Pianist keys in to rhapsody and innovation

Piano fans will probably be no stranger to the name of Maksim Mrvica, who is also known as just Maksim, a renowned Croatian pianist celebrated for his classical crossover mastery, technical virtuosity and charisma onstage.

Born in 1975 in Sibenik, Croatia, Maksim is one of the best-selling crossover pianists in the world. His albums have sold millions of copies in more than 50 countries and regions across the globe, reaching gold and platinum sales.

Often labeled as the pianist incredibly able to hit 16 notes per second, his masterpieces such as Croatian Rhapsody, Exodus, The Flight of the Bumblebee are among the best known worldwide.

Adorned with tattoos, chic hairstyles and dressed in a casual outfit with personalized decorations onstage, Maksim looks unlike a classical musician.

"I enjoy what I do. I love my job, traveling, interacting and meeting so many people around the world. I love being onstage and performing and I feel comfortable there since I was a child. If someone has an office in the building, my office is the stage all around the world," says the musician after the Segmenti world tour premiered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Oct 2.

Starting to play the piano at 9 and performing his first concert as a soloist at 11, Maksim actually had a solid education and proven achievements as a classical musician. He won his first major piano competition in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, in 1993. Later, Maksim studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary. He moved to Paris in 2000 to study with Igor Lazko at the Russian Conservatory Alexander Scriabin. During his time as a student, he won first prize in a number of major piano competitions in Europe.

While trained as a classical pianist, Maksim is more renowned and internationally acclaimed for his crossover music that continuously explores the fusion of classical music and modern styles transcending boundaries.

"I have always wanted to experiment with the presentation of classical music, so I used lighting shows and lasers at the venue where I played the piano concerto with the orchestra. I have always had such new ideas of different presentation. Then I met my manager Mel Bush, who was back then a pioneer of crossover music and was looking for the pianist for a long time," he recalls.

That was the start of Maksim's crossover music and it has proved to be a big success. With a career catalog spanning 13 albums since 2003, Maksim has grown into one of the top-selling crossover pianists in the world.