Dmitry Yablonsky was born in Moscow in 1962 into a family of musicians. His mother is pianist Oxana Yablonskaya, and his father was the principal oboist of the Moscow Radio and Television Orchestra. At the age of six, he was accepted into the Central School for Gifted Children in Moscow and made his solo debut at the age of nine. In 1977, he emigrated to the United States to continue his studies at the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute, and Yale University.

He has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, La Scala, and the Concertgebouw, and has worked with conductors such as Hiroyuki Iwaki and Krzysztof Penderecki. He has played chamber music with artists like Victor Tretiakov and Yuri Bashmet.

In addition to his career as a cellist, he began a successful career as a conductor. He has worked with major orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, and the Israel Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Puigcerdà Music Festival in 1998 and has recorded over 70 albums. His recording of Popper’s 40 Etudes for Naxos received high acclaim.

Yablonsky has organized several international festivals and is known for his charismatic personality, which has enabled him to launch musical projects around the world. He performs on a Joseph Filius Andrea Guarneri cello (1726) and a Matteo Goffriller (1700).