Born on August 3, 1980, in Vologda, Russia. He graduated from the Vologda Music College in 1998 and from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 2003.
In 2000, he began studying Klezmer music in the studio of Yevgeny Khazdan at the Jewish Community Center of St. Petersburg. Jewish music subsequently became his life’s work. As a klezmer clarinetist, Ilya has participated in international Jewish music festivals such as Klezfest in St. Petersburg, Iddish-Fest Moscow, Klezfest London, KlezKanada, Ashkenaz Toronto, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Kharkov Klezmer Tag, and many others.
From 2000 to 2022, he was a soloist with the orchestra of the St. Petersburg Children’s Musical Theater “Zazerkalye.”
From 2005 to 2010, he was a soloist with the contemporary music ensemble “Sound Ways” under the St. Petersburg Composers’ Union, performing specially commissioned works by Russian and international composers.
From 2007 to 2017, he was a soloist with the V.V. Andreyev Russian Folk Instruments Orchestra.
From 2010 to 2022, he taught Jewish music at the studio of the Jewish Community Center in St. Petersburg.
Since 2012, he has been a permanent member of the world-renowned band “Dobranotch,” with which he has performed in more than 20 countries, including the USA and Canada, and recorded 7 CDs and an LP.
From 2015 to 2022, he was a soloist with the Youth Orchestra of National Instruments “Terema.”
In 2015, together with Israeli pianist Alexey Orelovich, he founded the international ensemble “Three Opinions,” whose repertoire consists mainly of Jewish jazz.
In 2018, as part of the “Yiddish Summer Weimar” festival, he founded the “Engel Ensemble,” which performs music by composers from the St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Folk Music. With this group, he performed in Germany.
In 2021, he formed a Gypsy jazz trio with guitarist Alexey Stankov, and in 2022, they recorded the CD “Tiger Rag.”
In 2020 and 2022, he participated in the international Holocaust memorial project “Yellow Stars.” In 2022, within this project, the Russian premiere of the “Klezmer Clarinet Concerto” by American composer Vlad Margulis took place at the Grand Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonia. Ilya performed as soloist with the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Anatoly Rybalko.
In 2019, he appeared as a special guest on the Russian TV program “Quartet 4×4” on the Culture Channel. In 2023, he was a guest on the Bulgarian National Television program “Vechna Muzika” (Eternal Music).
In 2022, due to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, he left Russia and relocated to Bulgaria.
Since 2022, he has collaborated with the Bulgarian swing project “Old Sea Company.” and the Bulgar Klezmer Band.
In November 2024, he was invited to be the musical director of the project “Find Common Language,” held under the patronage of Germany and uniting directors, musicians, and choreographers from Germany, Georgia, and Armenia.
Current Projects:
Since 2023, he has been performing concerts of contemporary and classical chamber music with Berlin-based pianist Marina Goshkieva.
Since 2024, he is playing in a duo with Moldovan guitarist Dmitry Illarionov.
Since the summer of 2024, he is a part of the international project “Tsirk Dobranotch.”
In the winter of 2025, he went on a concert tour in Germany, Austria, Latvia, and Estonia with Canadian guitarist Roman Smirnov.
Since 2025, he has been performing with violinist Pavel Shalman (USA-Austria) and accordionist Boki Radenkovic (Serbia-Austria).