“This brilliant pianist can create incredible excitement and knows how to please the crowd,” the Washington Post reported in a review of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto performed by Alexander Peskanov and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Peskanov’s American debut as an orchestral soloist was with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich, and since then he has appeared internationally with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, SABC Symphony Orchestra, Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Janacek Chamber Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and in the United States with orchestras in Baltimore, St. Louis, Houston, Salt Lake City, Richmond and many other cities. Over the years, Alexander has performed in Central and South America, with the national orchestras of Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
“Peskanov is an accomplished pianist and prolific composer who has contributed an abundance of consistently engaging musical repertoire for the genre,” as quoted in The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Concertos by Karen Beres and Christopher Hahn. Alexander Peskanov is also a highly sought-after composer of classical works, including concertos for piano, piano solos, flute and piano, saxophone, trumpet and chamber music. He has written twenty-one Piano Concertos, two of which, Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Strings (published by Hal Leonard), and Spring Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (published by Alfred Music), were selected by the National Federation of Music Clubs for 2016-2024. The Peskanov Music Festival at Medellin, Colombia in 2023 featured 120 young pianists performing exclusively Peskanov compositions, including 19 piano concertos, various piano solos, duets, and trios for six hands. The winners of numerous international music competitions performed Piano Concertos by Alexander Peskanov at Carnegie Weill Hall (New York), and his Azery Rhapsody and Spring Concerto were premiered in London, England. Peskanov’s Concerto for Piano Quartet and Orchestra (Two Pianos, Eight Hands) was commissioned by the American Piano Quartet and premiered at the Franz Liszt Academy (Budapest, Hungary).
Orchestras that have performed Peskanov works include Orchestra of St. John (London, UK), Moravian Chamber Orchestra (Brno, Czech Republic), Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic in Upper Bavaria, City of Laufen, (Germany), Archi dei Patriarchi Orchestra (Italy), Jaialdia Francisco Escudero symphonic orchestra (Spain), Moscow State Orchestra “Seasons” (Russia), Tallinn Chamber Orchestra (Estonia), Zacatecas International Music Festival Orchestra (Mexico), KZN Symphony Orchestra (South Africa), Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa), Capetown Symphony Orchestra (South Africa), Andreev Folk Instruments Orchestra (St. Petersburg, Russia), Teclas Sinfonicas (Bogota, Colombia), Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Orchestra (Malaysia), Moldova State Orchestra (Moldova), Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Orchestra (Baku, Azerbaijan), Hungarian Radio and Television Orchestra (Budapest, Hungary), Salaya Modern Ensemble (Bangkok, Thailand), and BMTG Chamber Orchestra (New York).
Alexander Peskanov is the founder of the BMTG Intercontinental Piano Competition – Music of Immortal and Living Composers, whose winners perform in New York at Carnegie Hall. He is currently the President of the of Brooklyn Music Teachers Guild. Peskanov has been named composer of the year in Western New York, New Jersey and Eastern Tennessee.
Peskanov has recorded two albums for Naxos Records, which include: Brahms Sonatas Nos. 1-3 for Violin and Piano with violinist Ilya Kaler, and Scott Joplin Piano Rags, Vol. I. Since then, his recording of Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag has been reissued for My First Classical Albums and Story of American Classical Music. Peskanov has recorded a CD of his piano compositions entitled Spirits of the Winds – Peskanov Plays Peskanov, which was broadcast on satellite broadcasts on all American national radio stations. He has also recorded Concerto Concertante by Morton Gould with the Bronx Arts Ensemble on Heritage Records and Brahms Sonatas Nos. 1-3 for Violin and Piano with violinist, Eugene Fodor (Clarity Records).
Alexander Peskanov has received three special awards from the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP). Peskanov graduated from the Stolyarsky School of Music in Odessa, Ukraine, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School in New York. He is the author of a six-book series titled “Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano,” published by Willis. Peskanov is also the founder of the popular and engaging Piano Olympics Program.