Oleg Sharov was born in 1946 in St. Petersburg - Russia, and is a product of the wide range of musical facilities offered by the former Soviet State system. After preparatory school, he attended at the age of eight,one of the Children's Music Schools in St. Petersburg, of which there are no less than fifty in the city. His chosen instrument was the Bayan-Accordion. After 'Middle Level' studies he secured one of only 20 places available  that year, at the world famous St. Petersburg "Rimsky Korsakov" Conservatory of Music. He completed five years of study, and was invited to join one of the privileged classes called 'Asperantura', which led to his appointment as a tutor at the Conservatory. He is currently Senior Professor of Music and head of the accordion department at the Conservatory.

He has toured extensively in the Soviet Union, Finland and Eastern Europa. It was not until Peristroika that he was able to tour in the West and Scandinavia (1987) and the USA (1990). In recent years Oleg has given premiers of about twenty modern and original works for free bass accordion of Russian and European composers. One of the latest of these was the first performance in the United Kingdom (1996) of 'Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra' (Ivor Hodgson) with the Manchester Camarata Symphony Orchestra.

He has continued to enhance his international reputation by touring Japan, France, China, Spain, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark,  SwitzeRland,  NOrway,  Yugoslavia, Belgium and Poland. In addition he has given Master Classes at the Royal Academies of Music in London, Copenhagen and Antwerp. Also he has been invited to International Accordion Seminars in Barcelona, Tokyo as well as in Finland, Norway, China and Poland. Oleg Sharov has be asked to adjudicate at Competitions at Coup Mondiale (1995), Trofeo Mondiale (1990) and Grand Prix (1991, 1994 and 1997). He continues to organise two International Accordion Festivals each year in St. Petersburg.

He has transcribed several classical pieces for the free base accordion including "The Blue Danube" (Johann Strauss), Hungarian Rhapsody Nos 2 &14 (F.Listz), Gothic Suit (L.Boelman) and several Russian melodies. His concert repertoire includes music from Baroque to Avantgarde.( Vivaldi, J.S.Bach, Listz, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Repnikov, Banchikov and Olczak.)

He is regarded by his peers as one of the most accomplished 'Free Bass' accordionists in the world today and in 1985 he was awarded the title of "Honour Artist of the Russian Republic".