Oleg Babkov, Cello
Oleg Babkov was born in Brest, Belarus, and grew up in Moscow, Russia, before moving to the U.S. at a young age with his mother. Moving nearly yearly, he lived for a time in both Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, before relocating to northern Kentucky. He began playing violin in his middle school orchestra, switching to saxophone after moving to Kentucky. While in high school, he also dabbled in percussion and trumpet, with an interest in drum and bugle corps.
At the age of 15, Oleg began playing cello under the tutelage of Ellen Stephens, director of the Northern Kentucky School of Music. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville, having studied under cellist Paul York, and a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music, where he served as a graduate teaching assistant to professor Guy Johnston. After concluding his university studies, he has worked extensively with cellist Lars Kirvan of the Rochester and Chautauqua symphony orchestras.
Oleg has performed at a number of summer music festivals, including the Mostly Modern Festival, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, the Round Top Festival Institute, the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, the Texas Music Festival, the Brancaleoni International Music Festival and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Recent professional engagements include performances with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Orchestra and the New York State Ballet. He was a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2024-25 season and has held a position with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2023.
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The facts:
I am originally from Brest, Belarus, and I grew up in Moscow, Russia, before moving to the U.S.
What are you most excited for as you begin your tenure with the Naples Philharmonic?
I am most excited to explore the repertoire that is programmed for this season. There are only a handful of pieces this year that I’ve played (or even heard) before, so I am looking forward to the joys and challenges of delving into new works.
What is one fun fact about you?
I was offered a contract to work as an air traffic controller (N90 TRACON). Fresh out of school with nothing to do, I first applied to the position on a whim, seeing an advertisement on social media. After nearly a year of interviews, exams and various clearances (during which the reality slowly set in), I was handed a final offer letter and given a report-by date. The week during which I had to make a decision on whether or not to abandon a career in music was difficult.
What inspired you to become a musician?
At a young age, I was a less-than-mediocre violinist, barely holding the instrument up. At some point, my mother gave me Yo-Yo Ma’s Soul of the Tango album, which I listened to on repeat at all hours of every day for several months. This sparked my desire to switch to cello, which I began with much greater enthusiasm than violin. My experience with music was almost exclusively orchestral, and only when I joined the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra at the end of high school did I truly find the passion that made me want to pursue music as a career. I joke that I never truly fell in love with the sound of a cello, but rather with the sound of a cello section!
What’s challenging about playing your instrument?
There are incredible mental difficulties in this profession, not necessarily unique to cello. Many high-level musicians are coached by or read books written by professional athletes. For me, the greatest hurdle is doubt: wondering if what I’m doing is right; if how I play is correct; if this method works or if that method is better. Striving to master that whirlwind of uncertainty has been my focus for quite some time.
What are your favorite compositions?
Amusingly, this question is often dodged or skirted by musicians, but for whatever reason, I’ve always had a clear answer: My favorite single composition is Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, and my two favorite composers are Tchaikovsky and Sibelius.
What have you been listening to recently?
Classically, I’ve been spending more time listening to chamber music (mostly quartets) and to opera. I’ve barely played any chamber music in my studies thus far, and I have a deep love for opera and its magnificent scale of artistry. Both of these formats are very expressive, but achieve it very differently, which is fascinating to hear. Non-classically, a silly amount of J-Pop.
Are there other musicians in your immediate family?
Yes, although none as a primary profession. My mother studied as a collaborative pianist and continues to teach a small studio of young pianists while principally teaching sociology at a university. My father was a pianist and conductor before working in journalism and founding a cultural magazine. My brother was an accomplished young pianist and continues to play keyboard and guitar in bands while working in software. Ironically, I’ve never touched the piano.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love stories, and any medium through which I can delve into the intricacies of other settings and worlds has a special appeal to me. Books, games, films, plays—anything that brings ideas to life. More recreationally, I’ve recently delved into cooking, sketching and tennis, and I continue to grow a bucket list of various things I’d like to do.