Alexander Shirunov is an accordion player and educator from Russia. After his father presented him with a tiny accordion at the age of four, he fell in love. He immediately began rigorous classical training on the instrument, eventually graduating from the St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in 2007. Alexander, an adept improviser and avid collaborator, also plays the piano, violin, and saxophone, and calls singing an important facet of his musical life. He released his first album, Absolute, in 2006 to much acclaim and followed up a few years later with his second album, Solo For Two, recorded as a duet with acclaimed Russian accordionist Nadia Guseva. A prizewinner of more than 15 international competitions, he has toured around the world performing concerts and leading workshops, both as a solo artist and as a collaborator.