Kristian Alexander

Early life and education

Kristian Alexander was born in 1969 in Bulgaria. 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). 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. 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. 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).

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". 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. 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. In 2007, he was appointed by the Conductors Guild advisor and host of the first International Workshop for conductors in Toronto, Canada. In 2007 he was appointed Chair of the Conductors Guild International Conference, the first international conference for conductors outside the United States.

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 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: Roy Thompson Hall, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Ettore Mazzoleni Hall and the CBC Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto, Lieder Halle in Stuttgart, Cairo Opera House, 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, Shostakovich, Prokofiev 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. Avid supporter of Canadian contemporary music, Kristian Alexander has presented with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra compositions by Garry Kulesha, Brian Current, Larysa Kuzmenko, Daniel Friedman, Kevin Lau, James Campbell, Heather Schmidt, Constantine Caravassilis, and others. In 2017, Kristian Alexander conducted a sold-out performance at the 3,200-seat Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Toronto of the first international concert-tribute to the Oscar-winning composer A. R. Rahman.

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), Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: a merger proposal (Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto, 2004), 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" and "Energetic interactions between music text and sound: etude on philosophy of music.".

Awards

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