Alex Schillings comes from a musical family in which wind music and classical music played an important role in daily life. At the age of 8 he joined the local brass band as trumpet player, and subsequently went to the music school in Maastricht.

At the age of 15 he commenced studies in trumpet, general music development (AMV) and wind band conducting at the Conservatorium in Maastricht, graduating in 1979 and 1980. In 1983 he obtained the advanced diploma in wind band conducting with teacher Rien Rats. He also studied orchestral conducting with Lucas Vis and Anton Kersjes. In 1985 he won the Silver Baton during the International Conducting Competition of the World Music Concours in Kerkrade.

In the second half of the 1980s he was conductor of the Kerkrade Symphony Orchestra. He conducted the semi-professional chamber music ensemble Musica Mosa over a period of five years. From 1989 to 1995 he directed the Royal Band Sainte Cécile (1880) in Eijsden as conductor, and further conducted with the St. Jozef wind band in Kerkrade, and the Fanfare St. Joseph in Meers. From 1995 to 2001 he was principal conductor of the Johan Willem Friso Kapel in Assen and from May 2001 to January 2002 he was principal conductor of the Koninklijke Militaire Kapel in The Hague. He is also national consultan for wind music with the Kunstfactor foundation in Utrecht, and since 1998 conductor of the Nationaal Jeugd Harmonie Orkest.

Since August 2004 he has been conductor of the Brass Band Schoonhoven, and from 1st September 2005 also conductor of the Koninklijke Harmonie in Peer.

He is frequently invited to lead conducting courses (including Conducting Camp Entornos in Epen) and gives workshops for wind band conductors.

He is principal study teacher in wind band conducting at the ArtEZ Conservatorium in Zwolle and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.