A young person with long red hair, wearing a black blazer over a white shirt, standing in a busy indoor setting with people and tables in the background.

Artistic Resume

Summer 2026

  • UPCOMING-Chamber Music Northwest- commissioned piece for the Young Artist Institute. Premiere of Untitled for a string quartet at the 2026 Summer Festival in July in Portland, OR (world premiere) 

2024-2026 (12th/11th grade)

  • UPCOMING-Untitled Fear No Music YCP Ensemble (04/26) inspired from Ametropia (2022) by artist Hank Willis Thomas from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Collection-Portland, OR

  • Erin’s First Sabbath: A Tone Poem for Orchestra (2025) commissioned by Fear No Music Authentic Voice for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony 2025-2026 in Portland, OR at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with conductor Raúl Gómez-Rojas- world premiere 11/09/2025

  • Fear No Music 2025-2026 season REFLECTIONS 09/26/2025 “Looking Around,” a locally sourced music marathon- world premiere of The Hunting Murder II in Portland, OR at Reed College, performed by members of the the FNM Ensemble with conductor Jeff Payne

  • Master workshop (07/2025) with Alistair Coleman (composer/pianist), Chamber Music Northwest Bach Festival Summer 2025 in Portland, OR 

  • 2024-2025 Oregon Music Teachers State Composition Festival- Honored Composer: The Hunting Murder I (for an ensemble) 06/2025 

  • Fear No Music YCP Ensemble (05/2025)The Hunting Murder I

2022-2024 (10th/9th grade)

  • Metropolitan Youth Symphony- Music for an Imaginary Cartoon (06/2024) joint project among 5 composers from Fear No Music- with film premiere (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) conductor Raúl Gómez-Rojas-Portland, OR

  • 2023-2024 Oregon Music Teachers State Composition Festival- Honored Composer: The Tale of the Fools of the Forgotten Forest (for an ensemble) 06/2024

  • Fear No Music YCP Ensemble (04/2024)-The Tale of the Fools of the Forgotten Forest

  • Oregon Symphony - performed Music for an Imaginary Cartoon- 04/2024 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR with conductor David Danzmayr 

  • Fear No Music YCP Ensemble (04/2023) End of Summer II & Pendulum 

  • Bang on a Can: All Stars Ensemble (Brooklyn, NY) Master workshop (01/2023) Ye Old vs The New (2022) Portland State University with special guest Kenji Bunch on viola and conductor Jeff Payne

    Metropolitan Youth Symphony- Camerata (11/2022) Simple Dog, Chaotic Cats (2022) Fear No Music Authentic Voice commission with conductor Paloma Griffin Hérbet- world premiere in Portland, OR

Max is a young composer from Portland, Oregon.

Erin’s First Sabbath: A Tone Poem for Orchestra (2025)

Erin’s First Sabbath: A Tone Poem for Orchestra (2025) Fear No Music Authentic Voice for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony with conductor Raúl Gómez-Rojas (11/09/2025) Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, Oregon- world premiere (orchestral)

Erin’s First Sabbath is the accumulation of the academic and musical research I have conducted over the last year on witches and magic. While the title may suggest religious undertones, this tone poem was inspired by gothic dark pieces, as well as the symbolism of witchcraft and summoning. Erin’s First Sabbath is a powerful atmospheric piece showing the listener the journey of Erin's first sabbath. Following her travels as she finds her way through misty pathways, shadowy forests, hesitantly joining dark marches, crazed dances, and demonic spirits. Erin witnesses her first summoning. She must unleash her power to vanquish. From a certain perspective, Erin’s First Sabbath can be viewed as a piece conveying the emotions which derive in the struggle of self-discovery, as well as the accompanying demons. Erin journeys through unpredictable strings, swelling brass, dancing woodwinds, and ominous percussion, She carries on in the face of an omnipresent evil force, she is the light. She does not vanquish evil because the odds are in her favor, quite the opposite. She goes on this journey even as the odds are stacked against her, as the potential future must be reality. Less she becomes one with the forest, fading into the very mist that she emerged from. 

The Hunting Murder II (2025)

The Hunting Murder II (2025)- Fear No Music 2025-2026 season REFLECTIONS “Looking Around,” featuring the Fear No Music Ensemble with Nancy Ives (cello) James Shields (clarinet) Monica Ohuchi (piano) Keiko Arkai (1st violin) Emily Cole (2nd violin) with conductor Jeff Payne at Reed College, Portland, Oregon-world premiere (09/26/2025)

This piece is rather dark, inspired by a raven I saw on my way to my composition lesson, ironically the same lesson in which I began writing my new piece. The raven had some white feathers- which was unusual. It appeared as if it had been in a fight. This piece is about building tension filled with instruments- trills, fast staccato notes, quiet staccato notes, and most importantly climatic shifts. Ever present in the first half you will hear bell-like sounds, reminiscent of a death knell. This builds an atmosphere drenched in chromatic cords falling into an eerie drawn -out tension. The instruments hum back to life ever quietly while the bell-like sounds return in a slow steady rhythm. The piece crescendos into a hunt, characterized by violent short attacks, specifically heard in the cello, which symbolizes the raven. The tempo continues to build with the cello being supported by the other instruments. The famous “Dies irae” (Day of Wrath) piece motif appears from the cello signifying that death is near. The motif repeats with all instruments joining in cumulating with the cello playing an octatonic scale leading to the finale of the piece. The raven finishes its dance of death. 

