Born in Leningrad and since 1997 has resided in Germany. He studied at the Secondary Special Music School of the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg Conservatory and at Oberlin Conservatory of Music (USA). Since 2004 he has been pursuing advanced studies at the Cologne University of Music and Dance studying under Prof. Viktor Tretyakov. In 2005 he won second prize at the Pablo Sarasate International Competition in Pamplona (Spain) and the Niccolò Paganini International Violin Competition in Moscow. He appears on tour in Russia, Israel, and in countries in Europe, East Asia, and North and South America. In 2012 he joined the Michelangelo Quartet with which he often performs all of Beethoven’s string quartets. He plays a violin made by Pietro Guarneri in 1695 that is furnished by the German Foundation for Musical Life.
Which people would you invite as guests to your dream dinner party?
All my favorite musicians and my friends.
Do you have a favorite motto or proverb that you live your life by?
If one has never tasted bitter, one knows not what is sweet. Until you have tasted both, you can’t choose between them.
Which person or people inspire you the most?
Johannes Brahms.
If you were 80 years old, what advice would you give to young people today?
That they shouldn’t listen to any advice and should look for answers they need themselves.
What would you like people to say about you?
They can say the good and bad things!
How do you overcome the stage fright? / What is your ritual before going on stage?
I try to integrate my excitement into my inspiration. I haven't rituals.
When you perform... who are you playing for?
When I communicate with someone, I do it not for them, but it's more a way to express myself. The same thing on the stage – it's a way to communicate with myself, with the composer, with the public.
What job would you least like to do?
One that doesn't engage the emotional side of a person.
Is there a joke about musicians that you would like to share with us?
There are no jokes about viola players, they does'nt exist; they're true.
What's the "most played" non-classical track on your phone?
I haven't any tracks on my phone.
You are on a desert island and can bring only 3 items, what do you bring?
Violin, cat and friends.
What is your favorite noise/sound? What is the most annoying noise for you?
Favorite: The silence after the viola’s solo. Most annoying: When viola players raise their bows.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Somewhere in the three or four places that I have travelled to.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word Tchaikovsky?
Saint Petersburg.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word competition?
The stage.
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