Alexander Panfilov was born in Moscow and began playing the piano at the age of six. He studied at the Gnessin Music School and later at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory under the guidance of Andrei Diev. He continued his education on a full scholarship at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Graham Scott, and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Jan Jiracek von Arnim.

His participation in international piano competitions has earned him numerous awards, including First Prize at the Top of the World International Piano Competition (Norway), the Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition (Italy), and the Jaén International Piano Competition (Spain). He also won First Prizes at the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition and the James Mottram International Piano Competition (United Kingdom), among others—totaling over 15 international awards.

Panfilov’s concert activities have taken him to more than twenty countries and to many renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall and St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Athenaeum in Bucharest, and the Philharmonic Halls of Moscow and St. Petersburg. As a soloist with a wide-ranging concerto repertoire, he has performed with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, La Verdi Orchestra of Milan, City Orchestra of Granada, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Arctic Philharmonic, and Manchester Camerata. He has collaborated with conductors including Vassily Sinaisky, Brian Wright, Theodor Guschlbauer, Gergely Madaras, Paul Mann, Carlo Tenan, and Vassily Petrenko, among others.

He is a frequent guest at prestigious festivals including the Interlaken Festival, Menuhin Festival, New Year Festival in Gstaad, Schwarzwald Music Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival, Ribble Valley Piano Week, Brighton Festival, and more. His performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio SRF, Classic FM, Radio Nacional de España, national television networks, and the Medici.tv digital platform. He has released a debut CD album with Naxos and a subsequent recording with KNS Classical. Passionate about all forms of music-making, he regularly collaborates with renowned artists and has recorded several chamber music albums.

Alexander Panfilov is an Honorary Associate Artist and Member of the Royal Northern College of Music.