Alexei Lubimov, born in Moscow in 1944, received his musical training at the Central Music School and the Moscow Conservatory, where he was one of the last students of Heinrich Neuhaus.
Lubimov, who is unique in the extraordinary breadth of his musical expertise, first made his mark as a champion of contemporary composers in 1968, when he gave the Moscow debuts of works by John Cage and Terry Riley. He also premiered works by Schoenberg, Webern, Stockhausen, Boulez, Ives, Ligeti, and many others in the Soviet Union. He is the founder and artistic director of Alternativa, the Moscow festival of the musical avant-garde. For some years, Lubimov was denied permission to perform outside Russia. During this period he developed an interest in authentic instruments. In 1976, he formed the Moscow Baroque Quartet and gave the first performances on fortepiano in the USSR of works by Mozart and Haydn. Together with Tatiana Grindenko, he founded a baroque ensemble, the Moscow Chamber Academy. Since 1987 Lubimov has performed outside Russia. He made his North-American debut at Lincoln Center in April 1991.
Lubimov has a long-term contract with Erato, for whom he has recorded the complete Mozart Sonatas on fortepiano.