»With a sense of sound and intellect, remarkable musical intelligence«, is how critics describe the versatile young artist, who has been awarded the title of “Steinway Artist” by Steinway & Sons and has won multiple first prizes at festivals and competitions in Europe and the USA. He has also received awards such as the Bach Prize and the Schubert Prize for his interpretations. Maximilian Schairer has received several scholarships from the German Foundation for Musical Life, the ZEIT-Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius in cooperation with the Carl-Heinz Illies Fond-scholarship, the DAAD, the Germany scholarship and the Hans und Eugenia Jütting Stiftung, the Kurt Redel Foundation, Musica Foundation as well as the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in cooperation with SWR.
As early as 2011, critics wrote: “the name Maximilian Schairer is one to remember today.” He is considered one of the most intriguing musicians of his generation, captivating audiences with his exceptional artistic maturity and magically thrilling interpretations, rich in color and refined down to the finest nuances.
Concert invitations have taken him to festivals in Europe, Indonesia and the USA such as the ATTACA Festival for Contemporary Music, the Braunschweig Classix Festival, the Festival International de Musique Dinard, the MUSIKFESTUTTGART, the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, the LUCERNE FESTIVAL, the Salzburg Festival and the US International Romantic Festival. He has performed in concert halls such as the Carnegie Hall New York, the Opéra National Bastille, the “Wiener Saal” Salzburg, the “Solitär” Mozarteum Salzburg, the Ehrbar Saal Vienna, the Toni-Areal Zurich, the Philharmonie Košice, the Stadthalle Braunschweig, the Gasteig Munich, the Meistersingerhalle Nuremberg, the Residenz der Allerheiligen Hofkirche Munich, the Wilhelma-Theater Stuttgart, the Theaterhaus Stuttgart, the Schauspielhaus Stuttgart and the Liederhalle Stuttgart.
He made his orchestral debut with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra at the age of 12. In May 2019, Schairer made his debut with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Jan Willem de Vriend in the sold-out Liederhalle Stuttgart. In October 2019, he enchanted audiences with his “heart, multi-faceted wit, great tonal color and personality” with Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major when he took over at short notice engagement at the request of chief conductor Dan Ettinger. He has performed with other chamber orchestras and symphony orchestras on debuts and re-invitations. As a chamber music partner he performs with various ensembles such as the Stuttgart State Orchestra, the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, as a guest pianist with the Beethoven Trio Bonn, with the Alinde Quartet or in Lied duo formations. He has given musical readings with actress Katharina Thalbach and mountaineer Reinhold Messner, among others.
He provided the impetus for creative concert formats or commissioned compositions, which he premiered. Equally important to him is his social engagement, including charity concerts and workshops that inspire young audiences to appreciate classical music. He is requested as a lecturer for courses or lectures in piano performance or Artist Branding, Social Media, among others.
His debut Album “Clair de Lune” with violinist Philipp Jonas was released in 2021 under the label “bella musica-THOROFON” and was broadcast on BR-Klassik, SWR2, and rbb-Kultur. Their recording of “Clair de Lune for violin and piano: Andante trés expressif” has been streamed 200,000 times on Spotify. In 2023, his solo Album “Gloaming”, co-produced with BR-Klassik and hänssler classic, received international recognition from both the press and radio, and was added to Lufthansa’s in-flight entertainment program in 2024. His work is presented in various studio and radio recordings as well as TV appearances, such as with BR-Klassik and SWR. He regularly shares his activities with his followers on social media.
He received artistic inspiration from Ya-Fei Chuang, Menno van Delft, Jörg Halubek, Martin Helmchen, Robert Levin, Murray Perahia and Sir András Schiff, among others. Maximilian Schairer began his studies in piano and historical keyboard instruments in Stuttgart, Leipzig and Munich. Most recently, he completed his concert exam with Prof. Michael Hauber with distinction.
