EPK
EPK – Max Holm
Finalist at the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition
On May 21,2026 Max competed at the prestigious Jacksonville Jazz Piano Festival where, despite a kerfuffle resulting in the house band being unprepared to play Max’s two original compositions for the competition, Max managed to receive a standing ovation and earn the $2,000 second place prize.
A prolific composer/producer, Max’s music can be heard on global network TV, films, ads, videos, games, metaverses, corporate projects, etc. Over 131 million have listened to Max’s music to-date (July 2026) in tens of thousands of global projects.
Stomping Grounds – Released July 10, 2025
Old high school and college friends, and successful musicians – Grammy winner (saxophone) Markus Howell (tours with Michael Bublé, currently on Broadway with Josh Groban, Count Basie Orchestra, Jazz and Lincoln Center); Producer/Composer/Jazz Pianist Max Holm with tens of thousands of sync placements and hundreds of performances in the US & EU; renowned NYC-based bassist and Grammy-nominee Russell Hall (Wynton Marsalis, Emmett Cohen trio and others); and Isaiah Weatherspoon renowned Philly-based drummer (Greg Phillinganes, Sister Sledge) – play their bums off, in this foot-stomping modern jazz celebration of happiness and joy!
Fact Check
Home Turf: Stockholm, Sweden
Current Location: Edmond, Oklahoma after 23 moves across the US and Europe.
Education:
Berklee College of Music, 2020, Bachelor of Music: Professional Music concentrations in Composition, Production and Performance, Summa Cum Laude, Presidential Scholar.
Master of Music, Jazz Studies, Music Production, University of Central Oklahoma (expected graduation Spring 2027)
Instruments: Piano, Melodica, Voice
Musical Influences: Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Cold Play, Debussy, Bach, Hans Zimmer
Short Biography
Max Holm is a jazz pianist, composer, producer, arranger, author, TED speaker, and educator. He’s performed hundreds of times across the US and Europe, often with renowned jazz musicians, including at jazz festivals, arenas, and famous venues. Max’s music is heard in films, TV, games, videos, multiverses, and advertising around the world. while he’s known for jazz, contemporary classical and jazz fusion, his sync placements (film, TV, ads, games, metaverses) include pop, EDM, hip hop, and children’s music.
Long Biography
Max Holm is a rising jazz pianist, composer, producer, arranger and educator. He attended the Berklee College of Music as one of the elite few Presidential Scholars, and was soon accepted into the prestigious Berklee Global Jazz Institute headed by Danilo Perez (Wayne Shorter).
Max received his Bachelor of Music degree in Professional Music with triple concentrations in performance, composing and production in 2020, graduating summa cum laude. Over the years he’s amassed numerous awards, including 2019 Outstanding Student Jazz Piano Soloist from Downbeat Magazine, Outstanding Jazz Piano Soloist at the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center, Honorable Mention in the combined Classical, Contemporary and Jazz Piano category from Yamaha Young Artists Competition, and many more.
Max has had the privilege of studying directly with renowned jazz musicians, including NEA Jazz Master Joanne Brackeen (since 2016), Danilo Perez, Kenny Werner, and Stefon Harris.
Max has performed hundreds of times across the US and Europe, often with renowned jazz musicians in arenas and famous venues, such as Dizzy’s Club, Blues Alley, and the Stadium of Fire, among many others. With his namesake quartet, he’s performed at several jazz festivals on two continents.
Max’s jazz arrangements and recordings of Bach’s Air on the G String and Prelude #2 in C Minor can be heard on Anne Hathaway’s and Jessica Chastain’s film Mothers’ Instinct. Other recordings are heard on TV and cable networks across the world.
His hard rock composition Do or Die was used by Monster Energy in a web campaign. Max is known for quick turn-around on custom briefs with high quality. His love and deep knowledge of music theory is evident in his compositions.
Max is a featured performer in eight of ten tracks on the award-winning album The Inside of the Outside with Jeff Coffin, Branford Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Trombone Shorty, Rashawn Ross, et al. On the track called Sweet Magnolias, Max and Jeff Coffin performed a duet.
His song Gran Via from the Don’t Be A Stranger album inspired Chick Corea to tell Max, “You make that piano sound good! Play that chorus again! ”
As a prolific composer, Max (BMI #550359491) has amassed a catalog of music of over 400 compositions and counting. His music publishing company, Max Holm Music, is administered by BMI (#3259680). With his production partner, non-jazz recordings are produced under the record label, Zamlo & Sqank.
Even at world-renowned Berklee College of Music, Max noticed the difficulty students had with sight-reading. He decided to share the hacks and tips he used to earn over $500,000 in music scholarships in his book Ace Your Sight-Reading Audition!, which has become a favorite of young musicians in the US, UK, Spain, Mexico and Brazil. It is available in English (amazon.com) and Spanish (amazon.es).
As a former adjunct professor, Max taught coached jazz ensembles, and taught jazz composition/arranging, and jazz piano to Oklahoma State University students, while also teaching select private students. For two years, he adjudicated Texas All-State Jazz Band piano student applicants for the Texas Music Educators Association. Max has also given master classes in the US and Europe. Through adjudication and teaching college students, Max was surprised to find that so many were challenged by rhythm. He began sharing short rhythm practice reels on Instagram and Facebook.
In July2026, Max released his third book Produce a Song in 30 Seconds – Any style. Any genre. Available on Kindle and paperback, the blurb says “Can you really produce a track in under 30 seconds? Yes. And this book shows you exactly how. No music theory. No sheet music. No experience needed. Just a DAW and 5 simple steps — and you can produce any track, in any genre, any style.”
Max grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of a American digital nomad mother with a genius IQ and a Swedish writer and classical violinist father. His father, Lars Holger Holm, toured with American Jazz Drummer Max Roach in the early 1980s, and can be heard on “Max Roach’s Double Quartet: Live at Vielharmonie” recorded in Munich, Germany in 1983.
Before the number one selling jazz album, The Koln Concert, Keith Jarrett spent a month as the houseguest of Max’s grandfather Sven in France.
Far from having an idyllic childhood, Max had to overcome many painful experiences. The story of his eventual departure from Sweden despite great adversity is filled with daring scenes and clever strategies.
At the age of 13, Max lost half his blood from 20 ulcers and had a near death experience. 7 blood transfusions from 7 strangers, saved his life and gave him an overwhelming passion for jazz. He gave a TED talk about it.
Max has a deep compassion for the suffering other others, but understands that wisdom comes from how one processes experiences. Music is part of that healing journey for him.
He is passionate about music, history, and philosophy. Max is fluent in English and Swedish, and speaks conversational Spanish. He’s moved 23 times across the US and Europe, so far.
As a dual citizen, Max is authorized to work in both the US and the European Union.
Press
Edmond Outlook Magazine, June 2026 (page 26)
Agenda Torroella Girona, Spain
Festival Torroella Girona, Spain
Coches Formentera Ibiza, Spain
Consell Insular de Formentera Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza by Night Ibiza, Spain
ScandiCenter US
Tulsa People US
Jazz Day US
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Contact information
Max Holm
Max[@]MaxHolm.com
VM +1 786-371-9289