Violist and conductor Alexander Zemtsov was born in 1978 into a family of musicians. Graduated from the Gnessin Moscow Music School (class of Elena Ozol), the Maastricht Conservatory (class of Mikhail Kugel) and postgraduate studies at the Hans Eisler Higher School of Music in Berlin (class of Tabei Zimmerman). Winner of the international competitions "Classical Heritage" in Moscow, the Elisa Meyer Foundation in Hamburg, Johannes Brahms in Pörtshah, winner of other prestigious viola competitions.

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In 2001–2012 He was the first accompanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra's viola group. Since 2012, he devoted himself to the career of a soloist, conductor and teacher. He gives solo concerts and is accompanied by leading orchestras in the best halls of Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Among Alexander Zemtsov's partners in the ensemble are Eldar Nebolsin, Peter Donohoe, Gerhard Schultz, Tabea Zimmerman, Boris Garlitsky, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Roman Simovich, Misha Maisky, David Geringas, Leonid Gorokhov, Natalia Gutman, Schumann Quartett, Utrecht Strong Quartet.

He studied conducting with Vladimir Yurovsky and Vasily Sinaisky, participated in master classes with Kirill Petrenko, Jukki-Pekka Saraste, Leif Segerstam, Kurt Mazur, Neeme and Paavo Järvi. Has collaborated with orchestras in Finland, Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia and China. In 2015, he was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the International New Symphony Orchestra (INSO) in Lviv. In 2020 he made his debut at the National Opera of Ukraine with Rachmaninoff's Aleko.

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Collaborates with recording companies Chandos, LPO Live, Naxos, Toccata Classics. Professor at the Guildhall Higher School of Music and Drama in London, the Lausanne Higher School of Music and the Higher School of Music and Dance in Cologne. Guest lecturer at the Academy of Young Conductors and Soloists LEAD! in Finland (founder and artistic director - Jukka-Pekka Saraste).