Biography

Max Kielly (he/him) is a Naarm-based composer and pianist, writing contemporary concert music that blends themes of fragility, improvisation, and liminal spaces, drawing on a variety of stylistic influences from Jazz to contemporary minimalism and pop. His music focuses on capturing and responding to specific experiences – longing, nostalgia, and queer identity. Studying at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Bachelor of Music), Max has studied composition with Elliott Gyger, Melody Eötvös, Christine McCombe, and Robert Constable. He has written for and collaborated with many accomplished performers and ensembles both in Australia and internationally. Most recently, he has been commissioned by the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) for the 2026 ANAM Set, and his recent piano work ‘Paths of Amber’ was selected as the Australian set work for the World Piano Teachers Australia (WPTA) International Piano competition. Earlier this year, his work ‘Towards a Better Day’ was premiered by The Melbourne Chamber Choir at the Abbotsford Convent for the Choral@Melbourne Festival, whilst his Saxophone Quintet ‘We May Never Meet Again’ was premiered by Tom Lowe at the World Saxophone Congress in Harbin, China. Later in the year, an arrangement of ‘We May Never Meet Again’ for Soprano Saxophone and Piano was premiered on 3mbs. His Clarinet Trio ‘Aubade of a Broken Sky’ was recently premiered in early October by Ensemble Liaison at the Athenaeum Club. He has written a wide range of solo, chamber, and large ensemble works.