Meet the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
ORCHESTRA ROSTER
Violas
Alexander Mishnaevski
Principal
Julie and Ed Levy, Jr. Chair
“Star-caliber musicianship … soulful … virtually flawless playing … intensity, accuracy and a warm, sweet tone … uncanny rapport … technical bravura and virtuosic deftness.” There are just a few of the comments made by critics about the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s principal violist Alexander Mishnaevski.
Born in Moscow, Mishnaevski began studying the violin at age six at the renown Central Music School of Moscow Tchaikovski Conservatory.
Mishnaevski emigrated to the United States in 1973, once in the U.S., he graduated from the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York City studying with the legendary Dorothy Delay.
While at Juilliard, Mishnaevski changed from violin to viola at the suggestion of Isaac Stern.
Mishnaevski became an American Citizen in 1979.
Mishnaevski joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as Principal Violist in 1986.
Mishnaevski also held the position of Principal Violist for the New York Chamber Orchestra, the New York Pro Arte Ensemble, Montreal’s McGill Chamber Orchestra and Orquestra Sinfonica de Xalapa in Mexico prior to joining the DSO.
Mishnaevski has performed in chamber music concerts and in recitals around the world and has collaborated on chamber music projects with eminent players including Isaac Stern, Schlomo Mintz, Joseph Silverstein, Schmuel Ashkenazy, Franz Helmerson, Joseph Swenson and the Colorado Quartet, just to name a few.
As a soloist, Mishnaevski has appeared with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New York City Symphony, the Oklahoma Symphony, Queens Symphony Orchestra (New York), the New Jersey State Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica de Xalapa, the Taipei Symphony and the Singapore Symphony. He has also performed in Korea and Hong Kong. Locally, Mishnaevski performs with the symphony orchestras of Detroit, Windsor (Ontario), Southfield, Grosse Pointe and Dearborn.
Mishnaevski also teaches in his private studio, and has taught master classes and workshops in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Taiwain, Korea, Hong, Kong, and Mexico.