Alexander Alexeev (conductor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Alexeev
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Alexander Alexeev in rehearsal in 1963
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Alexander Vasilievich Alexeev
10 March 1938 Belkovo, Novgorod Oblast, Russia
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| Died | 7 October 2020 (aged 82) |
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Alexander Vasilievich Alexeev (Russian: Александр Васильевич Алексеев, tr. Aleksandr Vasil'yevich Alekseyev; born March 10, 1938 – died October 7, 2020) was a famous conductor and music teacher from Russia. He received a special award called the Honored Artist of the RSFSR. From 2000 to 2008, he was the head of the conducting department at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Alexander Alexeev was born in a place called Belkovo, in Russia. He loved music from a young age.
Learning to Conduct
From 1957 to 1966, Alexeev studied how to lead choirs and orchestras. He learned from great teachers like Konstantin Olchov and Edouard Grikurov at the Leningrad Conservatory. This is a very famous music school.
Studying Abroad
Later, in 1971, Alexeev was chosen for a special program. He was one of only a few Russian conductors picked to study with Hans Swarowsky. This was at the Vienna Music Academy in Austria. It was a big honor to learn from such a master.
A Career in Music
Alexeev started his career leading different orchestras. He worked at the Ulyanovsk State Symphony Orchestra and the Leningrad State Academic Maly Opera Theatre. This theater is now known as the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
He also led the Chelyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Later, he became the main music director for the Ulyanovsk State Symphony Orchestra. In 1978, he received the important Honored Artist of the RSFSR award.
Working at the Bolshoi Theatre
From 1982 to 1984, Alexeev worked at the famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. This is one of the most important theaters in Russia. He was even offered a job to be the chief conductor for the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Finland. However, because of the rules at the time, he had to stay in the Soviet Union.
Leading Orchestras and Recording Music
Until 1992, Alexeev was the music director of the Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1986, his orchestra won a big competition among Soviet Republics.
He also made many recordings with different orchestras in Russia. These recordings were for a record label called Melodya. He worked with many top musicians of his time, like Gidon Kremer and Mikhail Pletnev. In 1966, he conducted a famous opera called Katerina Ismailova. The composer, Shostakovich, even helped with the rehearsals!
Teaching and Legacy
In 1992, Alexeev started teaching at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. From 2000 to 2008, he was the leader of the department that teaches opera and symphony conducting.
He followed the teaching styles of conductors like Aleksandr Gauk and Edouard Grikurov. He also helped share the ideas of his teacher, Hans Swarowsky, in Russia. He even translated one of Swarowsky's books into Russian.
Alexander Alexeev passed away in Saint Petersburg on October 7, 2020, when he was 82 years old. He is buried in Volkovo Cemetery in Saint Petersburg. He was married to a concert pianist named Olga Michailovna Alexeeva.
Images for kids
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Mstislav Rostropovich (center), Alexander Alexeev (center right), and Eduard Serov (right) with students in Wolgograd (1973)
