“Zaitsev’s playing is gripping. His musicianship is intense, and the level of skill is astonishing…”
– YLE Finnish Broadcastin Company
Aleksei Zaitsev
Aleksei Zaitsev (b. 1995) was born in Finland. At the age of 13, he became a pupil of Irina Zahharenkova, a noted winner of several international piano competitions. In 2022 Aleksei graduated with the Master of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki where he had studied under Dr. Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna and Teppo Koivisto’s tutelage. In addition, he has attended master classes of Klaus Hellwig, Matti Raekallio, Robert Levin and Jerome Lowenthal. Since 2022 Aleksei is pursuing his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Marianna Shirinyan.
Zaitsev has won the 1. prize and the Yamaha Music Foundation’s Scholarship in the Yamaha Piano Competition 2020 and has also received a finalist and honorary prize in the VII Vigo International Piano Competition 2023. In the fall of 2022 Aleksei was the only Finnish pianist who reached the semi-finals of the Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki and received great reviews by Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. As YLE Finnish broadcasting company described: “Zaitsev’s playing is gripping. His musicianship is intense, and the level of skill is astonishing…” In the spring of 2023 Zaitsev won 1st prize in an all-instrumental soloist competition of the Royal Danish Academy of Music and was chosen to perform with the DKDM Symphony Orchestra in June 2023.
Aleksei is a versatile pianist whose range of repertoire covers music from the early Baroque era to the newest contemporary music. As a recitalist, orchestral soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in many cities in Finland, France, Italy, Belgium, the Baltic countries, Scandinavia, the USA and Japan. He has given concerts at Baselbieter Konzerte Young Talent program in Switzerland 2024, Klassiske Dage Festival in Denmark 2023, Piano Espoo Festival 2023, Stavanger International Piano Festival in Norway 2023, Turku Music Festival 2019 and Mänttä piano festival. On stage Aleksei has collaborated with musicians like Marianna Shirinyan, Olli Mustonen, Daniel Rowland, Maja Bogdanovic and Maxim Vengerov. Zaitsev is a keen interpreter of new music; he has performed alongside Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, defunensemble and ÄÄNI KOLLEKTIIVI Contemporary Music Ensemble. Zaitsev’s highlights of 2024 season include his solo debut with the Joensuu city orchestra and conductor Jan Söderblom as well as multiple solo recitals in Finland and Scandinavia.
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.
Articles
”Zaitsev’s playing is gripping. It’s intense musicianship and the level of skill is astonishing… Such a balance of emotion and intellect…”
YLE (Finnish broadcasting company)
Winner of the RDAM soloist competition
HS: Maj Lind -kansainvälisessä kisassa kaksi suomalaista
Karjalainen: Pianotaiteilija Aleksei Zaitsev konsertoi synnyinkaupungissaan Outokummussa.
YLE artikkeli: Toisen kilpailupäivän huipensi kiinalainen pyörremyrsky.