He is a violist, composer and arranger born in Detroit, Michigan who studied at the University of Michigan for a degree in viola performance followed by the Juilliard School.
He became a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1984 with Sir Georg Solti and the following year the orchestra were performing his arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner” at a Chicago White Sox game.
Aside from his work as a violist, his work as a composer has seen him in receipt of commissions by several ensembles and orchestras. His work entitled Three Lisel Mueller Settings was commissoned and premiered by the CSO in 2018 and previously in 1998 his Elegy was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at three of their subscription concerts.
Recordings he has composer for or performed on include Plays Anweiler by the Chicago Clarinet trio, Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Wagner: Overtures and Preludes and Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3 by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Raimi Plays Raimi by Fred Raimi.
In the field of musical education he has been a chamber music coach at Northwestern University and hosted and created the monthly program Classics Unplugged which is broadcast on Chicago’s WLUW radio station.
He is married to Barbara Flood and they have a son, Paul.
Sources:
- https://cso.org/about/performers/chicago-symphony-orchestra/viola/max-raimi/
- http://www.chicagosymphonymusicians.com/max-raimi.html
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/my-favorite-cso-max-raimi/
- https://www.futuresymphony.org/author/maximillion/
- https://chicagoontheaisle.com/2018/03/25/cso-violist-max-raimi-steps-out-as-composer-muti-leads-orchestra-chorus-in-schubert-mass/
- https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/March-2018/Four-Questions-for-Max-Raimi-CSO-Violistand-Composer/
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/4003613-Maxwell-Raimi
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/max-raimi-mn0002219076