Aleksei Zaitsev (b. 1995) is an award-winning young pianist from North Karelia, an intense and sensitive musician who has shown his strength in both classical pianism and innovative explorations, such as combining solo piano with contemporary dance.

Zaitsev has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician and recital pianist in Finland, Europe, the United States and Japan. He has collaborated with musicians such as Marianna Shirinyan, Klaus Mäkelä, Daniel Rowland, Maja Bogdanovic, and Maxim Vengerov. In 2023, he performed four-handed alongside Olli Mustonen at the Klassiske Dage Festival in Denmark.

 Festival performances include Piano Espoo (2023), Fejø Festival (2024), Stavanger International Piano Festival (2023–2025), Musica Nova Helsinki (2025), Mänttä Music Festival (2014) and Turku Music Festival (2019), among others. In 2024 Zaitsev gave his debut as a soloist with the Joensuu City Orchestra conducted by Jan Söderblom and a solo recital at the Helsinki Music Centre as part of theThe Young Artists of Summer series. He also actively performs contemporary music, with ensembles such as Uusinta Ensemble, defunensemble, Avanti! and the ÄÄNI collective.

In March2025, Alba Records released his debut album ”From the Street”, including music by Clara Schumann, Leevi Madetoja, Leoš Janáček and Franz Liszt and being received with rave reviews.

Aleksei Zaitsev has been successful in several competitions, such as Kuopio Piano Competition (2nd Prize, 2011), Tampere Piano Competition (2021, Finalist and Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work by Scriabin), and Maj Lind Piano Competition (2022), where he was the only Finnish semifinalist and received wide acclaim for his intense and intelligent musicianship. In the Vigo International Piano Competition in Spain (2023), he was a finalist and received an Honorable Mention. In 2023 he won first prize at the Royal Danish Academy of Music’s RDAM Solo Competition.

 Zaitsev has studied piano with Irina Zahharenkova and at the Sibelius Academy with Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna and Teppo Koivisto, graduating as Master of Music in 2022.In 2024, Zaitsev completed his second Master’s degree at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under the guidance of Marianna Shirinyan. He has also attended masterclasses with Klaus Hellwig, Jerome Lowenthal, Matti Raekallio and Robert Levin, among others.

Zaitsev has been awarded scholarships and grants for outstanding achievements by different Finnish and Danish cultural foundations: Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, The Paulo Foundation, The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Pro Musica Foundation, Martin Wegelius Foundation and Karen & Arthur Feldthusen’s foundation.