1934

Born in Salford, UK

1953-1964

Studied in Manchester (fellow students included Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, John Ogdon, Elgar Howarth), in Rome with Petrassi, and at Princeton University

1959-1962

Appointment at Cirencester Grammar School sparked a life-long interest in writing for children and young musicians

1960's

Shocking, intense and expressionist works, notably Taverner, Revelation and Fall, Eight Songs for A Mad King, Vesalii Icones, St. Thomas Wake, and the orchestral colossus Worldes Blis

1967-1971

Founder and co-director with Harrison Birtwistle of The Pierrot Players

1969

World premiere of the iconoclastic work Eight Songs for A Mad King

1970's

Works reveal "a calmer, more reflective Max, whilst no less original"

1971

Moved to the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland

1971-1987

Founder and Artistic Director of contemporary ensemble The Fires of London

1976

Completed his First Symphony

1977

Founded the St Magnus Festival in Orkney

1980's

Symphonies and concertos "have a quality of Sibelius in their northernness"

1984

Completes the enduringly entertaining An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise

1985-1994

Associate Composer/Conductor, Scottish Chamber Orchestra

1987-1995

Wrote the ten Strathclyde Concertos for a range of different instrumental soloists and chamber orchestra forces

1987

Awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year's Honours, for services to music

1992-2001

Conductor/Composer, BBC Philharmonic

1992-2000

Associate Conductor/Composer of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

1994-present

Composer Laureate, Scottish Chamber Orchestra

2000

Premiere of Mr. Emmet Takes a Walk , Max's most recent music-theatre piece

2002-2007

Naxos Quartets - cycle of ten string quartets

2004

Appointed Master of the Queen's Music

2005

Professor Royal Academy of Music, London

2006

Honorary Academician Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome