“Absolute mastery of the instrument, deep musical understanding, and impeccable taste.”
— Vladimir Jurowski, conductor

“His interpretations are of the highest technical and musical level. He has an extraordinary ability to draw a divinely warm and beautiful sound from the instrument.”
— Alun Francis, conductor

Born in Moscow, he studied at the Institute for Gifted Children affiliated with the Moscow Conservatory, where he later completed his studies and earned a doctorate in string quartet performance.

Since 1990, he has pursued a concert career as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing in Russia, England, France, Germany, Italy, and the USA. In 1994, he relocated from Russia to Italy, where he regularly performs as a soloist with orchestras such as Cantelli in Milan, Sinfonica Siciliana in Palermo, Fondazione Arena di Verona, among others.

Claudio Abbado invited him to join the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. He has worked as principal violist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro “C. Felice” in Genoa, the Rome Opera, and served as principal violist with the Fondazione Arena di Verona from 2006 to 2020.

In 2006, he arranged Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata Op. 28 and published its first edition for solo viola with White Prince Edition. This sonata has since become one of the pinnacles of the virtuosic viola repertoire. He also arranged Robert Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 94, for viola and piano, published by the same publisher and recently performed at London’s Kings Place.

He currently teaches viola at the Nicolini Conservatory in Piacenza and the Donizetti Conservatory in Bergamo. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.

Since 2018, he has also served as conductor of the Orchestra of the University of Milano-Bicocca.

Career

His musical path reflects the classical progression of a musician trained in the Russian school. He studied at the prestigious institute for gifted children affiliated with the Moscow Conservatory, graduated from the conservatory, and then launched a demanding international career. In 1992, he became the artistic director of the acclaimed New Chamber Orchestra of Moscow, and a year later joined the Moscow Soloists as principal violist. In 1994, he decided to leave Russia and settle in Western Europe, where he was able to further develop artistically under the baton of conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, and Georges Prêtre.

His performances are praised for their warmth and expressive tone, spontaneity balanced with precisely shaped phrasing. From 1996 to 1998, he served as principal violist of the G. Verdi Orchestra in Milan. In 2001, Claudio Abbado once again invited him to the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. He has performed in the world’s leading concert halls — Moscow, London, Paris, Milan — and appeared at festivals and concerts in cities such as Milan, Fabriano, Chioggia, Modica, Verona, Camerino, and Stresa.

Since 2006, he has been principal violist of the Orchestra of the Fondazione Arena di Verona and has also held the same position with the Filarmonica della Fondazione Toscanini. Since 2008, he has also taught at the conservatory in Reggio Calabria.