Alexander Hawkins is a composer, pianist, organist and bandleader who is widely regarded as one of the most innovative musical minds of his generation. A fixture on the international stage, he has performed on five continents and can be heard on more than 60 recordings.
In 2018, Hawkins was elected a fellow of the renowned Civitella Ranieri Foundation. He has been commissioned by the BBC, the London and Berlin Jazz festivals, venues such as the Pierre Boulez Saal, and contemporary music groups such as the Riot Ensemble. His writing has been said to represent ‘a fundamental reassertion of composition within improvised music’ (Point of Departure), and his voice one of the ‘most vividly distinctive...in modern jazz’ (The Jazz Mann). As a pianist, he has been described as ‘remarkable […] possessing staggering technical ability and a fecund imagination as both player and composer’ (Textura). Concerning his organ playing, critic Brian Morton recently commented: 'The most interesting Hammond player of the last decade and more, he has already extended what can be done on the instrument’.
Hawkins has been, and continues to be, heard live and on record with vast array of contemporary leaders of all generations and nationalities.