Shapovalov won recognition for his exceptional musical gift at the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, taking the 1st prize and the gold medal as the unanimous choice of the jury.

In 2000, Shapovalov finished the post-graduate course of the Moscow State Conservatory, where he studied under Professor Natalia Shakhovskaya. And for 11 years (2001-2012) Shapovalov was a cello professor of the Moscow Conservatory.
For his American debut, he gave a successful performance at the World Cello Congress in Baltimore in 2000.

The cellist has participated in numerous international festivals in Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, USA, Japan, and China. In addition, Shapovalov collaborates with Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St-Petersburg Philharmony, the chamber orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi”, the chamber orchestra “Moscow Soloists”, the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and chamber orchestra, Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Macao Symphony Orchestra.

He works under such distinguished conductors as Lorin Maazel, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Vladimir Fedosseev, Yutaka Sado, Yoel Levi, Andrew Litton, Christian Badea, Vladimir Spivakov, Yuri Bashmet, Valery Poliansky, Thomas Sanderling, Boguslaw Dawidow, Julian Gallant, Gianadrea Noseda, Jonathan Brett, Conrad van Alphen. His music partners are Rodion Schedrin, Vadim Repin, Nikolai Znaider, Olga Kern, Alexander Ljubimov, John Nakamatsu, Alexander Ghindin, Andreas Mustonen.

Shapovalov’s performances are held in the world’s major concert halls – Bolshoi Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Center in London, Munchner Philharmonic, Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, Auditorio Nacional de Musica è Palacio de Congresos in Madrid, UNESCO Conference Hall in Paris, Vaduzerzaal in Liechtenstein, Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Beijing Concert Hall in Beijing, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

Shapovalov has appeared in several radio and televised concert broadcasts recorded by Russian State TV/Radio company “Culture”, Bayerische Rundfunk, Radio France, NY Public Radio, Bayern Klassik, Das Erste ARD, Mezzo, NHK.

Shapovalov is an active participant of different contemporary music projects. Since 2006, after studying conducting at the Moscow State Conservatory, Shapovalov started his career as a conductor.

Shapovalov is often invited to give master-classes in Russia and abroad as a touring professor. In 2014 he initiated a teaching project “Cello Travel International Academy”. For 2 seasons the project took place in 7 Russian cities, as well as in 6 countries. In March 2015 Shapovalov gave masterclasses at the Conservatory Santa Cecilia in Rome (Italy).

Shapovalov plays an instrument made by Gabriele Jebran Yakoub in 2011.