Maxwell Charles Olding was born on 4 July 1929. He grew up in
Launceston, Tasmania, where as a pianist he often competed against Australian composer
Peter Sculthorpe, who later joked that he turned his focus to composition because he could never beat Olding in piano competitions. In 1950, at age 21, he was appointed an Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) Examiner. He won the Commonwealth final of the 1952 ABC's Concerto Competition. He began his tertiary teaching career at the
University of Melbourne Conservatorium. He was an adjudicator at the 1952 City of
Sydney Eisteddfod and has since adjudicated at most of Australia's major music competitions, has chaired many of them and has acted as external examiner for higher degrees at the Universities of Melbourne,
Western Australia,
Tasmania,
Queensland,
Southern Queensland and
Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Olding adjudicated at the 2010 National Young Performers Awards in
Invercargill, New Zealand. In 1952 he was a state finalist in the
ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition. In later years he also worked extensively in
Southeast Asia and New Zealand for the board in examining and promotional activities. Max Olding held positions as president of the
Queensland Symphony Orchestra Society and deputy chair of the Brisbane Institute of Art. He was patron of the Queensland Piano Tuners and Technicians Guild, and was a Life Member of the Accompanists Guild of Queensland. Olding was a
Churchill Fellow, awarded in 1970 "To investigate new methods and techniques relating to pianoforte teaching and instruction at advanced and tertiary levels – Japan, Russia, Hungary, France, UK, USA". Olding recorded chamber music including cello and piano works by Australian composer
Dulcie Holland, on the CD,
Study in Green: Music of Australian Composers;
Mozart,
Beethoven and
Brahms with violinist
Dene Olding on
Great Violin Sonatas; and several pieces with Dene Olding on the compilation album,
The Essential Violin. Max Olding recorded solo piano examination repertoire for the AMEB. He was also involved in conducting symphonic, choral, operatic and theatre works as well as teaching, administration and as organist and choirmaster. In 2011, Olding (along with Page) received a Doctor of Music
honoris causa from the
University of Queensland, where he had taught piano for many years. He also held senior teaching and administrative positions at the
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University ==Pamela Page==