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Oleg Sharov was born in 1946 in
St.Petersburg-Russia- and is a product of the wide range of musical
facilities offered by the former Soviet State system
After preparatory school, he attended at
the age of eight,one of the Children's Music Schools in St. Petersburg,
of which there are no less than fifty in the city. His chosen instrument
was the Bayan-Accordion.
After 'Middle Level' studies he secured one
of only 20 places available that year, at the world famous St.
Petersburg "Rimsky Korsakov" Conservatory of Music. He
completed five years of study, and was invited to join one of the
privileged classes called 'Asperantura', which led to his appointment as
a tutor at the Conservatory. He is currently Senior Professor of Music
and head of the accordion department at the Conservatory.
He toured extensively in the Soviet Union,
Finland and Eastern Europa. It was not until Peristroika that he was
able to tour in the West and Scandinavia (1987) and the USA (1990).
In recent years Oleg Sharov has given
premiers of about twenty modern and original works for free bass
accordion of Russian and European composers. One of the latest of these
was the first performance in the United Kingdom (1996) of 'Concerto for
Accordion and Orchestra' (Ivor Hodgson) with the Manchester Camarata
Symphony Orchestra.
He has continued to enhance his
international reputation by touring Japan, France, China, Spain,
Finland, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, SwitzeRland,
NOrway, Yugoslavia, Belgium and Poland.
In addition he has given Master Classes at
the Royal Academies of Music in London, Copenhagen and Antwerp. Also he
has been invited to International Accordion Seminars in Barcelona, Tokyo
as well as in Finland, Norway, China and Poland. Oleg Sharov has be
asked to adjudicate at Competitions at Coup Mondiale (1995), Trofeo
Mondiale (1990) and Grand Prix (1991, 1994 and 1997). He continues to
organise two International Accordion Festivals each year in St.
Petersburg.
He has transcribed several classical pieces
for the free base accordion including "The Blue Danube" (Johann
Strauss), Hungarian Rhapsody Nos 2 &14 (F.Listz), Gothic Suit (L.Boelman)
and several Russian melodies.
His concert repertoire includes music from
Baroque to Avantgarde.( Vivaldi, J.S.Bach, Listz, Tchaikovsky,
Rimsky-Korsakov, Repnikov, Banchikov and Olczak.)
He is regarded by his peers as one of the
most accomplished 'Free Bass' accordionists in the world today.
In 1985 he was awarded the title of "Honour
Artist of the Russian Republic".
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