Real successor of Mstilav Rostropovitch, Alexander Kniazev studied the cello at the Moscow Conservatory under Alexander Fedorchenko and learnt to play the organ under the famous Miss G. Kozlova. He won the International Cello contest of G. Cassado, the International contest of chamber music of Trapani and the International contest of Pretoria (UNISA) in South Africa.
Alexander Kniazev has played under legendary conductors such as Evgeny Svetlanov, Kurt Masur and Mstislav Rostropovitch, but also, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Jarvi, Alexander Vedernikov, Mikhail Pletnev, Charles Dutoit, Kazuki Yamada, Stéphane Denève, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Maxim Chostakovich… with orchestras such as : USSR State Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic of London, Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Göteborg Symphonic, Den Haag Residentie Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Pragua Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra…
He was also invited at the Moscow festival “December Nights”, which was organised by S. Richter, who has influenced him a lot.
His partners in chamber music are Evgeny Kissin, Vadim Repin, Boris Berezovsky, Plamena Mangova, Nikolaï Lugansky and Andrei Korobeinikov. In 2012, Martha Argerich invited him to play at her Lugano Festival. Alexander Kniazev also performed as a trio with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin on the prestigious scenes of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Brussels Palace of Fine Arts, London Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival…
His Ernest Bloch CD, « Schelomo », which was recorded with the Russian State Symphonic Orchestra /Maestro Svetlanov, was highly acclaimed by the International musical press. Furthermore, his « Max Reger » CD was chosen amongst the best by the French music magazine « Répertoire ».
Recordings with Warner Classics International include a CD of the Bach cello suites, the Shostakovitch Trio n°2 and the Rachmaninov Trio Elégiaque with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin, which was awarded « Gramophone prize », « Diapason d’Or » and « Echo Award», and the two Mendelssohn trios with Dmitri Makhtin and Boris Berezovsky which were awarded «Echo Award».
In 2015, he recorded for Mirare at Bayerischer Rundfunk a Brahms CD acclaimed by the international press with his partner Andrei Korobeinikov.
His forthcoming projects include, among other, tours in Japan with NHK Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Vedernikov, concerts with Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Andris Poga, Russian National Orchestra/Mikhail Pletnev, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo/Alexander Sladkovsky, St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra/Yuri Temirkanov, chamber music at London Wigmore Hall, Verbier Festival, Folle Journée de Nantes and Tokyo, Aix-en-Provence Grand Théâtre, Moscow Pushkin Museum, Paris Louvre Museum….
Also recognized as a marvellous organist, Alexander Kniazev will give many recitals in Europe Russia. He lately record Bach’s Variations Goldberg (transcripted by the famous french organist Jean Guillou).