Simple Dog, Chaotic Cats (2022)

Simple Dog, Chaotic Cats (2022)- Metropolitan Youth Symphony Camerata- Fear No Music Authentic Voice commission with conductor Paloma Griffin Hérbet (11/12/2022) Portland, Oregon-world premiere (violin 1&2, viola, cello, double bass)

This piece was built off the foundation of an older piece, called Whisky, named after my dog. The piece has 2 contrasting sections. The first section goes at a slow, steady pace, slowly speeding up in pace by going through whole notes to 32nd notes. After each rotation, going from top to down on the score, a section stands out, playing against the main body, until each section copies each other. Simple. 

The second section, by contrast, is anything but simple. It jumps from 2 sections playing 32nd notes, to them hard cutting into strong, quarter notes. These notes play a strong minor bass octave. Then the viola section picks up a melody, followed by 1 of the violin section, and then the other one until each section weaves a web of minor notes. Then the first section returns, but going the other way. The main melody plays from 32nd notes to whole notes, while the section that stands out starts to come in at the bottom, going from whole notes to 32nd notes, until everyone follows. 

A young person with long hair wearing a suit and tie standing outside next to a marquee sign that reads "Oregon Symphony Celebration Concert April 13, 2024" in an urban area.
A young woman in a black suit and tie holding a bouquet of flowers on stage, while a group of young women with violins are seated behind her, in a concert hall.
A man with long hair in a suit holding a bouquet of flowers on a stage, with an orchestra and sheet music in the background.
A man is shaking hands with a woman holding a bouquet of flowers on stage during a formal concert or award ceremony, with other musicians seated behind them.
A group of nine people standing on stage after a performance, in front of a large screen with the Oregon Symphony logo.

Biography:

About me:

Maxwell W. Evans-McGlothin is a young composer from Portland, Oregon. Max began composing in 2017 in Brooklyn, NY at PS39 when he was in 4th grade and was selected to participate in the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers program under the guidance of Mr. Daniel Felsenfeld. Max will receive his International Baccalaureate Diploma when he graduates in June of 2026 from Cleveland High School. In November 2025, Max’s first solo orchestral piece, Erin’s First Sabbath: A Tone Poem for Orchestra, premiered as part of Fear No Music (FNM) Authentic Voice program and was performed by the Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS). In September 2025, Max’s piece The Hunting Murder II was played by the FNM Ensemble for their 2025-2026 season opener REFLECTIONS, which showcased local composers for a music marathon at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. In the summer of 2025, Max had the pleasure of participating in a Masters Workshop sponsored by Chamber Music Northwest with composer Alistair Coleman. In April 2024, Music for an Imaginary Cartoon, which was co-commissioned by the MYS as part of the FNM Authentic Voice program was performed by the Oregon Symphony as part of their Celebration Gala. In November 2023, Music for an Imaginary Cartoon, had its world premiere performed by the MYS. Earlier scores have been played by Bang on a Can, from Brooklyn, NY as well as a commissioned piece performed by the MYS-Camerata (strings). Additionally, Max’s final compositional score for FNM will premiere in April 2026, inspired by artwork from artist Hank Willis Thomas from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Collection. Max was commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest to write a score for a string quartet to be played by musicians from the Young Artist Institute at their 2026 Summer Festival in July in Portland, OR. Max’s other interests include a passion for playing soccer, politics, volunteering in his community, reading, traveling, and going on hikes. Max studied composition with Dr. Ryan Francis and piano with Dr. Stephen Lewis and was a member of the FNM Young Composers Project in Portland, Oregon for eight years. 

Musical inspirations: Irish folk music, tone poem classical music, Ravell (Le Jibet), Beethoven (Symphony no. 9), Berlioz (Symphonie Fantastique), Holst (The Planets), Liszt (Totentanz), Dvořák (New World Symphony), Mussorgsky (Night on Bald Mountain), Steve Reich (Music for 18 Musicians), Stravinsky (Rite of Spring), Brahms (Symphony no. 1.), György Ligeti (Continuum, Monument-Selbstportrait Bewegung, Atmosphères), Vivaldi (Four Seasons), Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can

Favorite Reads: Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Revolutionary Suicide, How to Train Your Dragon series, Brave New World, The New Yorker (magazine), books by Rick Riordon,

Favorite Movie/TV Music: anything by John Williams (Star Wars, Witches of Eastwick), Don Davis (Matrix series), Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks), Mark Snow (the X Files ), Nicholas Britell (Andor), John Powell (How to Train your Dragon)

Email:

maxwellevansmcglothin@gmail.com

©maxwell w. evans-mcglothin 2026