Aleksei Zaitsev was born in Outokumpu, Finland. At the age of 13, he became a student of the acclaimed pianist Irina Zahharenkova, winner of numerous international piano competitions. He later studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Dr. Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna and Teppo Koivisto, while also participating in masterclasses with Klaus Hellwig, Jerome Lowenthal, Robert Levin, and Matti Raekallio. He is currently continuing his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under the guidance of Marianna Shirinyan.
 

Aleksei has achieved notable success in both Finnish national and international piano competitions. His awards include Second Prize at the Kuopio Piano Competition for Young Pianists (2011), finalist at the Stecher and Horowitz Foundation's 7th International New York Piano Competition (2014), and prize winner at the Helmi Vesa Piano Competition in Helsinki (2015 and 2019). In 2021, he was named a finalist in the Tampere Piano Competition and received the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of a work by Alexander Scriabin. In 2022, Aleksei was the only Finnish pianist to reach the semi-finals of the Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki, where his performances received outstanding reviews from Helsingin Sanomat and Finland's national broadcaster, YLE.
 

A versatile musician, Aleksei's repertoire spans from the early Baroque period to contemporary music. As a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, he has performed throughout Finland, France, Italy, Belgium, the Baltic countries, Scandinavia, the United States, and Japan.
 

His festival appearances include the Turku Music Festival, Mänttä Music Festival, Kaivos Festival, and the UNM Contemporary Music Festival. A dedicated advocate for new music, Aleksei has collaborated with leading contemporary ensembles including Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, defunensemble, and ÄÄNI KOLLEKTIIVI Contemporary Music Ensemble.

In recognition of his artistic achievements, Aleksei has received scholarships and grants from several major Finnish cultural foundations, including the Pro Musica Foundation and the Martin Wegelius Foundation. Most notably, he was awarded a Yamaha Music Foundation Scholarship in 2020.