Maxime Gilles Esformes, PhD Candidate in Composition

Maxime Gilles Esformes (b.1996) is a French-American composer, performer, and music educator based on Long Island. Composing for all mediums, Maxime mainly focuses on writing acoustic music. Esformes completed his BM in composition and music education at the Crane School of Music, where he mainly studied composition with Gregory Wanamaker. Currently, Maxime studies composition with Daniel Weymouth at Stony Brook University, where he is a PhD candidate in composition. During his time at Stony Brook, he also studied composition with Perry Goldstein, Matthew Barnson, Nirmali Fenn, Daria Semegen, and electronic music with Margaret Schedel. 

Maxime has composed for several chamber ensembles such as Daniel Pesca/Wei-Han Wu Piano Duo, Thelema Trio, Ethel Quartet, ThreeForm, SputterBox, and Contraption. Esformes has also composed for soloists such as Casey Grev (saxophone), Giovanni Perez (flute), and Katherine Lerner Lee (soprano). 

As a performer Esformes is a multi-instrumentalist whose primary instruments include electric guitar, bassoon, saxophone, and piano. Currently, Maxime primarily performs as an electric guitarist with the chamber ensemble Contraption; a trio for electric guitar and two percussionists. Esformes founded Contraption in 2021 with Joe DeMarco and Peter White at Stony Brook University. The ensemble was formed with the intention of blending contemporary classical music with progressive heavy metal.

Esformes is interested in exploring various compositional techniques in his music such as loosely applied serial techniques, jazz harmony, polystylism, and spectral techniques. Classical training aside, Maxime’s musical background includes jazz, rock and roll, progressive rock, and heavy metal. He aims to incorporate various elements from these genres into his own music. When he isn’t working on music, he is an avid surfer; drawing musical inspiration from his experiences riding the waves, and in nature.