Alex Krew is a Nashville-based cellist committed to musical excellence and collaborative synergy, exploring all the ways that music can connect and speak to us. A frequent substitute with Nashville Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Alex is also a highly in-demand session player in Nashville, where he has been a member of the Nashville Music Scoring Orchestra at Ocean Way since 2013. Alex’s playing can be heard on countless critically-acclaimed soundtracks, including God of War, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Netflix’s Lost in Space, Halo Infinite, Sony PlayStation’s Spider Man series, and John Wick 4. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Dan+Shay, Evanescence, and Adia Victoria. A core member of Nashville’s Candlelight Concerts, he can be heard performing everything from Vivaldi to Radiohead at the historic Parthenon in Centennial Park. Alex serves as professor of cello at Lipscomb University and maintains an active private teaching studio. 

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Alex began his musical studies at the age of five at the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, studying with Bai-Chi Chen and Alison Wells. In his final year at Peabody, Alex represented the United States in an international orchestra for the opening ceremonies of the first-ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. After receiving his pre-conservatory certificate, he accepted a Cornelius Vanderbilt full-tuition scholarship to attend the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. There, he studied with Felix Wang and double-majored in economics. In the spring of 2013, Alex spent a semester abroad at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Julian Smiles, principal cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and frequent guest principal of the Sydney Symphony. He returned to the States to win Vanderbilt’s Concerto Competition, performing Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Vanderbilt Symphony, a performance that earned the Excellence in String Performance Merit Award from the school of music faculty. He graduated with his Bachelor of Music and Master of Business Administration in 2015, the first in Vanderbilt’s history to complete the Blair School of Music to Owen School of Management 5-year program.

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Alex went on to earn his Master of Music degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, studying with Eric Kim, former principal cellist of Cincinnati, Denver, and San Diego Symphonies. In 2017, Alex was assistant principal cellist for a sold-out performance with soloist Joshua Bell. Alex also served as solo cellist for the IU New Music Ensemble and had the honor of performing in Mexico City for the opening of Indiana University’s Mexico Gateway.

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In the summer of 2019, Alex attended Aspen Music Festival where he studied with Brinton Smith, principal cellist of the Houston Symphony. Alex also served as principal cellist for Aspen Opera Company’s production of Mozart’s the Marriage of Figaro, under the baton of acclaimed conductor Jane Glover. In previous summers, he has attended Bowdoin International Music Festival, YellowBarn, Music Masters Course Japan in Yokohama, and Brevard Music Center, where he performed in the season finale with soloist Yo-Yo Ma. Alex has performed in masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Johannes Moser, Alisa Weilerstein, David Finckel, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Laurence Lesser, and Steven Doane, among many others.

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A passionate chamber musician, Alex was a founding member of the Aurelius Quartet, the fellowship quartet in residence for Wintergreen Music Festival's 2016 season and silver medalists in the National MTNA Collegiate Chamber String Competition. During his tenure, the Aurelius Quartet enjoyed many successes, including a concert tour of Virginia, a candlelight recital in Williamsburg's historic Bruton Parish Episcopal Church, and a highly-publicized crossover concert with indie violinist Kishi Bashi in Aspen, Colorado. Alex has received chamber music instruction from members of the Emerson, American, Cleveland, Shanghai, Blair, and Pacifica Quartets. He has also had the privilege of working with some of the world’s finest conductors, including Leonard Slatkin, Jane Glover, Alan Gilbert, Robert Spano, Krystoff Urbanski, JoAnn Falletta, and Giancarlo Guerrero.

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Alex plays on a cello made in 1996 by Peter and Wendela Moes in New York City, and a bow made in 1890 by Charles Nicholas Bazin in Paris, France. A former instructor for Vanderbilt's Wilderness Skills Outdoor Course, Alex continues his love of the outdoors through rock climbing, backpacking, road biking, and photography. He resides in Nashville with his beautiful wife, Allie, and their adorable little Japanese Chin, Bodhi.