Indonesia, platinum in Taiwan, Singapore and Croatia, and double platinum in Hong Kong. The album includes his best-known piece, an energetic version of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, and there is an annual competition named after him in which amateur pianists perform the work.

Variations I & II appears in 2004 and also performs strongly, gaining him a platinum disc in Taiwan. In 2006 he releases A New World, and the same period sees him touring Japan and Asia, performing both crossover concerts with his band and more classical dates with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Elektric is mentioned as a later release in this period.

Performances and style

He tours South East Asia to a large audience response and is presented in a concert format that uses strobe lights and video screens. In Japan, he also performs in a more purely classical setting with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. His work is identified with classical crossover rather than straight concert piano.

Personal life

He is married to his childhood sweetheart Ana, and they have a daughter named LeeLoo, named after the character from The Fifth Element. They divide their time between Šibenik and London.