“A virtuoso and thinker… Alexander Yakovlev possesses his own style founded on a deep penetration into the composer’s conception… He is a magic interpreter…”

- Chopin Magazine

Alexander Yakovlev is a graduate of Rostov State Conservatoire where he also did postgraduate study with Sergei Osipenko and studied composition under Leonid Klinichev. He subsequently studied at the Salzburg "Mozarteum" under Alexei Lyubimov and in Berlin at the Universität der Künste under Pascal Devoyon.

The distinguished pianist is a laureate of more than 50 international piano competitions from which he holds more than forty first prizes! Including the Artur Schnabel International Piano Competition in Berlin (2004, Germany), the International Piano Competition in Geneva (2005, Switzerland), the Chopin International Competition in Rome (2006, Italy), Compositores de Espana in Madrid (2008, Spain), the Parnassos Piano Competition in Monterrey (2010, Mexico), the Takamatsu Competition (2010, Japan), and the International Piano Competition in Cincinnati (USA, 2012).

In 2013, Mr. Yakovlev won the Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition at which he also received the Italian Presidential Prize “For Services to Italian Culture” (Seregno, Italy).

Alexander Yakovlev regularly performs on the most prestigious stages in his native Russia as well as abroad, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main, the Grand Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic Society, the Komische Oper Berlin, Verdi Hall at the Music Conservatory in Milano, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Mariinsky Concert Hall and Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Anabuki Hall in Takamatsu, and Toppan Hall in Tokyo.

The pianist has performed with many of the most important orchestras of the world – Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Milan Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmonic, and the Rome Chamber Orchestra.

Yakovlev has collaborated with such famous conductors as Conrad van Alphen, Mark Gibson, Misha Damev, Ravil Martynov, Kent Nagano, Alexander Polianichko, Jean Bernard Pommier, Shinsaku Tsutsumi to name only a few.

Alexander also regularly participates in such music festivals as the “Great Masters of Zaragoza” in Spain, the Festival of Pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in Italy, Mayfest in Scotland, "Faces of Contemporary Pianism" in St. Petersburg, and the Beethoven Festival in Bonn.

In 2016/17 season Mr. Yakovlev will tour in America and Japan as well as make a distinguished tour of China where Alexander has been invited to perform in China’s top ten concert halls.

Alexander Yakovlev’s discography includes a recording of works by Prokofiev which was released by Sonore Records in Milan.

For more than ten years, Alexander has regularly given master classes in Russia and abroad. He is a visiting professor in Minneapolis (USA), Takamatsu (Japan), and Benasque (Spain), where he is also the artistic director of the summer academy and festival "Beyond the Piano".