Boris Plotnikov is a professional harmonica player, solo artist and session musician from Russia. He is one of the country’s leading harmonica players, working across jazz, blues, hip-hop, rock and contemporary live music.

Boris is a prize winner of the international jazz competition “Master-Jam Fest 2013” and the “World Harmonica Festival 2013”, where he was awarded in the jazz and blues categories. He has performed and given masterclasses in Russia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, the United States and other countries. In 2026, he was invited to serve as a judge and instructor at the Seoul International Harmonica Festival in South Korea.

Boris is widely known in Russia for his work with Evgeny Margulis and Mikhail Bashakov. He has also performed and collaborated with Alexey Romanov and the band Voskresenie, Sergey Chigrakov, Sergey Galanin, Basta, Zatochka and many other artists. As a session musician and band member, he has contributed to several dozen albums. A recording featuring Boris and Sergey Chigrakov has received more than one million streams on Yandex Music.

In 2015, Boris released the collaborative album “Ask Yourself” with Mikhail Bashakov, featuring Bashakov’s songs specially arranged for guitar and harmonica. In 2019, Boris released a live album recorded with his solo project. In 2024, his band released his first solo studio album, “Samovar”.

Boris’s solo project brings together his interest in a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, blues, hip-hop, Russian music and live electronic music. He performs with some of Moscow’s finest instrumentalists, combining the virtuosic technique of the harmonica with improvisation and a contemporary approach to sound.
Boris regularly performs as a solo artist at clubs and major concert venues, while continuing to work as a guest musician and educator. His performances and videos explore the possibilities of the harmonica beyond its traditional role, incorporating the instrument into a wide variety of contemporary musical contexts.

Boris Plotnikov is an official endorser of JDR, a Chinese harmonica manufacturer.

Concerning the concert organization, write or call your preferred method!

HARMONICA TEACHER

Do you dream of learning to play the harmonica, or are you a professional, who is looking for an opportunity to expand your creative boundaries? Classes with Boris will be equally useful for you. The owner of the author's techniques (Boris's clip on extracting single notes is one of the most viewed training videos in the YouTube Russian sector), Boris will be happy to help you. For reference: Boris Plotnikov, the holder of two pedagogical diplomas, created the only harmonica class in Russia at the musical college.

Concerning the issues of individual lessons and the organization of the workshops, write to Boris your preferred method!