A graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School, British-German violinist and violist Max Baillie is sought after as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader in the UK and abroad, and is known for his uniquely versatile and creative playing.

Max's musical life reflects his interest in the cross-pollination of musical styles. Artists has worked with include Steve Reich, Mischa Maisky, Bjork, John Williams, Abel Selaocoe, Thomas Adès, Bobby McFerrin, Zakir Hussain, Alice Zawadzki, Max Richter, Anoushka Shankar, James Thierrée, Max Richter, and many more. From folk tunes in the Welsh hills to major festivals across the world, Max leads a dynamic life which embraces classical, improvisation, contemporary, and experimental music.

As guest-director of Swiss chamber orchestra CHAARTS he has toured with artists including Mischa Maisky and Fazil Say, in Switzerland, Germany, and China, and has recorded for Sony and Berlin Classics. He has also guest-directed other ensembles including Scottish Ensemble and is a regular guest-leader of the UK's trail-blazing Manchester Collective. In April 2024 he guest-directed Britten Sinfonia at London's Barbican Centre, and will guest lead Manchester Camerata in March 2025.

Max founded Lodestar Trio with stars of the Scandinavian folk scene Erik Rydvall and Olav Mjelva, exploring Baroque music through the meeting of violin, Swedish nyckelharpa, and Norwegian hardanger fiddle, and with whom he released the group's debut disc Bach to Folk for a the Naxos label last year to critical acclaim. They have toured all over Europe and launched their follow up programme, A Folk Odyssey, in Oct 2024. In February 2025 they play in Reykjavik with Deutsche Grammophon artist Viktor Arnasson in a new collaboration.

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Max plays in ZRI, a quintet drawing together the folk and gypsy influences in works by Brahms, Schubert, and Janacek, and which was inspired by the Red Hedgehog Tavern: a Viennese gateway to the East as well as a favourite drinking hole. Together they have played at festivals across the UK and in Europe and most recently appeared as featured artists and on Swiss radio at the Boswil Sommerfest. They also tour their own live score to Charlie Chaplin's early classic 'The Adventurer'. ZRI releasing its 4th album Cafe Danube in Autumn of 2024 on Naxos.
 

Max is a regular at chamber music festivals, which in the last few years have included SoNoRo in Romania and Italy, Natalie Clein's Purbeck International Chamber Muisc Festival, Lawrence Power’s West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival, Plush Music. With his father, cellist Alexander Baillie, he has toured the Brahms Double concerto with national orchestras of South Africa.
 

Max is one half of Sonnen, an experimental electronic music duo with Vahakn Mattosian which has taken part in Snape Maltings' Festival of New and been resident artists supported by the Britten Pears Foundation.

Max was taught and mentored by the legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis. He plays the mandolin, and graduated Christ’s College, Cambridge, with a first class degree in Political Philosophy. He is proud to be supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society as part of their Enterprise Fund towards his project re-visualising Bach's solo works for violin and cello.

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Max is founder and director of St Leonards Concerts, a series in his hometown in East Sussex. There he collaborates with many wonderful musicians including Laura van der Heijden, Alice Zawadzki, Heloise Werner, Byron Wallen, Maxim Rysanov, Paolo Pandolfo, Fred Thomas, and many others.

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Max plays on an 1845 J.B Vuillaume violin and a 2009 viola by Stephan von Baehr. He recieved first class honours in Political Philosophy from Christ's College, Cambridge, and plays the mandolin.