It is a great pleasure to have joining us for 2011 as both an artist and a clinician this year - Alex Sevastian, four-time world champion. This talented musician comes to us from Toronto, Canada – but his roots began in Russia.
Born October 2, 1976, in Minsk, Belarus, Alex started playing the accordion at age seven. He graduated from both music school and the College of Music at Glinka, and then went on to the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow where he studied under Professor Friedrich Lips. From there Alex studied in Avignon, France, under Professor Elsbeth Moser, and along the way won many international awards. Alex went on to work in the Russian TV and Radio Orchestra from 1996 to 2001, where he can be heard on many recordings.
His family moved to Canada in April 2001. In May 2003 Alex completed the Advanced Certificate in Performance program at the University of Toronto. Alex now lives in Toronto with his wife Anna and son Vladimir. In the fall of 2005 he became a Canadian Citizen.
Alex is actively involved in the music world, performing with several musical organizations, most notably the internationally recognized Quartetto Gelato. He has been touring Canada and the USA extensively with Quartetto Gelato. Alex performs on a type of concert accordion known as a Bayan, which is a chromatic accordion with free bass. Hearing Alexander perform is an astounding experience. He is truly one of the great musicians of the world who just happens to play the accordion.
Alex is excited to perform again at the Las Vegas International Accordion Convention, and this year for the entire week! Last year Alex could only come in for one evening, and what a memorable performance that was! We are excited, this year, to have Alex with us, teaching classes. Make sure to take in a class or two, from this world-class musician, and especially his performance, which will certainly be a highlight!