Konstantin Ilich Pluzhnikov was born on April 15th, 1941 in Batumi.
Pluzhnikov finished the Leningrad Rimskij-Korsakov conservatory in 1969 in the class of E. G. Olkhovskij.
In 1968, still a fourth year student, Pluzhnikov was the laureate at the All-Union Glinka competition in Minsk,
where he was noted for his excellent performance of Glinka's romances.
1968–71, he was a soloist at the Malij in Leningrad. There, Pluzhnikov sang among others: Prince in Rusalka, Young gipsy in Aleko,
Benvenuto Cellini, Vodemon and Duca.
He was also a laureate of the International Enescu Competition in Bucharest (1970, second prize), resulting his being hired as a
soloist by the Kirov (Mariinskij) in 1971.
During that time, he took part in a vocal competition in Geneva (1972, first prize).
Pluzhnikov went on tour independently as well as with the troupe of the Mariinskij in Italy
(La Scala), Germany (Hamburg opera), Spain, France (Bastille),
Scotland (Edinburgh festival), Finland, Israel, the USA (Brooklyn), Austria, Holland,
Japan, etc ...
Pluzhnikov frequently appeared at the large hall of the Leningrad philharmonic society, as a soloist
in Missa solemnis, Requiem (Mozart), St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, Requiem (Verdi), La damnation de Faust,
Gloria (Puccini).
Together with his partner and assistant, pianist Elena Matusovskaja, Pluzhnikov appeared in many solo concerts,
with diverse programs of romances, Italian and Russian folk songs. He made a great number of records of Russian music,
particularly chamber music by Russian composers.
In 1979, Pluzhnikov started teaching at the Leningrad conservatory (professor in 1985).
In 1998, he became director of the academy for young singers at the Mariinskij.
His repertory included:
German, Duca, Vodemon,
Manrico, Radames, Shujskij, Kuterma, Werther, Tamino, Faust, Alfredo, Edgardo, Lenskij, Lykov, Bajan, Abesalom,
Malinov (Mjortvye dushi/Dead souls by Shchedrin), Golitsyn, Scrivener (Khovanshchina), Herodes, ...
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