The distinguished pianist is a laureate of more than 50 international piano competitions from which he holds more than forty first prizes! Including the Artur Schnabel International Piano Competition in Berlin (2004, Germany), the International Piano Competition in Geneva (2005, Switzerland), the Chopin International Competition in Rome (2006, Italy), Compositores de Espana in Madrid (2008, Spain), the Parnassos Piano Competition in Monterrey (2010, Mexico), the Takamatsu Competition (2010, Japan), and the International Piano Competition in Cincinnati (USA, 2012).

In 2013, Mr. Yakovlev won the Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition at which he also received the Italian Presidential Prize “For Services to Italian Culture” (Seregno, Italy).

Yakovlev has been hailed as a "pianist of a thousand of styles." His diverse and multifaceted active performing repertoire includes 26 piano concertos and more than 20 solo programs, many of which also include his own transcriptions of opera and symphonic music.

"A virtuoso and thinker… Alexander Yakovlev possesses his own style founded on a deep penetration into the composer’s conception… He is a magic interpreter..."

- Chopin Magazine