Dr. Oleg Volkov, born in southern Russia, began his musical studies at the age of seven. In 1977 he entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he had the privilege to study with Maestro Victor Merzhanov. After graduating with honors in 1982, he continued his postgraduate studies with Maestro Merzhanov earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree receiving an honors diploma. Upon completion of his studies, Dr. Volkov became Assistant Professor to Maestro Merzhanov at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and held this position until leaving for the United States in December of 1990. While teaching at the Moscow Conservatory, Volkov split his time between pedagogy and a busy concert schedule enjoying many performances throughout USSR and Europe until his departure for the United States.
International concert pianist career took Volkov all around the world. He has performed in the most prestigious concert halls including the Great Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center in New York, South Bay Center for the Arts in California, as well as Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Japan, Teatro Cervantes de Malaga in Spain, and many others. Oleg Volkov successfully collaborated with such conductors as Mstislav Rostropovich, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Vassily Sinaisky, Andrei Tchistiakov to name a few, and has performed with the National Symphony, National Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Radio Orchestra of Spain and many other distinguished orchestras.
After the death of Vladimir Horowitz, Oleg Volkov was the first pianist ever to play the Horowitz’s Steinway piano in a public concert. This performance launched a two-year nationwide tour of the Horowitz Steinway Grand where Volkov was a frequent guest artist.
In 1994, Oleg Volkov gave a Washington, DC premiere performance of Alfred Schnittke's Concerto for Piano and Strings at the Kennedy Center with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. His recordings, as well as live interviews with the artist, have been heard on all the area classical stations, National Public Radio has presented portions of his recitals around the nation.
Oleg Volkov’s performances have been enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike. In a review of Volkov’s performance of Rachmaninoff Preludes and Sonata No. 2, Joseph McLellan of the Washington Post wrote: “Volkov’s piano stormed and whispered... There was a crystalline purity of tone, a superb clarity of definition in harmonies and counterpoint, an evenness of voicing and a lightness of touch and pure dexterity that could leave an audience breathless.”
His recording of the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto received the following words of high praise: “Volkov, one might daringly observe, approaches artistic perfection in this performance. In sum, this is one of the finest Rachmaninov Seconds I’ve ever heard… Put simply, you’re not likely to hear playing with this kind of individual approach in the concert hall or on recordings.” Classical Net, CD Reviews.