The Russian cellist Leonid Gorokhov, praised for his expressive playing and exceptional technique, is often compared to the legendary Emanuel Feuermann. Born in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad), he began playing the cello at the age of seven. He studied with Anatoli Nikitin at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory and took masterclasses with Daniil Shafran.
Gorokhov has won prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix and First Prize at the Geneva International Competition – the only Russian cellist ever to do so. In 1995, he received the Cultural Achievement Prize from the European Association for Encouragement of the Arts for his outstanding talent.
His breakthrough came in 1991, when he performed as a soloist with the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic under the baton of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin became his mentor and invited him to teach at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom. This opened the door to performances with major orchestras and collaborations with Menuhin as both soloist and chamber musician.
He has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. His repertoire ranges from Haydn, Schumann, and Dvořák to Walton and Lutosławski. Gorokhov regularly returns to Russia to perform, including giving the Russian premiere of Nicholas Maw’s Sonata Notturna in Moscow.
In addition to his solo career, he is passionate about chamber music and enjoys working with both young talents and seasoned musicians. Since 2008, he has been a professor at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hanover.