Kravtsov Nikolai Alexandrovich is one of most prominent accordion performers in Russia. He was born in April, 24, 1943 in Vladivostok. Graduated the Tallinn State Conservatoire, class of Leopold Vigl, as a soloist, teacher, conductor and musicologist (1968). At present, he is the Head of the Folk Instruments Department of the St.-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts (since 1978). N.A. Kravtsov is the Candidate of Arts (1982), professor, Russia’s honored Worker of Arts (1999), the Laureate of "The Golden book of the Motherland" (2002).

N.A. Kravtsov gave over 1500 public performances in Russia’s main concert halls: the Column Hall the Union House, the Bolshoy (Grand) and the Maly (Chamber) Halls of the D.D.Shostakovich Philharmonic Society, the Bolshoy and the Maly Halls of the M.I.Glinka St.-Petersburg Capella. He has toured over Germany, France, Norway, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Estonia; he has performed in such concert halls as "Gewandhaus" (Leipzig), "Friedrichstadtpalast" (Strasbourg) and many others.

He has performed as a soloist with many well-known orchestras: the Russian Federation’s Honored Orchestra of the D.D.Shostakovich Philharmonic Society, the V.P.Soloviev-Sedoy Orchestra of the St.-Petersburg Radio, the Pavel Smirnov Accordion Orchestra, the V.V.Andreev Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments, the Orchestra of the M.P.Mussorgsky Maly Opera House of St.-Petersburg, Moscow State Symphonic Orchestra of the N.A.Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in St.-Petersburg, the Chamber Orchestra of the Tallinn Philharmonic Society.

He performed in concerts led by such conductors as: A.Yansons, M.Yansons, P.Bubelnikov, P.Magi, Y.Smirnov, V.Smirnov, Y.Bogdanov, A.Kutsenko, A.Titov and others.

He co-operated with well-known composers: S.Slonimsky, H.Ailer, V.Bassner, I.Schwartz, K.Myaskov, A.Repnikov, E.Doga, I.Tsvetkov, V.Bibergan, A.Knaifel, S.Gubaidulina, S.Banevich and many others.

He has been a jury member in international and all-Russia contests, he took part in conferences, seminars, master-classes in Russia and abroad.

He is the founder and first Head of the International School of Accordion of the St.-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts.

Photograph of members Y. Temirkanov Gala concert at the Grand  Hall of St. Petersburg State Philharmony named after D.D. Schostakovitch, Russia, St. Petersburg, 1998.

From left to right, standing - Alexander Dmitriev, Maris Yansons, Victor Tretyakov, Yuriy Baschmet,  Gidon Kremer, Barbara Hendriks,  Efim Bronfman, Eliso Virsaladze, Natalya Gutman, Nickolai Kravtsov. From left to right, sitting - Yuriy Falick, Yuriy Temirkanov, Robert Sturua.