"Sitkovetsky has a terrific technique to be sure, but his confident, entirely natural musicianship, is what sets him apart from the crowd." – The Gramophone
British violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky was born in Moscow in 1983 into a family with an established musical tradition. At the age of eight Mr. Sitkovetsky made his debut as a soloist with the chamber orchestra in Montpellier, France.
He has been featured at well-known venues throughout Europe and the UK including London's Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican, St. John's Smith Square, St. Martin-in-the-Field and Wigmore Hall; Salla Verdi in Milano, Palais des Congres in Antibes as well as Germany, Israel, Russia and Japan. Sitkovetsky's several Wigmore Hall appearances in London have been critically acclaimed and he has appeared on New York City's Frick Collection Series partnering with pianist Bella Davidovich. His concerto performances include his debuts with the English Chamber Orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Confirmed plans for 2008-2009 include a Concertgebouw debut with the Netherlands Philharmonic and Yakov Kreizberg, performances with the Roma Chamber Orchestra, the Bangkok Symphony and in the US with the Monterey Symphony, Andrew Sewell, conducting. In the 2007-2008 season Mr. Sitkovetsky performed with the El Paso Chamber Music Festival led by festival director Zuill Bailey. Other recent US engagements included a concerto appearance with the Columbus (GA) Symphony as well as soloist on tour with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Constantin Orbelian.
Mr. Sitkovetsky has performed at international music festivals throughout Europe, including the Radio France Festival in Montpellier, Festival Internationale des Jeunes Solistes in Antibes (France), Festa Torino in Italy, Leicester Music Festival, Oxford Music Festival, Sonoro Chamber Music Festival (Romania), Verbier Music Festival and Academy in Switzerland, Homecoming Chamber Music Festival, (Russia), Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy, Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival (Germany), Utrecht Music Festival (Netherlands) and at the Julia Fischer and Friends Festival in Germany
Alexander Sitkovetsky has released two CD recordings for Angel Records (a part of Capitol/EMI Classics group). His second CD recording for EMI/Angel featuring concerto performances by Bach, Mendelssohn, Panufnik and Takemitsu has received unanimous critical acclaim. In 2008, Alexander recorded the Mendelssohn Double Violin Concerto with Dinorah Varsi and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra for Orfeo, and the Bach Double Violin Concerto with Julia Fischer and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for Decca.
A committed chamber musician, Sitkovetsky has collaborated with some of the most important artists of today, including, Julia Fischer, Misha Maisky, Bella Davidovich, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Julian Rachlin, Janine Jansen, Sarah Chang Natalie Clein, Polina Leschenko, Julian Bliss, Maxim Rysanov, Sebastian Klinger, Michael Sanderling and many others. In 1996, Alexander played Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in Budapest with Lord Menuhin conducting. Since their first meeting in Moscow in 1990, Lord Menuhin became a great inspiration for Sitkovetsky and supported him through his school years. 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 1998 he took part in a master class given by Maxim Vengerov which was broadcast over the European TV network. He was invited to become a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin School where he studied with Natalia Boyarsky and Professor Hu Kun, then continued his studies with Hu Kun at the Royal Academy of Music. Alexander has 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. 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. 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.
"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
