Max ZT

Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer” by NPR, and "A Force of nature” Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Taking his roots from Irish and American folk music, Max has transplanted his compositional techniques to both Senegal, where he studied the Mandinko technique with the Cissoko griot family, and to India, where he received the prestigious American Institute of Indian Studies Fellowship grant to study under the world-renowned santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His fresh perspective and bold experimentalism have been the backbone to beautiful, complex, and genuine compositions, while his unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques.

Max ZT and his band House of Waters have been called “One of the most original bands on the planet,” by NY Music Daily, and have shared the stage with some of the most influential international musical leaders of the century including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Tinariwen, Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Cliff, Bela Fleck, Karsh Kale, Snarky Puppy, and more. With their most recent album Rising hitting #2 on the iTunes Jazz charts, critics are raving. All About Jazz calls the album, “…truly mesmerizing….is a defining moment in twenty-first century fusion.” Timeout NY states House of Waters is “A sight to behold,” while Paste Magazine says, “Grasping for definitions is useless with this band. Their genre can only be described by other words like fresh, calm, serene, and bliss. Hearing something this new to me feels like I'm hearing music for the first time all over again.”

Max ZT is based out of Brooklyn, New York. He has put out more than ten albums, and in 2005, won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship.

This past year Max was nominated for Best New Age Album at the 63rd annual GRAMMY awards for his work with his wife Priya Darshini’s album - Periphery.