All ten of these pieces have moved me, inspired me or comforted me at some time in my life. Having placed them together into a playlist I realise many of them are quite melancholic! But, for me, they also contain hope and beauty, which I find is a magical combination in a piece of music
Alexander’s music has become known for its striking beauty and originality. Described by Positive News as “not jazz, not classical, not improvised, but a glimpse of something new”, and by ClassicFM as “refreshingly original”, it isn’t easily described or placed into a genre.
Born into a family of artists, he moved at the age of nineteen from the central lowlands of Scotland to the north coast, and it was here on the windswept shores of the Moray Firth that he completed his debut collection for solo piano, Sketches Of Light. Discovered by ClassicFM in 2013 and placed as Album of the Week, the Sketches became instantly popular and have since been aired extensively across the station. The album was re-released by Decca Records in 2014 and has featured widely across TV and Radio.
In 2016 he released Portraits of Earth, his second collection for solo piano, “dedicated”, in Alexander’s own words, “to the beautiful place we all share; the living world we call Earth”.
April 2018 saw the release of his much-awaited third album ‘Journey to Nidaros’. The album was composed spontaneously during a 650km solitary pilgrimage across Norway, offering a remarkable musical journal of his experiences:
“I imagined it to be a time of swimming in rivers, exploring mountains and deep-green forests. It ended up being all of these things, but with the added unimagined discovery of music, which gradually emerged from the pianos I found on the path.”
The Cross-Eyed Pianist 