Maksim Barbash is a highly acclaimed Belarusian cellist, renowned for his charisma, deep musicality, and outstanding skills. Beginning his musical journey at the age of seven, he graduated from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 2020, studying under Prof. Alexey Seleznev. In 2022, he completed his Master in Solo Performance with highest distinction under Prof. Thomas Demenga at Academy of Music in Basel. He is currently pursuing a Master in Contemporary Music at Academy of Music Basel and his Master in Solo Performance with Prof. Danjulo Ishizaka at Berlin University of the Arts.

Maksim has participated in masterclasses with renowned artists and pedagogues, including Steven Isserlis, David Geringas, Antonio Meneses, Anssi Karttunen, and Wen-Sinn Yang. He has won numerous international competitions, including the Grand Prix at the "Young Talents of Belarus" in his home country.

As a soloist, Maksim has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Basel Symphony Orchestra, Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn, the Symphony Orchestra of the National Television of Belarus, Junge Sinfoniker Basel, and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Belarus. He has collaborated with esteemed conductors including Yannis Pouspourikas, Matthias Kuhn, David Švec, and Tarmo Peltokoski.

As a chamber musician, Maksim has appeared at many international festivals, including the Berner Seefestspiele, Révélations-Jeunes Interprètes, Interfinity, Altstadtserenaden, and Festival Momentum. He has also been invited by several international foundations, such as the BOG Stiftung, Turmstiftung Schloss Holligen, Swiss Foundation for Young Musicians, and Rudolf von Tobel Stiftung.

Recently, Maksim performed alongside renowned harpist Alexander Boldachev at a festival in Zurich, premiering the piece "Fondamenta della Misericordia," written for them by Belarusian composer Valery Voronov. He is an enthusiastic interpreter of contemporary music, working with modern composers and participating in various projects, such as Zone Expérimentale and Ensemble DIAGONAL.

Maksim plays a modern cello made by Thiemo Schutter and Rahel Widmer in 2022 in Bern.