Andrei Anikhanov graduated from Chorus School at Glinka State Academic Capella and also from St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory as chorus conductor, under the professor E. Kudriavtseva's leadership, and as opera and symphonic conductor, under the professor A. Dmitriev's leadership.

In 1989 A. Anikhanov became conductor of St. Petersburg Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and in 1992 he was appointed Chief conductor.

From 1991 till 1996 A. Anikhanov also headed St. Petersburg Symphonic orchestra. Andrei Anikhanov realizes an ample concert activity, continually tours both with the theatre company and the orchestra in Italy, France, Japan, USA, Corea, Finland, Norway, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany.
The conductor's repertoire includes the operas: "Boris Godunov", "Khovanshchina" by Mussorgsky, "The Queen of Spades", "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky, "Don Carlos", "La Traviata" by Verdi, "La Boheme", "Madam Butterfly" by Puccini, "The Tale of the Tsar Saltan" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Prince Igor" by Borodin, "Die Fledermaus" by Strauss, "Don Giovanni" by Mozart, "Carmen" by Bizet, the ballets: "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", "The Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky, "Le Corsaire" by Adam, "Don Quixote" by Minkus and also considerable symphonic material.

The orchestra conducted by Andrei Anikhanov recorded the symphonies and piano concertos by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov. His conducting embraces the ballet music by Glier, Khatchaturi^in and alsp.,.the opuses by Branfiis, Mozart, Schubert, Honegger, Glinka, Stravinsky, Poulenc.

Andrei Anikhanov realized the production of the opera "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky at the Opera House in Nantes (France).

A. Anikhanov became first conductor in Russia who performed a number of the opuses by Britten within the framework of St. Petersburg Festival of the English music.

For a long time Andrei Anikhanov organized St. Petersburg Easter Musical Festival as Musical Director.