Alexei Tsiganov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, into a family of artists, with his father a renowned sculptor, mother, a music teacher, and his older brother, a pianist. Music became Alexei's natural choice. He started playing homemade percussions at the age of four, accompanying his brother, and playing along with the records. His brother was his first mentor in jazz, giving Alexei lessons in jazz harmony and improvisation, and taking him to all the shows and jam sessions in town.

Alexei entered children's music school as a percussionist, playing drums, xylophone and vibraphone. By the time he passed on to continue his study at the famous St. Petersburg Mussorgsky Music College, he was also devoting growing attention to piano studies. His major passion was jazz, and, while still at school, he played extensively at numerous jazz festivals, both domestic and international. At the age of seventeen he began working at St. Petersburg Jazz Philharmonic Hall, the largest jazz club in the Soviet Union, first as a member of the host band, and later with his own program.

In 1989, Alexei won the St. Petersburg Competition of Young Jazz Performers, and in 1990 was among winners of the 1st All-Russian Jazz Music Competition in Rostov-on-Don. These accomplishments had brought him wide recognition in Russia, and he began regular appearances in the national radio and TV programs.

In 1991, Alexei came to the United States to continue his career in the motherland of jazz. He took lessons from Gary Burton at Berklee College of Music, and is currently completing his Master's degree in jazz studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.

In the last years, Alexei proceeded to perform solo and with his band in Greater Boston Area, New England, and New York City, appearing in jazz clubs and at such venues as Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, Top of the Hub, Bay Tower Room in Boston, Limbo and Les Zygomates, and Sweet Rhythm (former Sweet Basil) and Museum of Natural History in New York City, among others. He has played and recorded with Bevan Manson, George Garzone, Bob Moses, John Lockwood, Bob Geloti, Bruce Gertz, Dave Clark, Yoron Israel, George and Ed Schullers, Boris Kozlov, and others. He has appeared with his group on WERS-Boston radio station and in Eric In the Evening program on WGBH-Boston, performing original music and standards.

Among Alexei's current projects is performance and recording of his original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards with his quintet, and a Latin jazz project with Norman Hedman's Tropique in New York City.