Winner of the Herbert von Karajan Foundation’s International Competition (West Berlin, 1982), V. Talich Competition (Prague, 1985) and Min-On (Tokyo, 1985), the musician’s life is full of artistic events. He led the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra; performed with the Academic symphony orchestra of Moscow Philharmonia, the Tchaikovsky Symphony and Russian National orchestras; worked with such foreign companies as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam, Dresden, Stuttgart, and Copenhagen Philharmonic orchestras, the Berlin and Baltimore symphony orchestras, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the New Japan Philharmonic.

In 2001–2010 Nikolay Alexeev led the Pribaltic’s oldest Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (in 2006 he was awarded the 3^rd degree Estonian order of the White star for his work with the orchestra, and in 2010 he received the Estonian Republic’s prize in the sphere of culture).

The conductor’s toured in the countries of Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania) and Latin America, in South Korea, Japan and the USA. From 2018 till January 2024 Nikolay Alexeev was the Principal Conductor of the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea) – the first foreign conductor in the history of the orchestra to lead it.

Since 2000, Nikolay Alexeev has been the conductor of the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2022 he took over the position of the orchestra’s Chief Conductor. Since 2024 – the Chief Conductor of the Philharmonia. Nikolay Alexeev and the orchestra performed all of the Brahms' symphonies and Ein Deutsches Requiem, a number of works by Stravinsky and Prokofiev, including a rarely performed Cantata for the 20^th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Mahler's Eighth Symphony, called Symphony of a Thousand, Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder and Messiaen’s Turangalila, Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler, Janacek’s Taras Bulba and Glagolitic Mass. Maestro regularly introduces new works to the public. He conducted a number of premiere performances: Tishchenko’s Second and Fifth Dante Symphonies, Slonimsky’s Thirteenth Symphony, Korolev’s Figure of Speech and Heretic, Korchmar’s Tsar's Chants, Voronov’s Symphony (dedicated to the Distinguished Orchestra of Russia and Nikolay Alexeev); Russian premieres of Borisova-Ollas’ First Symphony The Triumph of Heaven and Wunderbare Leiden, Varenbergh’s Romeo and Juliet fantasies for piano and orchestra, inspired by Rachmaninov’s Symphony ¹ 1, St Petersburg premieres of Shchedrin's Concerto Cantabile and Paganini’s Fifth violin concerto.

In 2017, the conductor was awarded the Prize of the St Petersburg Government for the concert programs of 2016. In February 2022, by the President’s decree Nikolay Alexeev was awarded the Order of Friendship for his great contribution to the cultural and artistic development of the country and for the long years of fruitful activity.

The conductor’s performances traditionally open and close the Philharmonia’ season. Memorable events of the 2024/2025 season feature the concerts of the XXIV “Arts Square” Festival, performance of Tishchenko’s Dante Symphony No. 5 “Paradise”, Honegger’s Third Symphony “Symphonie Liturgique”, Taneyev’s St. John of Damascus Cantata and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms.

The 2025/2026 season programs feature – the Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti by Shostakovich (soloist – B. Pinkhasovich) and “Francesca da Rimini” by Tishchenko and Tchaikovsky at the season opening. The subscription concerts – Shostakovich’s First (to 100^th anniversary of its premier) and Fourth Symphonies, Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” and Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (soloist – I. Papoyan), Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances”, Prokofiev’s First Symphony; performances with cellist S. Roldugin (Dvořák’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra).

The XXV “Arts Square” International winter festival opening and closing concerts will be conducted by Nikolay Alexeev: the opening program – Second Piano Concerto (soloist D. Matsuev) and Brahms' Fourth Symphony, and the closing with Mahler's Second Symphony.