Alexey Zhilin

One of the most talented and recognized Russian cellists for today. He successfully combined the solo career with chamber concerts. From the first days he is a part of David Oistrakh Quartet and plays a lot on the main Russian and world scenes. Alexey is a soloist of Saint Petersburg House of Music. For six years he is also a principal cello of MusicAeterna Orchestra (artistic director – Teodor Currentzis). Since 2014 he is an assistant professor (cello department) at the State Saint Petersburg Conservatory.

Alexey was born at 1987 in Leningrad. In the age of 11, he held the first victory on the International Music Competition in Moscow. One year later was his debut with the symphonic orchestra in Nizhny Novgorod. Since that time, Alexey has been an active participant in numerous concerts throughout Russia and abroad. In 2004 he became a laureate of International Youth Tchaikovsky Competition in Japan. In 2006 he won the first Prize of International Cello Competition in Gegardmer in France. Later Alexey Zhilin became a laureate of the International Elsky Competition in Minsk (Belarus), then he won the I prize of the Mravinsky Competition in St. Petersburg, the III prize of the Brahms Competition in Austria and the II prize of the I New Names All-Russian Open Competition. In 2011 Alexey was a semifinalist of the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

In 2011 he became the first Russian laureate of the International Competition Dr. Luis Sigall (Chili), and one year later he won the second Prize of one of the most prestigious world cello competitions – International Isang Yun Competition (South Korea). During his studying at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory Alexey was awarded a special stipend by the President of Russia.

In 2013 he post-graduated the Saint Petersburg Conservatory (class of prof. A. Nikitin). Alexey has participated in Master-Classes of such distinguished artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Natalia Shakhovskaya, Jens Peter Maintz, David Geringas, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Valter Dešpalj, Johannes Goritsky, Ivan Monigetti, Kirill Rodin, Alexander Rudin, Leonid Gorokhov and many others.

Today Alexey Zhilin performs throughout Russia and abroad; his tours have taken him to Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, South Korea, Japan and others. He plays as a soloist with such renowned ensembles as a Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Symphony Orchestra Novaya Rossiya (art. dir. Yury Bashmet), Russian Philharmonic etc. Alexey has worked with conductors including Kent Nagano, Teodor Currentzis, Dimitris Botinis etc. Alexey Zhilin performs with such acclaimed musicians as Eliso Virsaladze, Irina Kandinskaya, Liana Isakadze, Mari Kodama, Boris Andrianov, Eduard Bruner, Boris Brovtsyn. The cellist takes part in international festivals including Arts Square, Musical Collection and Musical Olympus (St Petersburg), festivals in Vichy (France), Telavi (Georgia), The East-West Festival in Brussel (Belgium) etc.