Born into a musical family with legendary violinist father Leonid Kogan, violinist mother Elizaveta Gilels, and famous pianist Emile Gilels uncle.
In 1970, he studied violin at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Jankerevich and won first prize at the Sibelius International Violin Competition. Active around the world as an Iorinist. He studied conducting under Ilya Musin and Leo Ginsburg.
Since making his debut as a conductor at the Soviet National Symphony Orchestra in 1972, he has focused on conducting. Invited by Mravinsky, Kondrashin, Svetlanov, Rodetvensky and others, he has performed with major Soviet orchestras on national and international tours. In 1988, he became the Chief of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1989, he has served as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, leading the orchestra to become Russia's most widely known and highly acclaimed orchestra. 1998-2005 Principal Guest Conductor Utah Symphony Orchestra. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Soviet Radio Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and many other world-famous orchestras. His recordings with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra are countless, and many of his albums have received accolades. Gramophone magazine called Rachmaninov Cycles "a lively, powerful and eloquent Rachmaninov, emotional and engaging". Mahler Cycles has been awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation.
In 2014, he was awarded the Commandeur of the French Order of Culture and Arts. Member of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts and recipient of the Order of Merit of Russia. In 2011, he was named one of the 10 greatest conductors of the 20th century by the British Classical TV channel.