Internationally celebrated violinist Alexander Markov showcased his skills and opened the floor for students to discuss his career in music Oct. 27 in Snow Fine Arts recital hall. 

“Perseverance. Pursue your dreams and don’t listen to anyone. Just follow your heart and perseverance will make it happen,” Markov said.

Originally from Moscow, Markov is a Russian American violinist who has been appearing as a soloist with orchestras since the age of eight. He began studying violin with his father, Albert Markov, a concert violinist, and has now gone on to be a gold medal winner of the international Paganini Competition, a competition of high importance to violinists. 

“Alexander Markov is not only a world-class violinist; he’s also a unique musical personality,” orchestra conductor and music professor Israel Getzov said, according to UCA News. 

As a teenager, Markov discovered rock music and instantly fell in love. He was able to meld his love for rock with his love for classical music by co-writing “The Rock Concerto”with James V. Remington. 

The project was designed to bring two different crowds, classical and rock, to merge and attract younger people who may not have ever considered attending a symphony. 

“So do you see the world of classical music and rock music as one musical world, or are they two separate things for you in your mind?” Getzov said. 

“For me, it’s all the same … It’s organic. It works together like a couple. You get together and it’s a good relationship and works well and vice versa,” Markov said. 

Markov takes to history to further explain his ideology behind combining rock and classical. 

Markov said, “Look at the history of all your favorite bands or artists. Look at Prince, he’s got this funk thing that he took from James Brown, and he combined it with pop and rock and gave it its own life. 

“The same goes for the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. They all use something and combine them together. So I think at the end of the day, it’s a question of how good [the musical chemistry] is and not what it is to you.”

Markov continues to write music combining rock and classical and even features music with electric violin. 

“Our UCA preprofessional musicians will learn a great deal from his instruction, yet it’s the opportunity to perform side by side with Markov and the Conway Symphony Orchestra that will truly impact them as artists,” Getzov also said to UCA News. 

Markov held a public recital Saturday, Oct. 29 in Snow Fine Arts recital hall. He also performed alongside students in the music department at the Conway Symphony Orchestra’s “Power, Mystery and Fate” concert in Reynolds Performance Hall on Sunday. 

Along with performances, Markov held a chamber music master class and a violin master class.