What the press say about Alexander Prior...

"Prior.... is on the express track for a potentially meteoric rise...Tackling Tchaikovsky's trusty old warhorse, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Prior turned it into a bucking bronco, drawing out all the febrile intensity in the score, and then some. Unlike many conductors, he avoided the trap of sentimentalizing the love music and, near the end, he drew an amazing organ-like sonority out of the winds during the entombment and death scene. The TMC players responded to Prior's leadership with a level of performance - strings, winds, brass, winds and percussion equally impressive - that would do any top-ranked orchestra proud."
Berkshire Living

"The light lifting of this work (Strauss's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme orchestral suite) was addressed with brio and humor, and the orchestra and crowd loved him!... Alexander Prior brought forth in the gracious "Entrance of Cleante" an unusual hymn-like string ensemble... (In the Finale) Prior's conducting accurately and expressively characterized the stiff formalities, martial posturing, and churlish children, cooking up a mouth-watering array of savories...."
The Boston Musical Intelligencer

"[Prior was] the indisputable star of a very good concert... He elicited an extraordinarily authoritative and vivid rendition of Romeo and Juliet from the attentive and accomplished TMC musicians that had the audience sitting at the edge of their seats."
The Arts Fuse

"Prior is an absolute professional... no longer a Wunderkind, he is on the way to being a Wonder-adult".
The Independent

"I must report that he's rather good … his four years of conducting studies at the St Petersburg Conservatory
have given him a sophisticated technique".
Richard Morrison, The Times

"Britain's teenage conducting phenomenon!"
Adam Sweeting, The Telegraph

"...one of the most exciting prospects we've seen for long time"
The Yorkshire Post .

BBC Music magazine February 2010

Telegraph.co.uk 20th January 2010

JournalLive.co.uk 18th January 2010

Seattle Symphony.org 8th January 2010

Anglia magazine October 2009

Muso October/November 2009

MusoLife.com 18th September 2009

Leeds Concert Season 7th July 2009

Yorkshire Post 6th July 2009

The Times
21st June 2009

‘...a triumph. The concerto is an exhilarating, rip-roaring melodic noise [...]. And the four young musicians [...] rise to the occasion like seasoned professionals’

BBC Music Magazine
June 2009

Journal Alive 30/4/09:
"Heading the talent search was another prodigy, 16-year-old Alexander Prior. Tall and rangy (British father, Russian mother), Alexander conducted at Thursday night's concert and the second half was given over to the world premiere - the 30th performed at The Sage Gateshead - of his own new composition, Concerto for Piano, two Violins, Cello and Orchestra, 'Velesslavitsa'.
I promise that you will not hear a more exciting, invigorating work of classical music anywhere. Brilliantly performed by the young soloists (and with foot rocking and smiles from Master Province), this was music of passion - a David Lean score crossed with Tchaikovsky in 1812 mode. If you've got drums on stage, why skimp? I bet Northern Sinfonia timpanist Alan Fearon hasn't had so much fun in ages.
At the final note, the audience was on its feet. It's a vulgar word - but gobsmacked we were!"

North East News 2/5/09:
"Born to a Russian mother and British father, Alexander Prior turned to a 15th Century chant from the Russian monastery of Valaam when writing Valesslavitsa. It has much of that ancient, timeless feel, its bare opening chords returning in different instrumental colours.
There is grandeur in its progress from darkness to light and a sense of growing unity as the four soloists become more closely entwined with each other and the orchestra. It had a superb first performance and could put more than its composer on the musical map for a long time to come."

The Independent
11th May 2009

The Independent 6th February 2008

Sky News 4th February 2008

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Russia Today (Click to play video)

Euromax (Click to play video)

The Independent 2nd February 2008

Daily Mail 1st February 2008

Evening Standard 30th January 2008

Radio Mayak 27th January 2008 (listen online at www.radiomayak.ru)

The Independent 19th June 2007

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Boom magazine Summer 2007

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"Musical prodigy gave a concert of his music in St Petersburg."

"Prior was received with triumphal success - after the concert he received a standing ovation. Representatives from the St. Petersburg Concert organization consider him one of the most outstanding young musical prodigies in the world".

St. Petersburg Times 16th January 2007