Mr. Alexandar

Mr. Alex is a critically-acclaimed cellist with credits including an Emmy Award-winning recording and appearances in arts festivals in Europe, Asia, and North America. He is an experienced music educator, most recently serving as Music Director at Holderness School, where his students have continued to college programs in instrumental performance, film scoring, and music therapy. Alex has worked extensively with violinists, violists, and cellists at all levels in private lessons, group classes, and mixed ensembles.

Alex’s teaching philosophy is student-centered. He is committed to creating a safe and inspiring learning environment for students of all backgrounds and abilities. Lesson plans can range from traditional classical repertoire to contemporary music, improvisation, and composition. Alex's Bachelor’s Degree is in Cello Performance from the University of Maryland, studying with Evelyn Elsing of the Left Bank String Quartet, and he received a Master’s Degree from DePaul University, studying with Brant Taylor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Alex is a former cellist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and String Orchestra Director at Music Inc. Chicago.

Composing, singing, and acting are essential to Alex's artistic personality. He has toured internationally with the cinematic shadow puppetry company Manual Cinema, served as co-artistic director of the artist collective Mocrep, co-starred in the Chicago premiere of Ghost Quartet by Broadway composer Dave Malloy, and has performed his original music at a wide variety of venues around the country. Besides music, Alex enjoys hiking, soccer, cooking, chess, and being with animals.