Denis Shapovalov was born in 1974 in the city of Chaikovsky. In 1998, he graduated from Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with legendary professor Natalia Shakhovskaya. Shapovalov won recognition for his exceptional musical gift at the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, taking the 1st prize and the gold medal as the unanimous choice of the jury. The cellist has participated in numerous international festivals in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, USA, Japan, and China ever since. For his American debut, he gave a successful performance at the World Cello Congress in Baltimore in 2000.

In addition, Shapovalov collaborates with Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonia, chamber orchestras “Moscow Virtuosi” and “Moscow Soloists”, the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and chamber orchestra, Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Macao Symphony Orchestra.

He works under such distinguished conductors as Lorin Maazel, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Vladimir Fedosseev, Yutaka Sado, Yoel Levi, Andrew Litton, Christian Badea, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Bashmet, Valery Poliansky, Thomas Sanderling, Boguslaw Dawidow, Julian Gallant, Gianadrea Noseda, Jonathan Brett, Conrad van Alphen. His music partners are Rodion Schedrin, Vadim Repin, Nikolai Znaider, Olga Kern, Alexander Ljubimov, John Nakamatsu, Alexander Ghindin, Andreas Mustonen.

Shapovalov’s performances are held in the world’s major concert halls – Bolshoi Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Center in London, Munchner Philharmonic, Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, Auditorio Nacional de Musica и Palacio de Congresos in Madrid, UNESCO Conference Hall in Paris, Vaduzerzaal in Liechtenstein, Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Beijing Concert Hall in Beijing, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

Shapovalov has appeared in several radio and televised concert broadcasts recorded by Russian State TV/Radio company “Culture”, Bayerische Rundfunk, Radio France, NY Public Radio, Bayern Klassik, Das Erste ARD, Mezzo, NHK.