Alexander Markov facts for kids

Alexander Markov is a famous Russian-American violinist. He is known for his amazing skill and for winning important music awards. He became famous for playing very difficult violin pieces by a composer named Paganini.

About Alexander Markov

Early Life and Training

Alexander Markov was born in Moscow, which is the capital city of Russia. He started learning the violin from a very young age. His first teacher was his father, Albert Markov, who is also a well-known concert violinist.

By the time Alexander was eight years old, he was already playing as a solo artist with orchestras. He even performed special "double concertos" with his father. This means they played violin together with an orchestra.

In 1982, Markov and his parents moved to the United States. He became a citizen of the U.S. that same year.

His Music and Performances

Alexander Markov made his first big performance in New York City at Carnegie Hall. This is a very famous concert hall. He also played with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall.

He has recorded music for a company called Erato Records. This company shares his music all over the world. His recordings include pieces by the famous composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Markov has performed with many famous conductors. These include Charles Dutoit and Lorin Maazel. He has also played with many top orchestras around the world. Some of these are the Philadelphia Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, and the Montreal Symphony. In 2012, he played at the Llandeilo Music festival in Wales.

Special Achievements

Alexander Markov won a gold medal at the Paganini International Violin Competition. This is a very important award for violinists. He also received the Avery Fisher Career Grant, which helps talented musicians.

He is especially known for his recording of Paganini's 24 Caprices for Solo Violin. These are very challenging pieces for a solo violin. People especially admire how he plays the "left-hand pizzicato" part of the 24th Caprice. Pizzicato means plucking the strings instead of bowing them. A film was even made of him playing these Caprices.

The famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin once said about Alexander Markov: "He is without doubt one of the most brilliant and musical of violinists… Alexander Markov will certainly leave his mark on the music-lovers of the world and in the annals of the violin virtuosi of our day." This shows how highly he was thought of by other great musicians.

See also

In Spanish: Alexander Markov para niños