Alexander Karpeyev has been a major prizewinner in international piano competitions, including 1st prizes at the 2007 Dudley International Piano, the Norah Sande Award 2008 and Competition the 2006 Oxford Music Festival's recital competition. He is also a laureate of the 1998 Ibla Grand Prize in Ragusa, Italy; the 2001 International Competition for Young Musicians in Enschede, Netherlands; the 2004 Competition Arthur Rubinstein in memoriam in Bydgoszcz, Poland; the 2004 Adilia Alieva International Piano Competition in Gaillard, France; the 2006 Tunbridge Wells International Concert Artist Competition and the 2009 Amy Brant International Piano competition in Birmingham, England. In 2008 he was awarded The Worshipful Company of Musician's Silver Medal.

Karpeyev began playing the piano at age seven, studying at the Children's Music School in Saratov, Russia. In 2000 he entered the prestigious Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studied with Alexander Mndoyants and Vera Gornostayeva. He graduated with highest honours in 2005 and won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London to study with Joan Havill. A noted interpreter of the works of Medtner, Karpeyev has defended his doctoral thesis on Medtnerian performance practice (City, University of London, 2014). Of a performance of Medtner's chamber music in which he appeared with the Idomeneo Quartet, the Musical Opinion critic remarked on their insight and genuine interpretative affection.

Alexander Karpeyev has given recitals in many of the major UK venues, including the Purcell Room, the Barbican, Cadogan, Royal Festival, Wigmore, Fairfield and Queen Elizabeth Halls in London and the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. Abroad, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Japan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. His performances have been featured on Sky Television and BBC Radio. Karpeyev is a regular participant of the Piano Week festival in Wales. In January 2016 he has organized first in the UK international Medtner Festival. Recently he was appointed Music Curator at the Pushkin House, a vibrant centre of Russian culture in London.