Igor Zubkovsky has regaled American audiences with his musical artistry and eloquence since 1997. His success in the U.S. is preceded by an illustrious career begun in his native Russia where he started playing cello at the age of five at the Gnessins' Music School for Gifted Children in Moscow and first appeared as a soloist with the Minsk Philharmonic Symphony at the age of twelve. While studying cello under Natalia Shakhovskaya at the Moscow State Conservatory, Mr. Zubkovsky won several prizes at international cello competitions, including Second Prize at the International Cello Competition in Minsk, Belarus, and the Grand Prix at the Tansman International Competition in Poland.
In 1991, Mr. Zubkovsky became a member of the "Moscow Soloists" chamber orchestra conducted by Yuri Bashmet, and performed with the ensemble in the great concert halls across Europe - London's Royal Albert Hall, Paris' Pleyel Concert Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebow, Bonn's Beethovensaale and Moscow's Conservatory Bolshoi Hall as well as numerous music festivals in Europe and Asia. A year later, he joined the Brahms Trio in Moscow, subsequently winning Second Prize at the Trapani, Italy and First Prize at the Weimar, Germany International Chamber Music Competitions.
Upon graduating from the Moscow Conservatory in 1994, Mr. Zubkovsky won the President of Russia Scholarship and consequently earned a DMA in Cello Performance. With a remarkable record of performances, awards and academic distinctions, Mr. Zubkovsky was awarded a full scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of Music where in 1999 he earned a Graduate Performance Diploma. While at Peabody, he was the principal cellist of Peabody Symphony Orchestra and actively collaborated in chamber music performances with faculty members including Earl Carlyss, former member of the Juilliard String Quartet, Victoria Chiang, Marianna Busching, and Ann Schein.
Mr. Zubkovsky was the principal cellist of the Harrisburg Symphony, and currently he is the member of the Pittsburgh Opera and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. An active solo and chamber music performer, he also was a member of the Mendelssohn Piano Trio. Mr. Zubkovsky's performances with the group have included numerous colleges, universities, city festivals, and a critically acclaimed 1997-98 season three-week concert tour in Taiwan. In addition to performing at the legendary Taipei National Recital Hall, Mr. Zubkovsky and the trio were heard on several national radio broadcasts and taught Master classes. Critics both in Russia and overseas point out to the artist's expressive, lyrical intensity that not only enchants audiences, but also elevates them. Mr. Zubkovsky has been recorded on numerous CDs, including a solo with the Maryland Consort of Players (1998), with the Brahms Trio (1997), and a solo cello CD on the DUX label (1997). Most recently, Mr. Zubkovsky was featured in the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.