Alexander Gordon 

Alexander Gordon is one of the most versatile musicians of his generation and has achieved recognition as a soloist, conductor, chamber musician, and teacher. In 2022 as a protest against Russian aggression and the usage letter “Z” as the symbol of the regime, he changed his family name from Zemtsov to Gordon.

A devoted chamber musician he is regularly performing with partners such as Misha Maisky, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Gerhard Schulz, Peter Donohoe, Natalia Gutman, Totlief Thedeen, Eldar Nebolsin, Maximilian Hornung, Pascal and Michel Moragues, Gordan Nikolic, Roman Simovic, Patrick Gallois, Jan-Erik Gustafsson as well as with Utrecht and Schumann String Quartets.

At the age of 23, he was appointed Principal Viola of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2012, after ten years with the Orchestra, he left to dedicate himself entirely to his career as a soloist and conductor.

Alexander Gordon has performed regularly as a soloist in Europe, USA, Asia and Australia under conductors such as Neeme Jarvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Alexander Vedernikov.

His conducting debut in Finland was with the Lappeenranta Symphony Orchestra, which was followed by a re-invitation for the following season and an invitation to conduct the Sinfonia Finlandia in Jyväskylä. Zemtsov’s debut in China with the Liaoning Symphony Orchestra in Shenyang led to an immediate re-invitation for three programs the next season. Other conducting engagements include the Bulgarian National Radio- Symphony Orchestra with Mischa Maisky, the Mannheim Chamber Orchestra in Germany, the Rijeka Opera Theatre in Croatia for performances of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker”, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, Pori City Orchestra Finland, Orchesterzentrum Dortmund and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra with Tabea Zimmermann. n 2015 Alexander Zemtsov was appointed artistic director and conductor of the International New Symphony Orchestra (INSO) in Lviv, giving this multinational German-Russian-Ukrainian-Jewish musician the role of an “Ambassador of Peace” in Ukraine, aiming to bring Peace and Unity through music. In 2021 Alexander Zemtsov conducted London Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour in Spain.

Some of the world’s finest soloists who have performed under the baton of Alexander Zemtsov are, among others, Mischa Maisky, Simon Trpceski, Roman Simovic, Boris Garlitsky, Gordon Nicolic and Tabea Zimmermann.

Born in 1978 into a family of musicians – now a renowned dynasty of violists –  he completed his diploma HfMT Hamburg with Marius Nichiteanu, Master studies at ZUYD in Maastricht with Michael Kugel and as a postgraduate with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hochschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin. 

Concurrently he studied conducting, completing Master of Conducting with Vassily Sinaisky at ZUYD Maastricht additionally finding inspiration through masterclasses with his mentors Kirill Petrenko, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Vladimir Jurowski, Neeme and Paavo Jarvi.

Gordon’s´s mastery and artistry have brought him numerous prizes and awards International Competition “Classical Legacy” in Moscow (First prise 1995),  at the Elise Meyer competition in Hamburg (First prise 1997),at the 8th Brahms competition in Poertschach, Austria (First prise 2001)

Alexander Gordon held professorships at some of the finest conservatoires in Europe: the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Vienna Konservatorium and currently professor at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne and the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne.

Many of his students are members of, often section leaders in, major orchestras around the world as well as frequent winners of international competitions.

As a violist Alexander Gordon has recorded for Chandos, LPO Live, Navis Classics, Naxos and Toccata Classics. His debut CD as a conductor on Toccata Classics label was released in November 2018.