Alexander Kovalev, cello (Berlin, Germany and Moscow, Russia), is the principal cellist of the Staatskapelle Berlin as well as an avid chamber musician. Alexander has played in festivals such as Eurogio Festival, Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival, Krzyzowa-Music, Verbier Festival Academy where he received the Neva Foundation Prize. Through the invitation of Daniel Barenboim, Alexander became a member of the distinguished Boulez Ensemble and has had the opportunity to work with artists such as Lahav Shani, Mathias Pintscher, Jörg Widmann, and Pablo Heras-Casado. Alexander began his musical studies at the esteemed Central Music School in Moscow. A graduate of the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf and Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin, he is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree at UDK Berlin with Professor Jens Peter Maintz. Alexander is playing a cello by Giovanni Grancino (Milan 1675) kindly on loan to him by SINFONIMA Foundation Mannheim.