People's Artist of Russia (2016) and Tatarstan (2020), Alexander Sladkovsky graduated with a gold medal from the Moscow Conservatory and studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, assisting Mariss Jansons and Mstislav Rostropovich. As Artistic Director of the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra since 2010, he has elevated it to one of Russia's leading ensembles. He founded major international festivals in Kazan including Rakhlin Seasons and White Lilac, and was appointed Professor at the Kazan State Conservatory in 2021. He received the Sergei Rachmaninoff International Award (2019) and the 440-Hertz Grand Orchestra Award (2022).