Born in Moscow,
Yuri studied at Central School of Music and the Moscow Tchaikovsky
Conservatory from which he graduated with a Masters degree in 1995
in double bass. He had already won first prize in the All-Soviet
Union Student Competition in 1990 and as result became Principal
Bass with the Ensemble XXI Chamber Orchestra from 1990-1991.
From 1991-1992 Yuri played with the famed
Bolshoi Opera, and from 1992-2004 as Principal Bass with one of the
world’s most noted chamber orchestras: The Moscow Soloists,
directed by Yuri Bashmet.
As a classical double bassist he collaborated
with such musicians as: Yuri Bashmet, Mario Brunello, Sarah Chang,
James Galway, Gidon Kremer, Shlomo Mintz, Sviatoslav Richter,
Mstislav Rostropovich, Thomas Quasthoff, Uto Ughi and Maxim
Vengerov. He performed at a large variety of most prestigious
venues, including Carnegie Hall (New York), Suntory Hall (Tokyo),
Barbican (London), Berlin Philarmonie, Sydney Opera House and many
more.
As a composer, he was writing jazz and chamber
music works as well as bass transcriptions and arrangements. These
works are published in Russia, Germany and the United States.
In 2002 Yuri became the youngest bass player
ever to be awarded the prestigious title of Honoured Artist of
Russia. Meanwhile, since the late 1990s, Yuri had become keenly
interested in jazz, and started performing in clubs and festivals
as a jazz bassist as well. The growth of this interest finally led
him to all but abandon his classical career, and devote himself to
the jazz genre as a performer and composer.
In 2004 Yuri moved to Milan, which he used as
a base for his worldwide touring and recording for the next
decade.
In 2007 he joined the Jazz faculty of Centro
Professione Musica in Milan, and in 2010 became Jazz Double Bass
Professor at Trento State Conservatory. In addition, he has lead
diverse master classes in the field of both classical and jazz
music in the United States, England, Ireland and Italy.
Yuri’s time is currently split between
worldwide touring, recording, and teaching. Some of his notable
jazz collaborations include: Bob James, Julian Arguelles, Paolo
Fresu, Tim Garland, Klaus Gesing, Rosario Giuliani, Rick Margitza,
Wolfgang Muthspiel, Enrico Pieranunzi, Ralph Towner, Gwilym Simcock
and Kenny Werner.
He is a highly sought-after and much-respected
collaborator for a number of international jazz projects, remaining
at the same time an active chamber music performer.
In 2015 he joined RWCMD, where he teaches
double bass and harmony.