Alexander Melnikov has earned a reputation as one of the finest Russian pianists of his generation. He was born in Moscow in 1973 and began his music studies at the age of 6 at Moscow’s Central Music School, then continued at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire from where he graduated in 1997 in the class of professor Lev Naumov. Later he completed his post-graduate studies in Munich with Elisso Wirssaladze and at the Fondazione per il Pianoforte (Lago di Como, Italy) where he had lessons with Andreas Staier and Carl-Ulrich Schnabel among others. While still studying at school he became a prize-winner of several major international piano competitions (Schumann, Zwickau in 1989 and Queen Elisabeth, Brussels in 1991 among others) and shortly afterwards began his international career.
His past and forthcoming engagements include performances with the Russian National Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic with Mikhail Pletnev, Leipzig Gewandhaus and Philadelphia Orchestra with Charles Dutoit, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev, St. Petersburg Philharmonic with Yuri Temirkanov, Moscow Soloists with Yuri Bashmet, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, and many other orchestras in Europe, Asia and Americas.
In recital, Melnikov appears regularly at the world’s leading concert halls and also at festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad, Verbier, Delft, Stavanger, Piano aux Jacobins, La Roque d’Antheron, Folle Journee.
Chamber music plays an important part in Melnikov’s activities. Between 1993 and 2003 he performed extensively with Vadim Repin, and at present he is a part of a well-established duo with Isabelle Faust. His partners also include Natalia Gutman, Yuri Bashmet, Alexander Rudin, Victor Tretiakov, the Vanbrugh, Petersson, and Borodin Quartets, Truls Mørk Jean-Guihen Queyras. In a piano duo he appeares regularly with Andreas Staier, Boris Berezovsky, and Alexei Lubimov. Melnikov featured as a BBC New Generation Artist from 2000 to 2002 and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 in recital and chamber music as well as performing and recording with the BBC Orchestras.
In 2004-2006 Harmonia Mundi France has released several CDs (chamber music with Isabelle Faust and Jean-Guihen Queyras as well as solo) and they were all met with great critical acclaim.
He also performs on fortepiano, collaborating regularly with the Concerto Koeln and recently a soloist on a Dutch tour with Philipp Herrewege.
Melnikov has close artistic ties with the late Sviatoslav Richter, who regularly invited him to participate in his festivals in Moscow (December Nights), and his chamber music festival in Grange du Meslay (Tours, France).
Since 2002 Melnikov is teaching piano at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. In addition to his busy schedule as a pianist, Melnikov is also distinguished in the field of aviation and is a qualified private pilot.