Max Ignas
Max Ignas grew up in Honolulu. One of his earliest memories was hearing the sound
of the trumpet during movies and feeling captivated. Keen to develop his musical abilities,
Max's parents enrolled him in piano lessons at the age of six. He started playing
trumpet in the school orchestra when he was nine. His dedication blossomed in high
school and Max started playing professionally at age sixteen.
Max's passion is performing and developing the trumpet's aesthetic portfolio. He loves
making high-quality music videos showcasing evocative repertoire and new compositions.
A new music enthusiast, Max collaborates with composers to expand the repertoire of
the trumpet. He has premiered two trumpet sonatas and numerous works for solo trumpet,
trumpet and electronics, trumpet ensemble, brass quintet, and many other works for
varying ensembles. In addition to new music, Max has performed with orchestras specializing
in music from the Baroque period. He has also programed recitals featuring all-baroque
works. Max was a semi-finalist, finalist, and prizewinner in the National Trumpet
Competition's Undergraduate Soloist, Graduate Soloist, and Trumpet Ensemble divisions.
Max has performed with the Phoenix Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oklahoma
City Pops, Oklahoma City Canterbury Choral Society Orchestra, Enid Symphony, the Orchestra
of the Americas, as a Guest Artist with the United States Air Force Heartland of America
Band Brass in Blue, as a Guest Artist at the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Royal
Hawaiian Band, and as lead trumpet with the Diamond Head Theatre.
As a teacher and clinician, Max has delivered lessons, clinics, and masterclasses
in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Wyoming, Utah, and throughout Argentina, Brazil,
and Uruguay. He also served as the trumpet faculty for the Music School at Punahou
School. In addition, Max maintains a private studio. One of the cornerstones of his
vision is to provide world-class instruction to at-risk and underprivileged trumpeters,
free of charge. He has set up a private fund, called the Clarino Visionary Scholarship
as a financial mechanism.
Max is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the New England Conservatory
of Music where he is the first classical trumpet player ever admitted to the NEC doctoral
program. He received his Bachelor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees at
the University of Oklahoma. Max's primary teachers have been Steve Emery, Karl Sievers,
Mark Minasian, and Mauro Maur.
VAPA
VAPA Music
