A Russian-born, Chicago-based cellist who’s known for breaking musical boundaries is making a return to New Westminster.
Ian Maksin is returning to the stage at the Columbia Theatre on Thursday, May 16 as part of his Pacific Northwest tour.
Maksin is a cellist, composer and multilingual vocalist who has developed his own unique genre by blending elements of different styles, using the cello as the unifying force, and by singing in nearly 20 languages – Russian, Ukrainian, English, French, Italian, Yiddish, Turkish, Latvian and Macedonian, to name but a few.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia into a multicultural family, Maksin began playing cello at the age of six at a special school for gifted children at the Leningrad Conservatory. He continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he moved on his own at the age of 17.
After many years working with symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles in the classical realm, Maksin chose to chart a new musical path – fusing styles from music of all sorts that he had listened to as a child. He acquired blues and rock guitar skills along with his cello skills, which allowed him to expand his cello playing in a new and unique direction.
“At some point I realized that music was much more than just a compilation of sounds for mere entertainment of both musician and listener, but something much bigger – a force capable of healing, inspiration, unity and reconciliation among people on a global scale,” he said in a write-up about his tour. “I believe cello can save the world.”
The Columbia Theatre is at 530 Columbia St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. show.
Tickets range from $30 to $50, available through www.eventbrite.ca.
Check out one of Maksin's many videos below ... you can find many more on his Youtube channel, from Bach to, yes, Bon Jovi.
