Kristian Alexander

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Kristian Alexander
File:Kristian Alexander portrait.jpg
Kristian Alexander
Background information
Born Bulgaria
Genres Classical
Occupation(s) Conductor, Music Director
Instruments Piano
Years active 1989–present
Associated acts Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Markham Contemporary Music Festival, International Music Academy
Website www.kristianalexander.com

Kristian Alexander is a Canadian conductor, music director, and philanthropist. He is the founding Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra (Toronto, Canada),[1][2] the founding Artistic Director of Markham Contemporary Music Festival and the founding Music Director of the International Music Academy.[3] He was also the founding Music Director of the Mozarteum Symphony Orchestra in Sofia (Bulgaria) and the founding Artistic Director of the International Music Competition in Toronto (Canada).

Early life and education

Kristian Alexander was born in 1969 in Bulgaria.[4] He has earned Master's degrees in orchestral conducting, choir conducting, music theory and history, and music pedagogy from the National Academy of Music. He has also studied anthropology, theology, and computer science at the Sofia University and psychology at the New Bulgarian University. He has further earned a master's degree in comparative theology from the University of Montreal as well as a joint Post-graduate Diploma in arts management from the HEC Montréal and the University of Toronto.

Early career: Europe

In 1990 Kristian Alexander was the founder, conductor, music director, and managing director of the “Mozarteum” symphony orchestra in Sofia (Bulgaria).[5] With the joint support of the Government of Austria, the Government of Switzerland, the Vatican, and the Open Society Foundation (New York), the orchestra was created to promote early and rarely presented works by W.A. Mozart.[6] In 1992 Kristian Alexander led the “Mozarteum” symphony orchestra, the National Radio Broadcasting Company Choir, the National Philharmonic Choir, and soloists of the National Opera and produced several recordings of live concerts of Mozart’s compositions for the National Radio Broadcasting Company, and the National Television of Bulgaria.[7] In recognition of his achievement as a conductor and music director of the “Mozarteum” orchestra (Sofia), he received the Award of the Internationale Stiftung “Mozarteum” (Salzburg).[8]

Early career: North America

In 1997 Kristian Alexander was invited as an assistant orchestra and choir conductor for the production of the opera Jenůfa by Janáček at the Opéra de Montréal. The performances were outstanding and have been praised by the critics as “one of the best productions in the history of the Opera of Montreal".[9] During this time Kristian Alexander was also a voice consultant of the internationally acclaimed actress Louise Marleau, as well as of the actors Marc Béland and Pierre Collins. His knowledge of several languages led him to the position of vocal coach in languages and interpretation at the Atelier lyrique de l' Opéra de Montréal.

In 2000 Kristian Alexander was voted by over 2,000 conductors and music directors worldwide to represent Canada on the Board of the Directors of the Conductors Guild, a professional organization devoted to the advancement of the art of conducting internationally.[10] In 2007 he was appointed Chair of the Conductors Guild International Conference, the first international conference for conductors outside the USA.[11] In 2006 Kristian Alexander was invited by the Conductors Guild to moderate in New York City a panel with conductors from The Juilliard School, the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and the Eastman School of Music.[11] In 2007 as well, he was appointed by the Conductors Guild advisor and host of the first International Workshop for conductors in Toronto, Canada.[11]

Conducting career

Kristian Alexander has conducted Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart and Gächinger Kantorei (Stuttgart, Germany), the “Mozarteum” Symphony Orchestra (Sofia, Bulgaria), Kindred Spirits Orchestra (Toronto, Canada), Windsor Symphony Orchestra (Windsor, Canada), the Orchestra of L'Opéra de Montréal (Montreal, Canada), Royal Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (Toronto, Canada), Oakville Chamber Orchestra (Oakville, Canada), Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaughan Symphony Orchestra (Toronto, Canada), among others.

Kristian Alexander has worked with internationally renowned conductors Charles Dutoit, Gustav Meier, Marin Alsop, Helmuth Rilling, John Morris Russell, Nurhan Arman, David Agler, and Nedialko Nedialkov. He also collaborated with soloists Christina Petrowska-Quilico, Ann Hobson Pilot, Jacques Israelievitch, James Parker[disambiguation needed] and André Laplante. He recorded several live concerts for the International Bachakademie (Stuttgart), the National Radio Broadcasting Company and the National Television of Bulgaria. Kristian Alexander conducted in major concert halls in Europe, Africa and Canada: Cairo Opera House, Roy Thompson Hall, Ettore Mazzoleni Hall and the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Lieder Halle in Stuttgart, Bulgaria Hall and the National Palace of culture in Sofia.

