[ ClassicalX ] 13 year old musical prodigy lit up the Royal Albert Hall

Alex Prior, the phenomenally gifted 13 year old composer, singer and instrumentalist recently performed at one of his biggest events yet when he joined other classical superstars in ‘Classic Response 2006’ at The Royal Albert Hall on 15 April.

The spectacular concert saw some of the top names in British classical music, including Russell Watson, Julian Lloyd Webber and Aled Jones, join forces in aid of SOS Children’s Charity to support their work with children affected by AIDS and war.

Though only 13, Alex has already won worldwide acclaim for his prodigious musical ability. His award winning compositions have been performed by, amongst others, The BBC Singers, The Endymion Orchestra and London’s Primavera Orchestra and he has recently been commissioned to compose a ballet based on The Jungle Book’ for The Russian State Ballet. Alex has also turned his hand to conducting, recently welding the baton for The International Maestro Orchestra.

Alex is a prolific and precocious musician. Since the age of eight, he has written over 100 pieces of music including full symphonies, sonatas and jazz suites. At just 12, Alex was the youngest commended musician in the BBC Young Composer of The Year competition and he also won a nationwide competition in Russia for composers under the age of 25 for his “A Tale for an orchestra, Gusli Ensemble and alto - Dawn at the Battlefield”.

In his compositions, Alex often explores his feelings about world events. He has written a requiem for the victims of the Beslan massacre after experiencing the distress of the survivors firsthand and his ‘Song For Peace’ pleads for an end to the Iraq War.

Alex has had the privilege of performing around the world with some of the most renowned names in music including Angela Gheorgiou and Valery Gergiev and under the baton of acclaimed composer Vladimir Spivakov.

The winner of seven major singing competitions, including the prestigious Gold Medal at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, Alex’s uniquely mature and powerful voice has won him many distinguished admirers. He has performed for numerous world leaders, heads of state and even royalty. He has appeared at internationally renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Millennium Dome and the Royal Opera House, performing in front of icons like Meryl Streep, Luciano Pavarotti and Valery Gergiev.

Already, he has appeared on TV shows across the world, from Brazil to Germany, the USA to Russia. He's appeared in the UK on BBC Breakfast News, ITN News, Channel 5, Radio 2 and BBC World Service.

Alex is an established celebrity in his mother’s homeland of Russia, where he has sung for President Putin live on national television and headlined at the VE day celebrations in Moscow. In fact, he is part of an illustrious dynasty; he is the great grandson of the theatrical reformer Constantin Stanislavsky, and can even trace his roots back to Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy.

Source: ZestPR