My name is Max Trefan. I am a composer and pianist from Moscow. From the age of six I started to study piano playing with the most famous children’s teacher in Russia - A.D. Artobolevskaya. Later I studied in The Gnessins’ Academy of Music in prof. Boshniakovich’s (piano) and prof. Larin’s (composition) classes.

Between 1987-1993 I played new wave in Nikolay Kopernik, world music in Alliance (our cd "Made in White" got nomination as the best Europe’s World Music album at MIDEM-93 in France) and trash metal in Korrozia Metalla. Between 1989 and 1999 I was full-time keyboard player in Vezhlivy Otkaz (Polite Refusal). This group performed with UB40, Mister Gang, Lindsey Cooper, Orthotonics, Fred Frith (Keep the Dog), Tim Hodgkinson, Peter Hammill, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Misty in Roots etc. As well I took part in recording sessions of Tribunal (by N, Medvedeva), Splin, Matrosskaya Tishina, Deviat. As a composer I took part in Alternatva Festivals in 90'th (Moscow). Between 2011 and 2019 I took part in Vladimir Martynov Festival. Survived serious traffic crash at the end of 1999 I left the scene and didn’t make any performances. My interests of that period mostly were connected with history of Ismailism and different doctrines in philosophy. That same period I got certification by Russian State Federal Stock Commission. Since 20015 I returned as a Vezhlivy Otkaz'keyboardist and performed with sax player Sergey Letov.

I composed music for some films, pieces for piano, cello, double-bass, alto, bassoon and domra. For workshops “Analogy and Identity” and “Rome‘s mission”, as well as for conferences “Orient & Occident – Challenge and Answer” (Yekaterinburg, Ural’s Federal University, 2013), “Georgy Gachev’s Artistic Legacy” (Moscow, World Literature Institute, 2014) I made some presentations about post-modernism, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin.

On this website you can listen to my music & watch videos of concerts, as well as to get acquainted with some of my favorite performances of classical music, a variety of texts that match my interests, listen to audio documents & the voices of historical personages, and every day to get acquainted with the section "this day in history" (+ "this day in literature and music"), in which all dates have been carefully checked.