Diary of a Young Cellist

Age 9 and frustrated…golden retriever, Kobi, lulled to sleep
Brevard Music Festival, Summer 2024 (Brevard, North Carolina), playing “Sophie” (1927 Giuseppe Pedrazzini, Cremona, Italy), a gift from his father’s clinic patient
Age 15 multi-tasking with Soba, the attention-seeking Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever

Alachua County Youth Orchestra May Concert 2025, Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor, RV 531 (University of Florida Music Auditorium, Gainesville, Florida) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sCiWok7nPg

Dorothy Reeves String Competition, Award Performance (April 27, 2025), Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op 85 (First Movement)

Successfully auditioned to become the Principal Cellist for the New England Conservatory Summer Orchestra Institute (SOI), student-in-residence June 6-19, 2025
Edward Elgar, Enigma Variations,SOI Concert 1, July 12, 2025 (Variation XII Cello Solo at 45:20 on Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-WhPemLLkQ)
Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, SOI Concert 2, July 19, 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOrik4c1_x8)

In-residence student at Harvard University Pre-Collegiate Summer School, July 20-August 1, 2025


Singapore Raffles International Music Festival 2025 (Victoria Concert Hall), https://www.srimf.sg/winners-2025-cello-online/
Alexander’s photo top right



London International Music Competition August 2025 (Online) 1st Prize, Youth Violincello https://londoncompetition.co.uk/violoncello-2025



Amadeus International Music Awards September 2025 (Online) Bronze Prize Advanced Talent Violincello https://amadeusawards.com/violoncello-winners-2025/


Silver Prize, Cell (Junior A), Euterpe Music Awards 2025 (Berlin, Germany)
https://euterpeawards.com/cello-winners-2025/


https://www.theroyalmusic.org/onlinecompetition
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092384911945

First Prize Winner of The Royal Music Competition (September 2025). Invited by The Royal Foundation of Music and Arts and the Colburn Jurors Committee (Colburn Conservatory of Music, Los Angeles) to perform at The Royal Gala Concert with artists from The Julliard School, the New York Philharmonic, and the Metropolitan Opera at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall, January 11, 2026, New York City) as part of The Julliard School Music Festival (January 9-12, 2026). Alexander was also accepted for a Master’s Class with reknown cellist and Julliard faculty member Zlatomir Fung.

Alexander performed Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Élégie, Opus 3, No. 1 (arranged for cello and piano by Mischa Maisky) with Dr. Peter Fang (piano)

Masterclass with Zlatomir Fung (The Julliard School), accompanied by Dr. Peter Fang (Artistic Director, The Royal Music Foundation)
Going for private lesson at Julliard

Fredericksburg Music Festival and School (June 7-21, 2026), Fredericksburg, TX. Masterclass playing Sir Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto (4th Movement) with Richard Aaron, who called him "a musical animal," and Valentin Radutiu.


Ascent International Cello Festival (June 14-June 20, 2026), Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, OH. His teacher, Sydney Lee (left) was on faculty as part of the Galvin Cello Quartet. Had another masterclass with Richard Aaron (teacher of Zlatomir Fung) and a lesson with Nick Curry (student of Hans Jorgen Jensen).

Yale Young Global Scholars, Innovations in Science & Techonology, June/July 2026, New Haven, CT.