A "crystal-clear touch, almost sober, thoughtful and transparent, free of pathos but full of poetry" - this is how Bayerischer Rundfunk describes the piano playing of pianist Alexandra Sostmann. The unusual stylistic range of her music, from William Byrd to Johann Sebastian Bach and modern music, has also been received with great enthusiasm from critics and audiences alike.
An essential aspect of her artistic work is her close collaboration with contemporary composers. Among them are the German composer Reinhard Febel, Klaus Hinrich Stahmer—who dedicated an entire piano cycle to her—and the internationally renowned Chinese composer Xiaoyong Chen, who has also written a work for her. Commissioned compositions by Rouzbeh Rafie and Apollonio Maiello further enrich her repertoire.
With her six solo albums to date, spanning a wide range of musical periods, Sostmann demonstrates her remarkable ability to move effortlessly between different styles. These recordings have been widely praised by critics and nominated for numerous awards, including the Prize of the German Record Critics, the Opus Klassik, and the ICMA. She is currently working on a recording of the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, scheduled for release in spring 2027.
For over a decade, she was a member of the successful and award-winning Duo Villarceaux, specializing in repertoire for two pianos and piano four hands. In addition to radio and television broadcasts, the duo has released several CDs and given international masterclasses. After an extended artistic hiatus, the duo has returned to the concert stage since 2022.
Alexandra Sostmann studied at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre with Prof. Volker Banfield and the renowned Bach interpreter Prof. Evgeni Koroliov, as well as at the Royal College of Music in London with Dr. Peter Katin, where she completed her Concert Diploma. She further refined her artistic training through study periods at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the École Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris. During this time, she won numerous prizes, including first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta. She has been a member of the exclusive circle of Steinway Artists for many years.
As a soloist and chamber musician, she has established a strong presence on both German and international stages. She regularly tours in South America, where she also gives masterclasses. In Argentina and Colombia, she has performed in renowned venues such as the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Teatro del Libertador in Córdoba, and the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo in Bogotá. She was awarded honorary guest status in Mar del Plata, the birthplace of Astor Piazzolla. A concert tour to Brazil and Chile is planned for autumn this year.
In 2024, she founded the international music festival Bach & now! as its artistic director, which held its inaugural edition in spring 2025.
Rainer W. Janka, Klassik Heute about Sostmann's Bach playing:
“Thoughtful, yet never weighed down by thought, her Bach playing is measured — that is to say, it always finds exactly the right balance, and is therefore always appropriate, always carefully considered, always full of care, and thus full of natural clarity, imbued with a profound serenity. At the same time, however, it always carries an inner, trembling tension. Above all: it is invariably highly alive, singing, at times taut or gently swinging — but always compelling.”
