Khokhlov graduated from the Leningrad and Moscow Conservatories, having studied in the master classes of the famous Russian conductors/professors, E. Kudriavtseva and B. Khaikin. He worked with the Leningrad Philharmonic orchestras, Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera, and also as chief conductor of the State Orchestras of Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

After coming back from Mongolia, he became the chief conductor of the V.Andreev Russian Folk Orchestra (former “Imperial Russian Court Orchestra”).

In April 1999, he has exercised staging of “Iolanta” (Tchaikovsky) in New-York with Russian and American performers.
D.Khokholov collaborates with both St-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestras, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Tatarstan opera theatres, “Kansay Philharmonic” symphony orchestra (Osaka, Japan), with Azerbaijan and Karelia National Orchestras. In 2005 he was invited to the Ceremonial concert in Astana by the case of Shanghai Collaboration Organization summit in front of country leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Since 1988 till now D.Khokhlov has been teaching in the St.-Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory.