The international soloist died suddenly of a stroke

Alexander Buzlov

Alexander Bouzlov

The Russian international solo cellist Alexander Buzlov died suddenly yesterday of a stroke.

Born in Moscow in 1983, Bouzlov completed his studies at the Moscow Conservatoire in 2006, receiving instruction at masterclasses from cellists including Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniil Shafran, Natalia Shakhovskaya, Boris Talalay, Eberhard Finke and Bernard Greenhouse.

He won prizes at the Young Concert Artist competitions in Leipzig (2000) and New York (2001) and the New Names All-Russian Open Competition (Moscow, 2000). In 2005 he took 2nd prize at the ARD International Cello Competition in Munich (Germany, 2005)), the XIII International Tchaikovsky Competition (2007), and the LXIII International Cello Competition in Geneva (2008), and in 2010 he was awarded Grand Prix and Audience prize at the Emanuel Feuermann Cello Competition in Berlin. 

He made his debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005, and since then, worked with conductors including Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet,Vladimir Fedoseyev, Karel Maria Chichon, Paavo Järvi, Yakov Kreizberg, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Thomas Sanderling, Leonard Slatkin, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Temirkanov, Christoph Poppen.

Watch: Borodin Quartet with Alexander Buzlov plays Schubert String Quintet

Tributes have been pouring in from colleagues around the world. The violinist Julian Rachlin writes: ‘My dearest Sasha, one of the greatest cellists to ever live, and a most kind and loving soul to match. We had so many plans that we were looking forward to… and the realization that we will never make music together again hurts too much to face. I love you and will be forever grateful to have known you. Until we meet again.’

Denis Matsuev writes: ‘He was a great artist and romantic. The kindest person. With a unique smile. With a stunning sense of humor. You could talk to him on any subject, he was very erudite, read a lot of philosophy books, could support a conversation on any subject. An extraordinary personality. I write ′′ been ′′ and still don’t understand how it’s possible. Can’t say anything else. Absolute emptiness.’

He is survived by his wife, the Brussels-based violinist Alissa Margulis, whom he married in 2017, and by their three-year-old daughter, Amalia.

See below for a video of Buzlov performing Brahms’s Double Concerto with his wife Alissa Margulis