Ian Maksin will perform a children’s concert on Sunday, February 2, at 4 p.m. at the Michigan Christian Study Center, 611 East William Street in Ann Arbor. There will also be an adult concert at 6 p.m.
Ian Maksin (pronounced YAN MAK-sin) has been playing cello since he was 6 years old.
“I have been playing professionally for the last 25+ years, the first half of my career being in classical music, and the latter writing and performing my original music for cello and singing in different languages,” Maksin said.
Maksin explained that he makes a strong effort to schedule as many concerts for children and youth as possible, tour schedule permitting.
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“I try to do as many children’s concerts as I can,” Maksin said. “I have probably done more than a hundred in the last few years for kids ranging from pre-K to high school and college. The concert is in the format of a musical journey around the world. I try to get kids to engage their imagination during the listening process as much as possible.”
He believes that music can help people — both kids and adults — in meaningful ways.
“I do believe music can have a tremendous impact on young people, inspire and empower them,” Maksin said.
Maksin noted that these two concerts were made possible through the efforts of Ann Arbor’s music enthusiast and supporter, Maria Vilinskaia, who also helped find the concert venue.
The 4 p.m. concert is intended for children ages 5–14, who must be accompanied by an adult.
“The (first) concert will last approximately 55 minutes,” Maksin said. “It could be a great experience for an entire family. However, I have another full-length concert for adults at 6 p.m. on the same evening where the recommended age is 16 plus.”
These two concerts are part of Maksin’s “Cello for Peace” initiative.
“Cello for Peace is the name of my world tour initiative that I started in 2022 after the war in Ukraine broke out,” Maksin said. “I wanted to deliver a strong message of support to the people of Ukraine in their fight for independence, incorporate the humanitarian aspect, and provide financial support to medical charities. More recently, in light of other world events, the message has shifted towards a more global cause of bringing people together through music, as I believe music can help us transcend politics, religion and cultural differences.”
Some of the proceeds of the concerts will go toward related peace efforts.
“I donate a portion of the proceeds from tickets and merchandise to causes that resonate with me personally the most,” Maksin said. “I currently donate to organizations providing medical and psychological aid in Ukraine, assistance to war refugees coming to North America — namely For Wellbeing and Leonid Foundation — and also currently deciding on a charity to provide humanitarian relief and help small businesses affected by the fires in California.”
Maksin can sing in about 37 different languages in his songs and plays traditional music from various countries as well.
“It will be a virtual journey in musical teleportation device including South America, Central Asia, West Africa, Middle East, Central Asia,” Maksin said. “I will be singing folk songs from some of those cultures as well as playing original instrumentals inspired by traditional music from around the world.”
He is known to share some personal stories during his performances.
“I also talk about my personal journey, my mission and purpose in life,” Maksin said. “Many of the kids have never seen or heard the cello before. I receive many messages from kids and parents telling me of their transformative experiences: many of them decided to start playing cello or another musical instrument, others told me that my music and presentation inspired them in other creative ways.”
Maksin believes music can help people become kinder and more compassionate.
“As I mentioned earlier, music and creativity, in general, can help us in subliminal ways become more compassionate and mindful, and I do believe that is what we are missing the most as a civilization,” Maksin said. “And exposing children to these opportunities gives us hope that their generation will grow up kinder, more compassionate, and in tune with their own creativity than ours.”