Alexander Melnikov

His talent was demonstrated by the various prizes he won at such events as the Robert Schumann Wettbewerb in Zwickau in 1989 and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 1991. He performed with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also gave numerous solo recitals and performed with his regular musical partners Jean-Guihen Queyras and Isabelle Faust. With both of them he made an award-winning recording of Beethoven's violin and cello sonatas. His solo CD of Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues was ranked by BBC Magazine among the fifty best CDs ever made.

In the 2025-2026 season, Melnikov will perform with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, among others, and will work with conductors such as Maxim Emelyanychev, Teodor Currentzis, and Hannu Lintu. He will also conduct from the piano himself. Melnikov will also continue his chamber music activities this season with Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras, and the Belcea Quartet, among others. His new recording Visiting Rachmaninov with Julia Lezhneva has been released in 2025. In addition, this season he will give solo recitals at Wigmore Hall and Flagey and tour Asia.

Alexander Melnikov is extremely versatile not only in his repertoire, but also in his choice of instruments. He is proficient on a variety of period instruments and, whenever possible, seeks an appropriate instrument for each composer. Typical in terms of his recital is “The Man with the Many Pianos,” in which he plays on four keyboard instruments from different style periods.

Melnikov also dares to put his playing on authentic instruments into perspective:

“Good chance Beethoven would burst into a hysterical fit of laughter at any historically informed performance. But we have to do our best for it.”

Interview from Preludium January 2023.