Alexander Rudin

As a cellist, Alexander Rudin is today undoubtedly one of the leading figures of the Russian school of musical interpretation. His artistry is marked by a uniquely natural and fascinating manner of playing. In addition to his career as a soloist, Rudin has been artistic director since 1988 of the Musica Viva chamber orchestra and, for the past ten years, of the annual Moscow international music festival “Dedication.” 

Alexander Rudin’s artistic credo is based upon a careful and sensitive relationship to the musical text. Although trained as a musician in the traditional academic manner, Alexander Rudin has found himself attracted to the authentic performance of early music, achieving over time a natural synthesis of the traditional and the authentic. In his concert appearances, Rudin performs on both a modern cello and a viola da gamba, playing music of the Romantic era in the traditional way and applying an “historically correct” manner of performance to works of the Baroque and Classical eras. 

Rudin gives great attention to the interpretation of contemporary music and has participated in the world and Russian premieres of works by Valentin Silvestrov, Vyacheslav Artyomov, Andrei Golovin, Edison Denisov, Arvo Part and Aulis Sallinen. 

As a professor of the Moscow Conservatory, Rudin has chosen to teach chamber music, rather than solo cello, believing that in this sphere he can impart more of his knowledge to his students. Rudin also gives numerous master classes in various parts of the world and collaborates as a conductor with student orchestras. 

Rudin has recorded numerous compact discs for the Russian Season, Olympia, Hyperion, Tudor, Melodia and Fuga libera labels.