Born of a Greek father and a Peruvian mother, Alexandros Kapelis grew up in both countries. He began playing the piano when he was five years old and at the age of 20 moved to New York, where early in his career he was recognized by the Inter Press Service (IPS) as “one of the most promising young classical musicians of any nationality working in New York today.” The Washington Post also praised him for his “scintillating performance”, whereas the San Francisco Piedmont Post noted him for his “full range of technique in rendering the total palette of keyboard colors.” He has appeared throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, and Japan.
As a soloist, Kapelis’ highlights include appearances with the Royal Philharmonic in London and the Prague Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. Currently, he is enjoying a collaboration with the acclaimed ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Berliner Barock Solisten, having recently recorded the complete Bach Concertos for solo keyboard and orchestra (BWV 1052-1058). Kapelis’ reading will be the first complete release since 2005 and joins a select group of only five pianists who have ever recorded these works in their entirety. He recently performed with the ensemble all of Bach’s solo keyboard concertos in one evening at London’s Barbican Centre, a feat described as “a tour-de-force not seen on the concert stage in recent memory.” The Guardian praised the concert as a "ravishing period immersion" and noted that Kapelis "combined the ornate decoration you would expect from a harpsichord – agile, swerving scales; filigree trills and ornaments that pinged off the starting note – with techniques available only on the modern piano”, remarking that "the effect was like the costumes in Bridgerton: authentic silhouette; bright, modern palette."
As a recitalist, Kapelis made his mark with an unprecedented program inspired by Greek mythology, taking him to several of the world’s major concert halls. Unanimously praised by the press, the concerts were recognized as “a program created by an artist of genius” (Giornale di Vicenza, Italy), “a pianist building a career of mythic proportions” (Oakland Tribune, USA), and an audience “intoxicated by the colorful performance reminiscent of the Aegean Sea.” (Sanyo Shimbun, Japan).
An active chamber music player, he has collaborated with artists that include violinists Renaud Capuçon and Janine Jansen, violist Yuri Bashmet, cellist Mischa Maisky, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, trumpeter Sergei Nakariakov, as well as ensembles from the Philharmonia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic (Philharmonic Chamber Soloists). He came to the attention of Martha Argerich and in 2007 he moved to Brussels, where he spent four years near the great pianist, performing alongside Argerich and participating in several editions of the Lugano Martha Argerich Project.
Kapelis’ interests beyond music have often resulted in novel programming, bridging music with history, the arts, and broader cultural dynamics. In this capacity, he has acted as Artistic Director/Advisor for various institutions, and most recently, he has headed the Pilot Edition of Epicenter Venice, a new international music festival that sees him as Artistic Director and Founder.
Alexandros Kapelis is a Steinway Artist. He lives in Venice.
Crédit Photo : © Bell Soto
