Who is Maxma
A pianist who travels with the music.
Maxma is a sociable, nomadic pianist who began playing piano at the age of four, instinctively, after hearing the opening of an anime series on television. He is the only musician in his family.
He completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Plovdiv, graduating with perfect scores in music and piano teaching, and has an ongoing PhD in Music Perspective. Although trained as a classical pianist, his compositions often evoke soundtracks, with touches of jazz and a strong sense of freedom.
He has backpacked through more than 50 countries, and his goal is to keep travelling with awareness, using music as his compass.
His mission
To show to individuals that the art of music can be a companion in life rather than a skill or a talent. Through experiencing music you can become aware of your own emotions, regardless of the intention of the composer.
Education
- OngoingPhD in Music Perspective: Anthropological and Societal OutcomesPlovdiv, Bulgaria
- BA & MAMusic Education — Piano and SolfègePlovdiv, Bulgaria · graduated with perfect scores
- CertifiedAlexander Technique under Nelly Ben OrRoyal Academy of Music, London and Northwood, UK
- SeminarFilm CompositionArts University of San Francisco, California, USA
Work experience
- 2022–2024Solo Pianist, Viking CruisesGent, Belgium
- 2018–2019Lead Music Teacher and Cultural MediatorFriends of the Vienna Boys Choir Kindergarten — Shanghai, China
- 2017Piano, Solfège Teacher and Choir ConductorNational Music School “Dobrin Petkov” — Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Composing awards
- 2026Bulgaria National Culture Fund programme“The inevitable courage of the commoner to embrace the hero’s journey”
- 2011Benslow Music Competition — Hitchin, UK (category 18–23)“A Joyful Daydream of the Unknown Adventure in the New World” · “Ethereal caress for the moribund”
Selected projects
- 2025Music for Theatre — “The Edgar Allan Poe Soirée”Director: M. Modzelewski
- 2019Music for Game — “Foods, Drinks and Sweets”Kyoto, Japan · Designer: N. Tanaka, Lavalamp
- 2015Music for Animation — “The Flight”University of Dundee, Scotland, UK · Animator: D. Amprasi
Languages
- Greek — Mother tongue
- English — C2
- Bulgarian — C1
- Spanish — B1
Genres and repertoire
Neo-Classical · Film Music · Lofi · Jazz · Classical · Anime · Pop · Metal · Atonal · Experimental · Covers
In the press
Bulgarian National Radio — BNR Horizons —feature interview.
The interview is in Bulgarian, but it is a written text, so any browser translates it in one click — right-click, then “Translate to English”. It is the longest version of the life story that exists anywhere, and worth the click if you want more than this page gives.
Odds and ends
Recordings that did not belong on any of the service pages, or that were simply too much for them.
Play “Béla Bartók — Four Dirges I” on YouTubeBéla Bartók — Four Dirges INürnberg, Germany
Contact
- Email — maxma33607@gmail.com
- Phone — +30 698 575 8586
- Instagram —@maxmastrips
The same number works on WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Signal, Line, WeChat and KakaoTalk. Based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria; available elsewhere.
Send a message