Passion, power, poetry and personality. Each of these elements was in plentiful order in Alexander Gadjiev’s solo recital in Melbourne on Tuesday evening. For Melbourne audiences, this was our first opportunity to hear the winner of the 2021 Sydney International (Online) Piano Competition. For many, it brought back memories of those old-fashioned piano recitals of visiting ABC celebrity pianists; overall, it was indeed a truly memorable experience.

Alexander Gadjiev. Photo supplied

The 28-year-old pianist was born in the Italian-Slovenian border town of Gorizia in December 1994. He began studying the piano with his father, Siavush Gadjiev, also a noted musician. He made his concert debut at the age of nine and gave his first solo recital a year later. He took his Master’s Degree at the Salzburg Mozarteum and then his Konzertexamen in Berlin. He was selected for the 2019–21 BBC New Generations Scheme and recently was awarded second prize and the special Krystian Zimmerman Prize at the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. He is now an Ambassador for the 2025 European Capital of Culture in Chemnitz (Germany) and Nova Gorcia (Slovenia).