Maxwell Alan Lu
“I'm interested in YOCI because of the opportunity to work with passionate musicians! As a composer, I'm always looking for more opportunities to write music, and being involved in an orchestra project would be a great experience for me. I'd love to build connections with other people interested in new music. As a POC myself, YOCI's commitment to underrepresented composers means a lot to me, and I'd love for the opportunity to spread my artistic voice in collaboration with YOCI. Let's create some amazing music together!”
Biography
Maxwell Lu is an 18-year-old young composer who attends Columbia University. His music explores and is inspired by various styles including minimalism, impressionism, jazz, spectralism, and film. He seeks to bring out vivid imagery and concepts using choice harmonic and rhythmic concepts within abstract themes. He has a passion for soundscapes and atmospheric qualities and enjoys painting images with his sound, and he also seeks to incorporate modern music techniques in an accessible and evocative manner. He is beginning private lessons with composer Katherine Balch.
In addition to composition, Max played piano and violin in youth orchestras and various performing groups, and has taught supplemental private lessons. As a researcher, he’s completed a yearlong study on music aesthetics and how listeners interpret emotions in the music they hear.
Max’s music has been recognized in several competitions early in his career. Most notably, he has been accepted for the Carnegie Hall NYO-USA apprentice composer program, in which he was invited to write a new orchestral piece to be premiered by the National Youth Orchestra (postponed until next 2021 due to COVID). His other awards include winning the “Sounds of Children’s Rights” International Contest, second place in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Competition, finalist status in the National Young Composer’s Contest, twice as an honorable mention in the NextNotes composition awards.