Teacher, methodologist, and composer of original works and folk‑song arrangements for folk voice with piano, bayan/accordion, and folk‑instrument orchestra.
In 1981 he graduated with honours from the Kuznetsk Music College (class of Honoured Cultural Worker of Russia V. P. Altukhov). In 1986 he completed studies at the Gnesin State Music and Pedagogical Institute in Bayan (class of Professor, Honoured Art Worker of Russia B. M. Yegorov) and Orchestral Conducting (class of Professor, Honoured Art Worker of Russia A. B. Pozdnyakov). In 1990 he graduated from the same institute in Solo Folk Singing (class of Professor, People’s Artist of the USSR N. K. Meshko). In 1997 he completed an assistant‑traineeship with Professor N. K. Meshko, and in 1998 finished postgraduate studies under Professor, Doctor of Pedagogy L. V. Shamina.
In 1998 he defended his Candidate of Sciences dissertation «Educating the Folk Singer through Mastery of the Northern Russian Epic Tradition» in the fields 13.00.02 «Theory and Methodology of Music Teaching» and 17.00.02 «Musical Art».
Since 1987 V. A. Burlakov has taught in the Department of Choral and Solo Folk Singing at the Gnesin State Music and Pedagogical Institute / Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. He carries out extensive teaching‑methodological, research, pedagogical, and performing work and plays an active role in developing bachelor’s and master’s degree curricula.
His teaching materials include:
- a textbook on the theoretical course «Sovremennyy repertuar narodnogo pevtsa» (“The Modern Repertoire of the Folk Singer”), approved for publication by the Educational‑Methodical Council (2009);
- the textbook «Osvoenie vokalnykh proizvedeniy s fortepiannym akkompanementom v klasse solnogo narodnogo peniya» (“Learning Vocal Works with Piano Accompaniment in the Solo Folk‑Singing Class”), with Educational‑Methodical Council approval (2014);
- author collections of folk‑song arrangements and original compositions for folk voice: «Snezhki belye, pushisty» (2011), «Tri podarka» (2014), «Po tropinke» (2014), «Kolechko moe» (2015), «Skuchno, grustno» (2016), «Po Muromskoy dorozhke» (2017);
- scores for folk voice and folk‑instrument orchestra, including the Russian folk song «Vy, komariki» (2016); «Soldatka» to texts by N. Klyuev and Ye. Shabalina, music by V. Burlakov (2017); the Russian folk song «Po Muromskoy dorozhke», and others.
V. A. Burlakov is a regular participant in all‑Russian and international academic‑practical conferences, the author of numerous scholarly articles, and a constant methodological adviser to regional educational institutions, providing reviews and reports on syllabi and repertoire collections.
He has repeatedly chaired State Examination Boards and served on juries of various all‑Russian, international, and regional competitions, receiving many certificates of appreciation and honorary diplomas from competition and festival organisers. Within competition and festival programmes he regularly gives masterclasses and open lessons for teachers and choir directors.
For his extensive concert and educational work he was awarded the Governor of the Moscow Region’s honorary badge «Za trudy i userdie» (“For Diligent Service”) in 2007 and has received a letter of thanks from the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Students from V. A. Burlakov’s class have become laureates and diploma winners at numerous all‑Russian, international, and regional competitions and festivals. His graduate Yelena V. Yevstigneeva, a soloist with the ensemble «Russkaya pesnya», was named «Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation» in 2009; in 2013 L. Ye. Ilyina (Polikarpova), a soloist of the «Syaval» folk‑variety ensemble of the Chuvash Philharmonic, received the title «Honoured Artist of the Chuvash Republic»; and in 2011 A. V. Logvinova (Filatova), a soloist of the Pyatnitsky Choir, was awarded the Medal of the Order «Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom» II degree (“For Services to the Fatherland”).
V. A. Burlakov and his students maintain an active concert career, giving annual class concerts at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music and in higher and secondary institutions in Moscow and the Moscow Region, St Petersburg, Krasnodar, and other Russian cities.
In 2020 V. A. Burlakov received an official Letter of Thanks from the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation.
