When he discovered that scholars and performers were attempting to recreate music in the most historically authentic way possible, he immediately saw it as the most logical and natural way of getting inside his favourite works of art.

Max plays a 1973 Giovanni Battista Morassi viola for Classical repertoire (which is on loan to him from an old friend), a Baroque Timothy Johnson viola which he had commissioned in 2015, and numerous bows that he uses for different periods (he’s always on the lookout for more bows!). He was attracted to the OAE by both the sheer variety of music to explore, from Bach to Mahler, and by his colleagues’ like-minded inquisitive approach to the music they play.

On the day of a concert, you’ll often find Max devoting his time to practice or visiting local art galleries and taking solitary walks in the area where he’s playing; after the concert, he’ll be rushing to catch a train or visit a pub with his comrades.