Alexander Gordon Zemtsov – Violist, Conductor and Pedagogue

Alexander Gordon Zemtsov is an internationally acclaimed violist, conductor, chamber musician, and pedagogue whose career spans some of Europe’s most prestigious musical institutions.

Widely respected as a teacher, he has established an outstanding international reputation as a pedagogue. He was formerly Professor of Viola at GSMD London and MUK Vienna. He is currently Professor of Viola at HEMU Lausanne and HfMT Köln and, from 2026, continues his academic career at Hochschule für Musik Freiburg.

His former students occupy leading positions in major European orchestras, including Solo Viola positions at Teatro La Fenice (Venice), Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Co-Principal Viola of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. Other former students hold full-time contracts with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, while many others perform in leading orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Europe and beyond. His class has produced numerous prize winners of international competitions and musicians performing at the highest professional level.

At the age of 23, he was appointed Principal Violist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held for ten years and through which he established himself as one of the leading violists of his generation. As a soloist, he has performed under distinguished conductors including Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Leif Segerstam, Oksana Lyniv, and Alexander Vedernikov.

A passionate chamber musician, Gordon Zemtsov has collaborated with many of the world’s most celebrated artists, among them Mischa Maisky, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Natalia Gutman, Pascal Moraguès, Gordan Nikolić, Roman Simovic, Patrick Gallois, Plamena Mangova, Tabea Zimmermann, Simon Trpčeski, Valentin Erben, and Gerhard Schulz. Performing under the name Alexander Zemtsov, he was a member of the internationally renowned Hermitage String Trio alongside Boris Garlitsky and Leonid Gorokhov, touring extensively and recording acclaimed albums for Chandos and Naxos. In 2026, he joined the legendary Jerusalem Quartet, one of the most celebrated chamber ensembles in the world today.

Gordon Zemtsov belongs to a distinguished pedagogical lineage. He studied viola with Elena Ozol, Marius Nichiteanu, Michael Kugel, and the legendary Tabea Zimmermann. He later pursued conducting studies with Vassily Sinaisky and further developed his artistic approach through work with Kirill Petrenko, Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Jurowski, and Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

As a conductor, Gordon Zemtsov made his operatic debut at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv and has since developed an increasingly active international conducting career. He has conducted renowned orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and is regularly invited to appear with symphony and chamber orchestras throughout Europe. He serves as Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra. His recording of Paganini’s 24 Caprices in the orchestration of Myroslav Skoryk, released by Toccata Classics, received international acclaim and was praised by BBC CD Review for its imagination, energy, and technical brilliance.

His awards include First Prize at the Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg and First Prize at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach. His recordings have been released on Chandos, Naxos, LPO Live, Navis Classics, and Toccata Classics.

Critics have described his performances as “passionate and technically flawless”, “performed with dazzling skill” (The Guardian), and “deeply expressive and compelling”.