Alexander Sitkovestky: How He Finds Joy in His Purpose, Being on Stage, and the Moments in Between
Violinist Alexander Sitkovestky. Photo credit: Damaris Brown (Artium Media)
After stepping onto the stage for his debut concert at just 8 years old, one thing was exceptionally clear for Alexander Sitkovestky (and to all those who heard him)—he was born to play the violin.
Alexander Sitkovestky, now 36 years old and a renowned, award-winning violinist, has dedicated his life to his art—from studying at the Menuhin School in the UK as a youth to hundreds of partnerships with prestigious orchestras ranging from the Australian Chamber Orchestra to the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (and several significant partnerships in between).
Alexander’s musical journey didn’t happen in a vacuum. Born into a family of prestigious musical influence and exceptional talent, he spent his formative years surrounded by a wealth of musical knowledge, prestige, and impact, ultimately driving him toward becoming the artist he is today.
Born Into Music, Shaped by Its Influence
For Alexander, hand-picking a small, curated list of musicians that have heavily influenced him doesn’t come easy—being born into a family that’s entrenched in well-established musical tradition will do that to you. In fact, Alexander was surrounded by this influence from the start, proudly boasting that his immediate family, including his mother, an established pianist who worked with the Moscow Conservatory in Russia; his great uncle, a violin legend by the name of Julian Sitkovestky; his uncles, grandfather, aunts, father, and more.
“Just in my own family there are six wonderful musical personalities that I have been lucky enough to learn from,” Alexander said. “In fact, my mother was the reason that I started playing the violin (in the first place).”
Alexander credits his family’s diverse and rich musical journey—ranging from classical violin to conductors and arrangers to rock bands that’s found success in the Soviet Union—as much of the reason for his interest in his art, as well as his success.
“To have all of these amazing people around me has been very inspiring,” he said, “as they have all given me advice, practiced with me, taught me about the life of a musician, and have just been there for me. I am so very grateful to all of them.
Of course, Alexander’s sphere of influence doesn’t begin and end with those blood-related to him. In fact, another person that Alexander credits as being an enormous influence on his life and his music is Yehudi Menuhin. Attending Menuhin’s school in the UK was the driving reason that Alexander and his family left the USSR.
“I had the great honor of performing with him when I was just 9 years old, which was a wonderful experience,” he said. “He was always checking on my progress (even up until his sudden death in 1999.”
Alexander admits that as a child, he never fully comprehended the enormous impact Menuhin making at the time. Now? Alexander knows much of his success can be traced back to Menuhin.
“So much of what he taught me still remains in my blood.”
On the State of Classical Music & What Can Be Improved
In a world where there’s a noticeable dip in the appreciation and understanding of classical music, Alexander finds hope, noting that, although the state of classical music audiences has diminished—classical music has almost completely disappeared from mass culture and mass entertainment. It’s not necessarily that the support for classical music doesn’t exist, just that it exists elsewhere. Instead of classical artists being featured on Primetime in the U.S. or appearing in movies, a strong following of dedicated fans exists on the internet.
What can be done to improve it? To Alexander, classical music audiences—in live concerts and beyond—will continue to directly reflect the quality of musicianship and the programming backing musicians, concerts, and more. The biggest factor here? Trust.
“This is the best and most honest way to attract new audiences to the concert halls,” he said “As with any business or company, trust is such a crucial commodity. I think if you can develop a trust between a concert hall and its public, they (the audience) will come back and bring their friends, and the audience will grow and develop this way.”
For Alexander, it would be exciting to see musicians appear in mass entertainment again, where they could appeal to a whole new audience.
Further, he believes a healthier dose of government support in offering high-quality music education to children could be the secret to improving this world even more. Not just to support children who already enjoy classical music, but also to treat music teachers better, to better curate a following, and to better the world of classical music in general. That onus, of course, falls on more than just the government, but parents of children, too.
“My 6-year-old daughter just went to see her first complete Swan Lake, and it was the most concentrated and interested I have seen her over the course of three hours,” he said. “It’s the parents’ role, too, to develop the child’s interest in music (and art), because if there’s music at home, and if the children have the chance to attend concerts, ballet, opera, etc., this gives the children a spark, a motivation, and most importantly, curiosity.”
Happiness & Accomplishments—Where They Intersect
As an established, successful violinist who grew up in a world so entrenched in musical tradition and history, it’s likely safe to assume that Alexander finds his true happiness in his art, right?
The answer to that question is yes, but it’s also no, too. For Alexander, his life as a performer began when his mother chose it for him (a path for which he is infinitely grateful)—it’s such a large part of his life that it’s impossible to not find joy in being on stage, working with students, finding musical inspiration. The musical community brings him so much excitement and he finds his career to be both interesting and hugely rewarding. But he also loves simply being at home with his family, too.
“They are such two different experiences (being on stage and being at home), but I can’t imagine living without one of them,” he said. “As long as these two things are central in my life, all the rest are just small details that supplement my life without being crucial to it.”
