Alexander Malofeev

At age 13 he gained international recognition at the 8th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians held in Moscow in 2014, where he won first prize and the Gold Medal. And he was 14 when the soloist in Saint-Saens piano concerto No 2...

Now 18 he is already well established as an expert not only in technique but also in expression and interpretation of compositions that, to put it mildly, are complex in form and exceedingly challenging to play. I have now watched a number of Youtube videos of him in concert and am mesmerised by his ability and interpretation. Not that I am qualified to judge other than that I have greatly enjoyed listening to and watching him play.

The following is a comment left by an admirer on Alexander's Facebook page. Whilst a bit OTT in places, it does echo my sentiments because I too want to fathom how one so young can be so profound.

I wish it were possible to be inside him.. in his mind and his heart.. WHO he is... for just 10 seconds, to know how it is for HIM, to have such amazing talent! I know it requires years of hard work, and practice practice practice! But also, there is something special about HIM that gives him this mind and heart for his amazing gift. I will never know this! But we all still enjoy his gift. He Is beautiful. I hope he is also a kind and humble person, away from the piano, along with that extraordinary talent and mesmerizing physical beauty. Thank you, Alexander, for sharing your talent with the world. It is amazing how "mere sound waves" affect our emotional being. Your "sound waves" originating from your heart, through your skilled fingers, are awe inspiring!  (posted by Steve Farmer)

Indeed whenever I am "wowed" by any artist I want to know more about them: what makes them tick. Because artist and aesthete meet in the "wow". A bit like Orual and Ansit embracing in Till We Have Faces: "She was weeping; and I... on that desolate island... we were the only two castaways. We spoke a language, so to call it, which no one else in the huge heedless world could understand. Yet it was a language only of sobs". 

But all this is very selfish of me... He (Alexander) has a life to live and is in grave danger of his musical fame depriving him of it - it must either fulfil or destroy him.