Max Milian is a pianist, vocalist, music director, and arranger based in Miami, Florida. Max is the Director of Contemporary Worship at Granada Church, a position he’s held since 2022. He is also the music director for Westminster Christian School’s theatre program. Apart from those positions, you can find Max performing as a freelance musician for public venues and private events throughout South Florida.
Max received his Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in Commercial Music at the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University in the spring of 2022. Max was the student music director, arranger, keyboardist, and vocalist for AUthenticity, the university’s premier, scholarshiped commercial music ensemble, for all four years of his college career. While in the group he produced two full length LP’s: Authenticity and Redefining AUthenticity. Max led the AU Jazz Fusion Ensemble to perform at the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in 2023. He also performed as a member of the Faculty/Student Jazz Combo, Big Band, Piano Ensemble, and as a featured performer in the President’s Gala (2019, 2021, 2022).
In the summer of 2022, Max music directed and starred as Usnavi in the Mauldin Theatre Company’s production of In the Heights. In 2021, Max interned as Assistant Music Director for Anderson University’s production of Guys and Dolls, under the mentorship of Dr. Howard Kim. Prior to that he played in the pit for the university’s productions of Curtains (2019), Orphan’s Home Cycle (2019), and She Loves Me (2019).
Max’s conducting experience is not limited to the pit. He was invited to guest conduct the Miami Dade College Symphony Orchestra in 2023 for their Video Game Concert, which was televised and won an EMMY award later that year. He also interned as the student conductor for the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Pettus in 2022.
Under the mentorship of Danny Flores, Max interned with the Miami-based, GRAMMY-nominated production duo COASTCITY, over the summer of 2019, where he worked in live sound, studio production, and digital streaming. Through the Miami Dade College Symphony Orchestra, Max has performed alongside Latin GRAMMY-nominated Negroni’s Trio, Ed Calle, and Dr. Brian Neal under the direction of Maestro Alberto Bade.
Max is known online for his presence on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, where he posts music videos from a variety of genres and instrumentations. One video he posted on Twitter was retweeted by Lin-Manuel Miranda, causing the video to receive over 500,000 views. Max utilizes these platforms to showcase his abilities in writing, arranging, performing, and video editing. Max is professionally known for his energy, dedication, and attention to detail, and he is always looking for new opportunities to serve.