Mikhail Kazakov was born and raised in Ekaterinburg, Ural. There he had successfully graduated with honors from the Children's Music School Nr 6 in Ekaterinburg, with Denis Longovoy (2009-2016). After that he applied to the Ural College of Music, with professor Igor Parashchuk (2016-2018). He was 7, when he first joined the school brass band and he had been actively participating ever since. Mikhail Kazakov is a graduate of the Frederic Chopin Moscow State College of Musical Performance (2018-2022). There he studied in the class of Nikita Zimin, founder of the Eurasian Association of Saxophonists. Nikita Zimin is also considered to be one the brightest saxophonists of our time. From 2023 Mikhail continues his education at the Versailles Conservatory in France under the direction of Nicolas Arsenijevic.
Mikhail has performed on various stages in Russia, including the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Zaryadye Concert Hall, and the Moscow International House of Music. He also participated in concerts abroad: in Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Greece, Andorra, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Belarus.
Various modern composers dedicated their works to Mikhail, such as Jean-Denis Michat (5 visions amoureuses), Christian Lauba (Valse Pigalle), Valentin Malinin (Chanson sur la Manche).
He participated in the most prestigious competition for saxophonists named after Adolphe Sax, Mikhail twice in a row received a special prize for the best interpretation of works composed especially for competition, 2019 for Nuée ardente by Vincent David, 2023; Impetus» by Nina Senk. He is the winner of the VII International Andorra Sax Fest Competition (2021) and 3rd prize winner of the VII International Adolphe Sax Competition (2019, Dinant, Belgium).
In 2022 Mikhail worked with composer Kirill Richter on the recording of his work for the Gauthier Dance (Theaterhaus Stuttgart).
Mikhail is a member of the jury of the International Andorra Sax Fest Competition. He gives public master classes in different cities in Russia and abroad.
Mikhail Kazakov is a member of the Eurasian Association of Saxophonists, an artist of the Vladimir Spivakov Foundation and Denis Matsuev Foundation "New Names".
