“Kniazev is an artist who has an incredibly sense of musicality, elemental thinking and a phenomenally perfect technique.” (BBC Music Magazine)
“Russian cellist Alexander Kniaziev is, of course, one of few to attain the loftiest praise and who is one of the most outstanding classical musicians of our time.” (The Western Mail)
Legendary cellist Alexander Kniazev received international acclaim as a cellist when he won various international music competitions including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the UNISA competition in South Africa and the Cassado Competition in Florence.
As a soloist Alexander Kniazev has performed with the world’s great ensembles, among them the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (London), the orchestras of Bayerische Rundfunk and Radio Bucharest, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestras, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestras of Vienna, Gothenburg, Luxemburg and Ireland, the Residence Orchestra of The Hague, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, the Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Tchaikovsky symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestras of the Moscow and St Petersburg Philharmonic Societies, the Russian National Orchestra and the chamber ensembles Moscow Virtuosi and Moscow Soloists.
The musician has appeared with many renowned performers including the conductors Kurt Masur, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Temirkanov, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Mikhail Pletnev, Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov and Alexander Vedernikov and the instrumentalists Jean Guillou, Viktor Tretyakov, Vadim Repin, Sergei Krylov, Denis Matsuev, Augustin Dumay, Boris Berezovsky, Valery Afanasiev, Mikhail Voskresensky, Nikolai Lugansky, Yevgeny Kissin, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Edouard Oganessian, Plamena Mangova, Katia Skanavi and Alyona Bayeva. He has frequently appeared in a trio with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitry Makhtin and, more recently, with Nikolai Lugansky and Vadim Repin.
Alexander Kniazev’s concerts have received great critical acclaim throughout the world at such prestigious venues as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Salle Pleyel and the Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Rudolfinium in Prague, the Auditorio Verdi in Milan and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. The musician has also appeared at prestigious venues in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, South Korea, Portugal, the USA, Finland, Sweden and South Africa among other countries.
Alexander Kniazev also performed as a trio with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin on the prestigious scenes of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, of the Brussels Palace of Fine Arts, at the London Wigmore Hall, at the Salzburg Festival and many others.
The Trio also recorded a DVD dedicated to Tchaïkovsky with the pieces for piano, violin and cello, and the Trio Elégiaque « A la mémoire d’un grand artiste ». This DVD was awarded the « Diapason d’or ».
His Ernest Bloch CD, « Schelomo », which was recorded with the Russian State Symphonic Orchestra /Maestro Svetlanov, was highly acclaimed by the International musical press. Furthermore, his « Max Reger » CD was chosen amongst the best by the French music magazine « Répertoire ».
Recordings with Warner Classics International include a CD of the Bach cello suites, the Shostakovitch Trio n°2 and the Rachmaninov Trio Elégiaque with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin, which was awarded the « Gramophone prize », the « Diapason d’Or » and the « Echo Award». On the same label, Alexander Kniazev also recorded a Tchaïkovsky album with the Chamber Orchestra of Moscow/Constantin Orbelian including the Variations Rococo, Andante Cantabile and Romances, and the two Mendelssohn trios with Dmitri Makhtin and Boris Berezovsky which were awarded the « Echo Award».
Lontano /Warner Classics International released in 2009 the Dvorak cello concerto with the Tchaïkovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, and Vladimir Fedoseyev and went on an European tour with the same programme.
Alexander Kniazev is an Honoured Artist of Russia and a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic.
Alexander Kniazev enjoys a successful career in two professions – as a cellist and as an organist. He graduated from the Moscow State Conservatoire in cello (class of Alexander Fyodorchenko) and the Nizhny-Novgorod State Conservatoire in organ (class of Galina Kozlova).
New Musical Generation represents Alexander Kniazev for Scandinavia.
