About the KSO
Music Director
Kristian Alexander
Music Director
Kristian Alexander is the founding Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra, the founding Music Director of the International Music Academy, and the founding Artistic Director of Markham New Music Festival. In Canada, he has conducted Windsor Symphony Orchestra, the Opéra de Montréal Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (Toronto), Oakville Chamber Orchestra, Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaughan Symphony Orchestra in addition to the Internationale Bach-Collegium and Gächinger Kantorei (Stuttgart) and the “Mozarteum” Symphony Orchestra (Sofia).
Maestro Alexander has worked with Gustav Meier, Marin Alsop, Helmuth Rilling, John Morris Russell, Nurhan Arman, David Agler, and Nedialko Nedialkov. He has recorded several live concerts for the International Bachakademie (Stuttgart), the National Radio Broadcasting Company, and the National Television of Bulgaria. He has been affiliated with Orchestras Canada, the American Federation of Musicians, the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Conductors Guild, Friends of Glenn Gould Society, International Music Biography Centre, International Promotion of Arts, Interkulturelle Gesellshaft, and the National Association for Handel Music.
Maestro Alexander has received warm accolades from many illustrious fellow conductors: Nurhan Arman (Sinfonia Toronto) noted that “Mr. Alexander’s expressive manner to conduct inspired the orchestra immensely”; Dr. Phillip Posey (Liberty Symphony Orchestra) was “impressed with Mr. Alexander’s excellent conducting technique and his keen sense of ensemble and balance”; Adil Mehta (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) pointed out “Mr. Alexander’s unquestionable musicianship”; Helmuth Rilling (Internationale Bach-Collegium) praised Mr. Alexander’s “great enthusiasm” conducting the Gächinger Kantorei and Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; Nedialko Nedialkov (National Opera of Bulgaria) mentioned “the ‘Mozarteum’ symphony orchestra conducted by Mr. Kristian Alexander demonstrated a profound sensitivity towards the Mozart style and interpretation.
In addition to a busy conducting career, Kristian Alexander has also been on board of several Canadian and international educational institutions. In 2007, he was advisor and host of the Conductors Guild international workshop for conductors with Jorma Panula and Raffi Armenian. In 2007 as well, his leadership as a Chair of the Conductors Guild 2007 International Conference in Toronto has received unparallel attention of the Canadian media. In 2006 he was invited to New York City to moderate a highly acclaimed panel with conductors from the Juilliard School, Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and Eastman School of Music. Since 2005, he has taught conducting, advanced interpretation, analysis, harmony, and counterpoint at the International Music Academy and since 2003, he has been a Principal Examiner and Moderator at the International Baccalaureate Organization (London, England). Earlier in his pedagogical career he has also taught languages and interpretation at the Atelier lyrique de l‘Opéra de Montréal, Music Psychology at the New Bulgarian University, and instrumental music at the Canadian Conservatory for Music and Arts, the International Bilingual School (Toronto), Weldon Park Academy (London), and London French School.
Maestro Alexander is also the author of a few research papers and publications: “Le Magnificat: trois lecture musicales. L’interprétation de la symbolique et de la forme textuelle dans les Magnificat de H. Schütz, de J. S. Bach et de W. A. Mozart (Université de Montréal, 2005), “Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: a merger proposal “(University of Toronto, 2004), and “Mozart’s Davide penitente KV 469: Philosophical, aesthetics, formal, and conducting analysis” (National Academy of Music, Sofia, 1994). He is also the author of two publications in major scientific journals: “Typology of the form of the magnificat compositions” (Institute of musicology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, v. 1, 1997) and “Energetic interactions between music text and sound: etude on philosophy of music” (Institute of philosophical research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, v. 3, 1996).
In addition to his work as a conductor, music director and artistic director, Maestro Alexander has also been involved in the community as a consultant for various arts management and governmental organisations, such as AMS Inc. (for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra), the City Council of London, as well as the Boards of Directors of the Conductors Guild, London Arts Council, the Southern Ontario Music Chamber Institute, and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra. He speaks English, French, Russian, and Bulgarian and has an extensive working knowledge of Italian, German, Czech, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. In addition to master degrees in Conducting and Music History, he holds various degrees in anthropology, psychology, theology, computer science, and arts management from academies and universities in Toronto, Montreal, Stuttgart, Sofia, and Plovdiv. He has been a recipient of several grants and awards from the Canada Arts Council, London City Council, L’Université de Montréal, Internationale Bachakademie (Stuttgart), the Mozarteum Internationale Stiftung (Salzburg), Open Society Foundation (New York), and National Music Academy (Sofia).
More information can be obtained through Maestro Alexander's official website www.KristianAlexander.com.