Award winning pianist  

Alex Nakhimovsky 

enjoys a versatile career as a performer, composer, recording artist, producer and educator.

 

After emigrating to the United States from Russia in 1978, Alex studied at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT with Jackie McLean and Luiz Castro among others. He has been a full time faculty member at the Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts, and adjunct faculty at the University of  Hartford’s renowned Hartt School of Music, Connecticut College, and Sacred Heart University.

 

Alex’s musical accomplishments as a Jazz and Classical artist include musical direction and arranging as well as solo and ensemble performances, visiting over 50 countries and 6 continents. He has toured throughout the United States, Russia, Japan and Israel, performing with Jazz legends Benny Golson, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Cobb, Valery Ponomarev, Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, Victor Bailey and Grammy nominated artists Bill Evans, Carla Cook, René Marie and Jazzmeia Horn. Nakhimovsky’s  discography includes releases from the United States, Europe and Asia. In 2005, he was featured with Japan’s New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra on An American in Paris a Universal Label release; and later performed in Japan's major concert halls with the orchestra to promote the recording.

 

Nakhimovsky’s impressive classical repertoire, which spans the gamut from Chopin to Gershwin, has led to performances on concert stages including Carnegie Hall (2007) and Steinway Hall (2000) in New York City.  In addition to his multi-level career as a performer, recording artist and concert producer, Alex accompanies and arranges for notable singers from a wide range of musical genres, leading to international performances throughout the USA, Asia and Israel. Recent collaborations include concerts with Metropolitan bass Mikhail Svetlov; cellist Sergey Antonov, gold medal winner of the Tchaikovsky international competition; celebrated arranger and fadolinist Lev Zhurbin; rising opera star Zhanna Alkhazova and others. Since January of 2023 Alex has also worked as pianist and music director for well known actor and singer Robert Davi, performing the Sinatra song book. Nakhimovsky's most recent composition, Suite 2022, premiered in June, 2022 with the Connecticut Virtuosi  Chamber Orchestra and jazz trio, featuring violinist Brunilda Myftaraj. Since that time the piece continues to be performed throughout the United States.

 

In an ongoing collaboration, Nakhimovsky has been pianist, music director and arranger for jazz vocalist/lyricist June Bisantz. Bisantz & Nakhimovsky have recorded, performed and toured together since 2005 including multiple tours of Asia. In late 2018, Nakhimovsky wrote, recorded and arranged a collection of original Latin jazz songs with Bisantz as lyricist. The resulting CD, Love's Tango, has won three international awards: a Global Music Award, 2019, Lyrics and Songwriting; a World Songwriting Award, 2024, Best Jazz Song Spring 2024; and a Clouzine International Music Award, Fall 2024, Best Latin Pop Album. Prior to this successful collaboration, Nakhimovsky worked with Bisantz as music director, pianist and arranger, to create a two-volume tribute to the vocal work of the legendary Chet Baker.

 

As co-producer of Baikal Waves International Jazz Festival from 2006-2020, Alex has made cross-cultural connections for several Russian Music Festivals, bringing important international  artists such as Tania Maria, Richard Bona, Mike Stern, Jeff Tain Watts and Jeff Lorber to Russia.  Nakhimovsky is currently co-founder  and artistic director of the Manchester CT Jazz Festival.