BIOGRAPHY
With a voice that bridges lyrical warmth and rhetorical clarity, and an instinctive command of language and stage, Russian-French bass-baritone Oleg Volkov has become a compelling presence in both classical and modern repertoire. His performances are marked by text-driven intensity, theatrical nuance, and a cultivated musical sensibility that draws from his background in linguistics and his European training.
Originally from Sochi, he has been based in France since 2014. He studied at the Conservatoire de Toulouse in the class of Jacques Schwarz, and continued his training at the Opéra Studio of the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo.
In the 2024/25 season, he is engaged in several high-profile productions across major European stages. He creates the role of Charles Bovary in the world premiere of Bovary by Harold Noben at La Monnaie / De Munt, conducted by Debora Waldman — a highly anticipated event in the Belgian national opera season. The production drew critical attention for its bold dramaturgy and musical sensitivity, with La Libre Belgique praising his performance for its “subtle humanity and vocal sincerity.” As noted in OPER! magazine: “In his cozy knitwear and comfortable shoes, Oleg Volkov transforms the betrayed husband and caring father into a completely believable bourgeois functionary, carried by his attractive baritone.”
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He also makes his house debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées as Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, under the baton of Simon Proust.
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At the Opéra Côte d’Azur, in Martinů’s dreamlike Juliette conducted by Anthony Hermus, he performs three sharply contrasting characters — Vieil Arabe, Père Jeunesse, and Matelot — revealing both his dramatic versatility and instinct for modern theatre. OperaOnline wrote that “Oleg Volkov offers an entire universe, crafted through his exploratory artistry,” underscoring the depth and originality of his musical and theatrical interpretation.
Earlier in the season, he made a notable debut at the Philharmonie de Paris as Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata under Jérémie Rhorer — a collaboration he deeply values and which will continue in the 2025/26 season with his return as Count Monterone in Rigoletto.
As a soloist with the Opéra Studio du Rhin between 2021 and 2023, he performed a wide range of roles across diverse musical and theatrical idioms. His credits include the Armchair and the Tree in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges under the guidance of Didier Puntos, Maximilian in Bernstein’s Candide conducted by Samy Rachid, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti with Sora Elizabeth Lee, and the Hoopoe in Lunar Lake by Howard Moody. He also appeared as the Armed Man and the First Priest in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Andrea Spering, and covered the title role in Hans Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen, led by Robert Houssart.
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Oleg’s artistic path is grounded in language. Originally trained in linguistics, he holds a Master’s degree specializing in phonology and phonetics — a foundation that plays a central role in his vocal technique and in his highly text-aware, prosodic approach to interpretation. He performs fluently in Russian, French, English, Italian, German, and Spanish.
His concert and recital repertoire holds a special place for the music of Schreker, Szymanowski, Zemlinsky, Mussorgsky, Brahms, and Mahler, reflecting his affinity for complex textures, late-Romantic colour, and psychologically rich narratives.
He works under the mentorship of José van Dam, Sophie Koch, and Stéphane Degout, who support the ongoing refinement of his artistry and the evolution of his international career.