08/13/2025
Temecula Valley Symphony Principal Cellist and Artist in Residence, founder of the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra and Los Angeles Cello Quartet, and Artistic Director of Positive Motions Concert Series in San Diego, Cellist Ruslan Biryukov is known for his "superb artistry, passion and individuality." Biryukov represents a new generation of creative professional musicians whose artistic level is recognized not only by awards, but also by a world-wide audiences. Ruslan was the only cellist ever to be invited to perform solo recitals for 10 consecutive years at the Sundays Live Concert Series in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art - the longest running live radio broadcast concert series in the United States . Biryukov is also the only Russian cellist to be invited to solo with orchestra during the inaugural season of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County. Recent appearances by Biryukov include Dvorak cello concerto performances with the Redlands Bowl Symphony and Marina Del Rey Symphony (Summer Series), Glendale Philharmonic (“Bestemming” Cello Concerto by Sharon Farber, World Premiere) and San Bernardino Symphony in Los Angeles. His chamber music accolades include performances with world-renowned violinist Midori at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles, cellist Kirill Rodin at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, and members of the Ysaye Quartet.
Mr. Biryukov has been a master teacher in music festivals across Europe and Russia. He has held teaching positions at the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Institute of Music (Moscow), the Music Academy (Lovran, Croatia) and California Institute of Music. His creative artistic ideas are based upon the traditions he learned from esteemed artists Elena Zenchenko, Yuri Abdullayev, Nazmiya Abbaszadeh, Vladimir Anshelevich, Kirill Rodin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniil Shafran, Natalia Gutman, Janos Starker, Steven Isserlis, and Eleonore Schoenfeld. Within over quarter century of his teaching career, his students won over 300 prizes at various competitions worldwide, including the International Youth Tchaikovsky Competition (Nathan Le), Stulberg International String Competition, Music Teachers Association of California Competitions, American String Teachers Association competitions, etc. etc. His students performed solo with major orchestras worldwide including San Diego Symphony, Redlands Bowl Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, Torrance Symphony, Culver City Symphony, New West Symphony, Armenian State Orchestra, Moscow State Philharmonic, etc. A number of graduates of “Ruslan Conservatory” enjoy professional music performing and teaching carriers in United States, Russia and Europe.
In 2012 LA Talk Live Radio Station invited Ruslan to host a talk show “The Cool Classics” in collaboration with Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Culver City Symphony Maestro Frank Fetta. The Cool Classics project evolved into a full production company specializing in music videos and films based in Los Angeles.
RusLan was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and received his formal music education at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory in Russia (Master of Music, M.A.), and the USC Thornton School of Music in United States (Artist Diploma and Graduate Certificate). He first earned international recognition by winning major awards in Azerbaijan and by the inclusion of his name in the Golden Book of Russia's international program "New Names". Biryukov has gone on to win numerous other awards worldwide, including the Grand Prize at the 17th Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition.
Biryukov resides in Los Angeles and Temecula, California. He was awarded United States Citizenship as an “Extraordinary Ability Artist.” The title means that he has “sustained national or international acclaim and the achievements have been recognized” in his field, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additionally, Mr. Biryukov is the only musician in the world to be granted a US Commercial Pilot license and Certified Flight Instructor single & multi-engine instrument license (SEL,MEL,CFII, MEI).
