Alex Sipiagin
Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin began his musical journey at age twelve at the Moscow Music Institute before earning his Baccalaureate at the Gnessin Conservatory. In 1990, he gained international recognition by winning top honors at the International Louis Armstrong Competition, sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute in Washington, D.C.
After relocating to New York City, Sipiagin quickly became an in-demand player, performing with ensembles such as the Gil Evans Orchestra, Gil Goldstein’s Zebra Coast Orchestra, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Bob Moses’ Mozamba, the Mingus Big Band, and the Dave Holland Big Band, Sextet, and Octet.
As a leader, Sipiagin has released nearly twenty albums, including his Posi-Tone debut Upstream (2021) and follow-up Ascent to the Blues (2022), which feature longtime collaborators Art Hirahara, Boris Kozlov, Rudy Royston, and Diego Rivera. His résumé includes work with legendary artists such as Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Elvis Costello, Michael Franks, David Sanborn, Dave Holland, Deborah Cox, Phil Ramone, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Mulgrew Miller, and Chris Potter.
Sipiagin’s work is featured on several Grammy Award–winning albums, including Dave Holland Big Band’s What Goes Around and Overtime, Michael Brecker Quindectet’s Wide Angles, and Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s Into the Sunset. He is currently a professor at New York University and holds residencies at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Basel, Switzerland.
Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin began his musical journey at age twelve at the Moscow Music Institute before earning his Baccalaureate at the Gnessin Conservatory. In 1990, he gained international recognition by winning top honors at the International Louis Armstrong Competition, sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute in Washington, D.C.
After relocating to New York City, Sipiagin quickly became an in-demand player, performing with ensembles such as the Gil Evans Orchestra, Gil Goldstein’s Zebra Coast Orchestra, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Bob Moses’ Mozamba, the Mingus Big Band, and the Dave Holland Big Band, Sextet, and Octet.
As a leader, Sipiagin has released nearly twenty albums, including his Posi-Tone debut Upstream (2021) and follow-up Ascent to the Blues (2022), which feature longtime collaborators Art Hirahara, Boris Kozlov, Rudy Royston, and Diego Rivera. His résumé includes work with legendary artists such as Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Elvis Costello, Michael Franks, David Sanborn, Dave Holland, Deborah Cox, Phil Ramone, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Mulgrew Miller, and Chris Potter.
Sipiagin’s work is featured on several Grammy Award–winning albums, including Dave Holland Big Band’s What Goes Around and Overtime, Michael Brecker Quindectet’s Wide Angles, and Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s Into the Sunset. He is currently a professor at New York University and holds residencies at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Basel, Switzerland.