North London Symphony Orchestra

Robert Max was appointed Musical Director of the North London Symphony Orchestra in 2017 and together they have presented adventurous programmes including performances of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, Janacek’s Taras Bulba, Strauss’ Don Quixote and Also sprach Zarathustra, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Bruckner’s 4th and 6th Symphonies, Liszt’s Faust Symphony and Mahler’s 1st Symphony. Robert has been Musical Director of the Oxford Symphony Orchestra since 2005 and for many years he conducted the Symphony Orchestra at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has also conducted the London Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Arad and Oradea Filharmonic Orchestras in Romania. In 2024 he made his operatic debut conducting musicians from the Royal Northern Sinfonia and a distinguished cast in Noah Max’s A Child in Striped Pyjamas at the Brundibár Arts Festival.
 
As a solo cellist Robert has performed concertos with the London Mozart Players, English Sinfonia, Echo Ensemble and the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra and has taken part in festivals in India, Canada and Hong Kong. In 2024 he gave the world premiere of Noah Max’s Axiom for cello and orchestra at the Proms at St. Jude’s and his recording of cello music by Margaret Hubicki for Chandos is broadcast frequently. Since 2019 he has performed Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello throughout the UK, including in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Gloucester and Dumfries, and his recording for Guild Music was released to critical acclaim in 2020.
 
For more than 35 years Robert was the cellist of the Barbican Piano Trio, performing on four
continents and making recordings for Black Box, Guild Music, Dutton, ASV and Toccata Classics. He was also principal cellist of the London Chamber Orchestra for 20 years.
 
Robert has taught several generations of young cellists at the Junior Department of the Royal
Academy of Music, coaches chamber music at MusicWorks, is a member of the International Board of Governors of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and was for 10 years the Artistic Director of the Frinton Festival.