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 conductors like: E. Svetlanov, Y. Temirkanov, M. Rostropovitch, Y. Bashmet, V. Fedoseyev, M. Shostakovich, N. Järvi, K. Mazur, A. Vedernikov…, with orchestras such as, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Royal Philharmonic of London, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmoniuqe de Radio France, Göteborg Symphonic, Den Haag Residentie Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Prague Philharmonic…
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 and Nikolaï Lugansky. 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, of the Brussels Palace of Fine Arts, at the London Wigmore Hall, at the Salzburg Festival, and will soon perform at the Lincoln Center of New York. Among this season’s concerts, there will be the Musikverein of Vienna with Vladimir Fedoseyev in March 2009, the Dvorak concerto at the Salle Pleyel of Paris, and the Montpellier festival in July 2009 with Evgeny Kissin and Silvia Marcovici. In 2010, Alexander Kniazev peformed the six Bach suites at the Philharmonia of St Petersbourg.
The Trio also recorded a DVD dedicated to Tchaïkovsky with the pieces for piano, violin and cello, and the Trio Elégiaque A la mémoire d’un grand artiste. This DVD was awarded the "Diapason d’or".
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 Shostakovich Trio No. 2 and the Rachmaninov Trio Elégiaque with Boris Berezovsky and Dmitri Makhtin, which was awarded the "Gramophone prize", the "Diapason d’Or" and the "Echo Award".
On the same label, Alexander Kniazev also recorded a Tchaïkovsky album with the Chamber Orchestra of Moscow/Constantin Orbelian including the Variations Rococo, Andante Cantabile and Romances, and the two Mendelssohn trios with Dmitri Makhtin and Boris Berezovsky which were awarded the "Echo Award".
Lontano /Warner Classics International are releasing in March 2009 the Dvorak cello concerto with the Tchaïkovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, and Vladimir Fedoseyev and went on an European tour with the same programme.
His forthcoming projects include, among others, tours in Germany with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra/Vladimir Fedoseyev, in France and Russia with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris/Kazuki Yamada ; concerts at the Folle Journée de Nantes, Tokyo and Warsaw, with the Jerusalemn Symphonic Orchestra/Emil Tabakov, recitals at the Verdi Conservatoire of Milan, Taiwan National Concert Hall ; chamber music in Russia with Nicolai Lugansky, in Paris Salle Pleyel with Denis Matsuev, in Lugano with Martha Argerich and with Evgeny Kissin in many French festivals…
