Born in Essen, Germany, in 1987 into a highly musical family, percussionist and composer Alexej Gerassimez developed an early curiosity for sounds that went far beyond the usual boundaries of a drummer. What began as a childish fascination soon became an artistic vision that has made him one of the world's most influential percussionists today. Trained by Peter Sadlo and Rainer Seegers in Cologne, Berlin and Munich, among others, his career began early with remarkable successes. He attracted international attention with prizes such as winning the TROMP Percussion Competition in 2010, the Special Prize of the German Music Foundation, numerous first prizes at "Jugend musiziert" and the ARD Music Competition in 2014.
His repertoire includes classical music, new music, jazz and minimal music – a range that is constantly expanding, not least through his own compositions. New works are also being written for him time and again, including John Psathas' sensational concerto "Leviathan", premiered at the Berlin Philharmonie in 2021, and Malika Kishino's percussion concerto, composed in 2022 and premiered at the NOW! Festival in Essen. The same year also saw the premiere of Kalevi Aho's Double Concerto for Viola and Percussion, performed with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and released on the BIS label. As Artist-in-Residence of the Frankfurt Museum Orchestra in 2025/26, Alexej Gerassimez once again demonstrates his versatility and sense of surprise in a combination of Peter Eötvös' percussion concerto "Speaking Drums" and Mahler's 5th Symphony.
Collaboration with other musicians is at the heart of his creative work. Whether with pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen, percussionist Emil Kuyumcuyan, cellist Anastasia Kobekina, jazz pianists Omer Klein and Michael Wollny, the SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet (with whom he recorded the album "Starry Night") or organist Iveta Apkalna – Alexej Gerassimez consciously seeks dialogue, common ground and the unexpected. In 2025/26, a major European tour with the Jussen brothers and Emil Kuyumcuyan will take him to venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Oslo Opera House.
His own percussion ensemble, the Alexej Gerassimez Percussion Collective, also occupies a special artistic space. With it, he regularly performs at major concert halls such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Theater St. Gallen and at renowned festivals. In 2025, he also curated the spring edition of Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Rügen.
His compositional work – now performed in over 50 countries worldwide – significantly expands the repertoire for percussion. It combines virtuoso physicality with narrative depth, often with surprising sound objects and unusual setups.
In February 2026, his new album "Black Mountain" will be released, presenting his own orchestral compositions for the first time.
Since 2017, Alexej Gerassimez has been Professor of Percussion at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, where he is shaping a new generation of percussionists.