Grigory Volobuev

Grigory Volobuev presents the Petersburg clarinet school, being a pupil of Prof. Pavel Sukhanov at the Leningrad conservatory which he graduated from in 1975 and where he had completed his aftergraduate study in 1983. From 1973 until 1979 he had been solo clarinet with the Orchestra of Ancient and Contemporary Music under Eduard Serov. Still being a student Grigory Volobuev played in the stage band of the Kirov (Mariinsky) theatre, and in 1979 he was appointed solo clarinet of the main orchestra holding that position until 1994. From 1989 until 1991 he had also worked in the All-Union Symphony Orchestra. In 1994–2002 Grigory Volobuev taught at the Athens Conservatory also playing in the Camerata orchestra. He returned to the Mariinsky in 2002 having again been solo clarinet with the orchestra. He plays orchestral solos in the operas and ballets (Carmen, The Snow Maiden, Sadko, Le corsaire, The Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Tosca, L’Oiseau de feu, Spartacus and many others) as well as in symphonic concerts. He also participates at the concert tours of the theatre.

Besides working in the orchestra Grigory Volobuev also performs as a soloist. In the 1970s he played many works by the contemporary composers of Leningrad, including Alexander Aslamazov’s From the Armenian Lyrics and Grigory Korchmar’s concert piece Visiting Mr. Weber. In 1994 he represented Russia at the International Clarinet Association conference ClarinetFest in Chicago, where he played a recital. In 2010 the Compozitor publishing house released a disc featuring a recording of the complete works for solo clarinet by Alexander Aslamazov played by Grigory Volobuev. Grigory Volobuev performs solo concerts at the Concert hall and chamber halls of the Mariinsky theatre, including Open Wednesday free concerts.