Was born to a musical family in Leningrad (now St.Petersburg).His father was a musician of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and the son received a fundamental musical education at the Leningrad Choir School (1944-1953) and then at the Conservatoire (High-school) having completed a full course in choral conducting and composition (1953-1958) .After that he continued his education in conducting opera and symphony in Professor N.Rabinovich‘s class as a postgraduate (1958-1961).
In 1961-1971 A.Dmitriev was the Chief Conductor of the Karelian Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra.
He won the 1966 Conductors‘ Competition in the former USSR and in 1968-69 attended Prof. H.Swarowsky‘s and Prof. K .Osterreicher‘s master classes at the Vienna Music Academy (Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst)
During 1970 he was an Associate Conductor of E.Mravinsky‘s Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1967 A.Dmitriev had his first concert with this Orchestra and after that he permanently performed with it both in Leningrad and abroad.
In 1971-77 he was the Chief Conductor of the Maly (Small) Opera and Ballet Theatre (Leningrad), where he realized the first in Russia production of "Iphigenie in Aulis" and "Iphigenie in Tauris" by Gluck and "Die Kluge" ("Clever girl") by Orff.
Since 1977 A.Dmitriev has been the Chief Conductor and the Music Director of the St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra (Philharmonic society).
He has toured with his orchestra and alone in Russia , Europe , the USA , Japan , Korea , Latin America .
"... many Western conductors pump up this music (10-th Symphony by Shostakovich) unduly, as if equating vulgar frenzy with emotional conviction.Thank goodness for Dmitriev for showing us how it should be done." ( Chicago Tribune)
He has recorded many compositions by Russian and Western authors and among them all symphonies by Schubert and Beethoven for "Melodia" and four CDs with symphonies by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov for "Sony classical. "It‘s the kind of performance (Tchaikovsky, Symphony No 5) with if given live would almost certainly bring the house down..."- CD-Review.
Since 1990 until 98 Dmitriev was also the Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra ( Norway ).
"The fact that this disc is one of the year‘s more notable releases may come as a surprise to many observers of the European scene (especially in Norway )..." (CD with composition by Ravel and Debussy) - CD-Review.
"Dutch conductor Frans Briiggen and the present Music Director Alexander Dmitriev have brought the Stavanger Orchestra to a high level of exellence." (CDs with composition by H.S?verud) - American Record Guide.
Alexander Dmitriev is a Professor at the St.Petersburg Conservatoire and the winner of the State Prize of Russia.
On April 8 th 2005 President of Russia, Vladimir Putin awarded Alexander Dmitriev the ‘Order of Honour for Merit in the field of Culture and Art, in recognition of his longstanding achievements’.
"The St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Dmitriev, a true exponent of the old Russian school, showed itself at its best. In the Overture the Orchestra responded to conductor‘s command so precisely that even in Furioso all the details could be clearly heard. Dmitriev‘s serious and thoughtful style was a wonderful match for the character of Dvorak‘s Seventh Symphony".
Neue Rein Zeitung, October 1999