Alexander Kniazev is a laureate of the National Cello Competition in Vilnius (1977), the International Cello Competition in Cassado (1979), the Chamber Music Competition in Trapani (1987) with the pianist Ekaterina Voskressenskaya, the International Tchaïkovsky Competition in Moscow (1990) and the UNISA Competition in Pretoria (1992).
He has appeared with such distinguished conductors as Evgeny Svetlanov, Yuri Temirkanov, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Yuri Bashmet, Maxim Shostakovitch and Neemi Jarvi.
His chamber music partners include Vadim Repin, Nikolai Lugansky, Viktor Tretyakov, Boris Berezovsky, Dmitry Makhtin, Laurent Korcia, Augustin Dumay, Maria-Joao Pires and Mikhail Voskresensky.
As well as performing, he teaches at the Moscow Conservatory and regularly gives master classes in Europe and Asia.