In 2011, Kristian Alexander and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra has forged an artistic partnership with the creation of Markham Contemporary Music Festival, an annual event that has brought to life pieces of 20th century's composers, Lutoslavsky, Stravinsky, Philip Glass, Honegger being among them. Kristian Alexander has given the Canadian première of John Williams' "On Willows and Birches" (with Ann Hobson Pilot) and the world première of James Campbell's Concerto for harp and orchestra. Kristian Alexander is also avid supporter of Canadian contemporary music, having performed with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra compositions by Garry Kulesha, Brian Current, Larysa Kuzmenko, Daniel Friedman, Kevin Lau, James Campbell, and Constantine Caravassilis.

Research

Kristian Alexander is the author of: Le Magnificat: trois lecture musicales. L’interprétation de la symbolique et de la forme textuelle dans les Magnificat de H. Schütz, de J.S. Bach et de W.A. Mozart (Université de Montréal, Canada, 2005),[12] Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: a merger proposal (Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto, 2004),[13] and Mozart’s Davide penitente KV 469: Philosophical, aesthetics, formal, and conducting analysis (National Academy of Music, Sofia, 1994). He is also the author of two publications in major scientific journals: "Typology of the form of the magnificat compositions"[14] and "Energetic interactions between music text and sound: etude on philosophy of music.".[15]

Awards

Kristian Alexander is the recipient of grants and awards from the Canada Arts Council, London City Council, Université de Montréal, Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart,[16] Mozarteum Internationale Stiftung in Salzburg,[17] Open Society Foundation in New York,[18] Pro Helvetia Foundation in Bern,[19] and National Music Academy in Sofia.[20]

References

Citations
  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Who's who?, Sofia, 1998, p. 19, Sofia, ISBN 954-528-083-2.
  5. ↑ Mozarteum” will play for politicians and diplomats, newspaper “Word” (Duma), Sofia, No 307 (December 12, 1992).
  6. ↑ The unknown Mozart, “The City” (Gradat) magazine, Sofia, No 21 (May 28 - June 6, 1993).
  7. ↑ Profile/interview and concert broadcasting on Bulgarian National Television, July 27, 1992.
  8. ↑ Kristian Alexander received the Award of the International foundation “Mozarteum”, newspaper “Word” (Duma), Sofia, No 261 (November 6, 1995).
  9. ↑ Robert Markow, Le Magazine de la Place des Arts, Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, 2000.
  10. ↑ http://www.conductorsguild.org/pdfs/PN26-3.pdf
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ http://www.kristianalexander.com/english/magnificat.pdf
  13. ↑ http://www.kristianalexander.com/english/utah.pdf
  14. ↑ Institute of musicology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, v. 1, 1997.
  15. ↑ Institute of philosophical research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, v. 3, 1996.
  16. ↑ We will listen to Gregorian texts around Christmas, newspaper “Democracy” (Democratia), Sofia, No 245 (October 14, 1992).
  17. ↑ The young conductor Kristian Alexander received the Award of the International foundation “Mozarteum” in Salzburg, newspaper “Culture” (Kultura), Sofia, No 47 (November 24, 1995).
  18. ↑ Recognition for Kristian Alexander, newspaper “21st century” (Vek 21), Sofia, No 38 (November 8–14, 19951995).
  19. ↑ One of our conductors is included in the same encyclopedia with Karajan, newspaper “Labor” (Trud), Sofia, No 174 (July 27, 1995).
  20. ↑ Music for angels, newspaper “Antenna” (Anteni), Sofia, No 51 (December 23, 1992).

Sources

  • Interview with Alexa Petrenko on Classical 96.3 FM "The Nation's Classical Station", October 30, 2009.
  • Interview with Bill Andersen on Classical 96.3 FM "The Nation's Classical Station", July 29, 2009.
  • Interview with France Beaudoin, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, January 8, 2007.
  • In harmony with the world and with ourselves, “Music” magazine, Sofia, No 9-010/1993.
  • An oboe d’amore is looking for sounds from the Mozart’s time, newspaper “Labor” (Trud), Sofia, No 202/28.08.1992.
  • His Excellence Simeon II and Monsignor Mario Rizzi greeted Kristian A. Alexander for his interpretation of Mozart, newspaper “Labor” (Trud), Sofia, No 21.08.1992.
  • Profile/interview and concert broadcasting on Bulgarian National Television, July 27, 1992.

External links

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