Alexei Sultanov

Alexei Fayzulkhakovich Sultanov (, ; August 7, 1969 – June 30, 2005) was an Uzbek and American (since 2004) classical pianist.

Biography Alexei Sultanov was born to a family of musicians, his father a cellist, his mother a violinist, both music teachers. At the age of 6, he began piano lessons in Tashkent with Tamara Popovich and then with Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory. the youngest contestant in that year's competition. Listeners were awed by his virtuosic technique, musicality, and dynamic range. After winning the Van Cliburn, he made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.

In October 1995, Sultanov won second prize at the XIII International Chopin Piano Competition; the first prize was not awarded. Despite the stroke he continued his performance in Tokyo, but there he experienced yet another stroke. After that the same neurologist diagnosed him with diastolic heart failure. In February 2001, he had another stroke. The strokes damaged everything except the cerebral cortex and he was able to continue performing while sitting in a wheelchair.

He became an American citizen in 2004.