The young British violinist, Alexander Sitkovetsky, was born in Moscow in 1983 into a family with an established musical tradition and at the age of eight Alexander made his debut performance as a soloist with the chamber orchestra in Montpellier, France, and later that same year he was invited to become a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin School where he studied with Natalia Boyarsky and Professor Hu Kun. He continued his studies with Hu Kun at the Royal Academy of Music. Alexander participated in Master classes given by Lord Menuhin, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Mauricio Fuks, Georgy Pauk, Maya Glezarova, Zvi Zeitlin and Abram Stern. In 1998 he took part in a master class given by Maxim Vengerov which was broadcast over the European TV network. Currently, Alexander is studying with Professor Pavel Vernikov.

Since their first meeting in Moscow in 1990, Lord Menuhin became a great inspiration for Alexander and supported him through his school years. Together they performed the Bach Double Violin Concerto in France and Belgium, as well as Bartok’s Duos at St James’s Palace in London. In 1996, Alexander played Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in Budapest with Lord Menuhin conducting.

 

Alexander has performed in many international music festivals throughout Europe, including the Radio France Festival in Montpellier, the Festival Internationale des Jeunes Solistes in Antibes, France, the Festa Torino in Italy, the International Music Academy in Tours, France, the Music Festival in Oldenburg, Germany, at the Verbier Music Festival and Academy in Switzerland, at the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy, and the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival in Germany.

 

He has been featured as a soloist at many famous venues throughout Europe, including The Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square in London, Salla Verdi in Milano, Palais des Congres in Antibes as well as in Israel, Hawaii and Moscow. His performances include concerts in the Barbican, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. The Strad magazine has featured Alexander as one of the “Stars of the New Century”.  He has been featured in a  BBC documentary which has been broadcast several times and has made numerous  television appearances in the UK. He was featured as a soloist in the “Tchaikovsky Experience” documentary by BBC Television which was broadcast on BBC Two in February 2007. His several Wigmore Hall appearances in London have been much acclaimed.  Alexander is also an accomplished composer. His two orchestral ballet scores were premiered in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Dance in 1995 and in 1999 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

 

He has released two CD recordings for Angel Records (a part of Capitol/EMI Classics group). His second CD recording for EMI/Angel featuring concertos by Bach, Mendelssohn, Panufnik and Takemitsu was released in January 2004 and has received unanimous critical acclaim.

 

He has given a solo recital at London’s Royal Festival Hall, as well as debut performances in New York where he appeared at the Frick Collection Series partnered by Bella Davidovich. His 2005-2006 schedule included engagements in the USA with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Constantin Oberlian, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan, and his concerto performances included his debut at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and other concerto performances in the UK, Italy and USA. During the 2006-2007 Season he has made further performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, and also in Bangkok, Bermuda and various cities in the US. Alexander also made his debut with the English Chamber Orchestra, the Southbank Sinfonia, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

“Sitkovetsky has a terrific technique to be sure, but his confident, entirely natural musicianship, is what sets him apart from the crowd.” The Gramophone

“Mr Sitkovetsky poured his warm tone into the music’s soaring phrases, managing to sustain its impassioned lyricism and preserve its broad arcs of sound” The New York Times