Max Schwartz is a seasoned multi-instrumentalist and educator based in Alhambra, California. Equally at home in the bluegrass and jazz worlds, he performs on banjo, bass, and guitar, and has toured across the U.S. supporting acclaimed bluegrass artists including Laurie Lewis, John Reischman, and Bill Evans. In the jazz sphere, he has shared the stage with Melissa Aldana, Shelly Berg, Sasha Berliner, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ravi Coltrane, John Daversa, Dave Koz, Hubert Laws, Julius Rodriguez, and Isaiah J. Thompson, as well as ensembles such as the GRAMMY Jazz Combo, Kira Daglio-Fine Big Band, Henry Mancini Institute, New World Symphony, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and Stamps Jazz Quintet.

Deeply committed to teaching and community engagement, Max uses music as a means of connection, grounding, and self-expression. At the Pico Union Project’s Día Cultura, he teaches a free community guitar class alongside a team of passionate instructors. Over the years, he has guided students through college-level music courses, more than a dozen music camps, and hundreds of private students across California, Miami, and Boston.

In 2025, Max appeared on NBC’s The Voice Live Semi-Final with Kelsea Ballerini and in Season 2 of Palm Royale (Apple TV, premiering November 2025). He has performed recently with Hot October, Spectrum Bluegrass Band, Watkins Family Hour, the LA Bluegrass Band (Sean Watkins, Maddie Witler, Ellery Marshall, and Gabe Witcher), and Caltucky.