Alex showed an affinity for music from an early age. He enrolled in piano and later violin after his parents found him playing children song melodies on his grandmother’s home organ and—true to his Wisconsin roots—her accordion. He started composing music soon after, writing reams of music for piano, violin, and larger ensembles. This included a solo piano piece entitled “Serenity” that won Best Instrumental Piece in a state-wide composition contest in middle school. Alex also wrote multiple original pieces for string orchestra as well as transcribed myriad holiday, pop and rock hits for singers and instrumentalists that were performed at various concerts throughout high school.

As a performer, he achieved top marks at State Solo and Ensemble competitions on both piano and violin and earned positions in competitive state youth orchestras during high school. Alex also performed regularly as a piano soloist in college and at various competitions, though he most enjoyed performing alongside other musicians, either with his piano trio or accompanying string and vocal studios or the church choir.

Alex graduated summa cum laude from Lawrence University and the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance under the guidance of Anthony Padilla, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, which he uses as a scientist at a NYC biotech company, studying inflammatory intestinal diseases.

When not in the lab, Alex can be found teaching piano, by far his greatest joy in music. His experience teaching is broad and comprehensive. Alex started teaching a wide array of students during college, returning to his hometown to teach original 3-week intensive afterschool piano classes for elementary school students during winter breaks. After college, he moved to Indiana for work and ran his own piano studio for several years before moving to NYC, teaching 15 students from ages 4 to 60+. Alex’s teaching style is engaging, versatile, and encouraging, with a focus on musicality and playing as a form of expression. Whether students prefer classical music, pop, video game music, writing their own music, or anything in between, Alex’s ultimate goal is to instill the same sense of wonder and adventure in music that drew him to the art form as a child.