Dmitry Barkov was born in Moscow in 1978. He graduated from the P.I.Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (2002, Professor Valentin Snegirev's classes) and the post-graduate internship there.
He is an awardee of the Rimsky-Korsakov International Competition of woodwinds and percussion instruments in Saint Petersburg.
He worked with the E.F. Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Since 2003 he has been an artist of the percussion section in the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. He also plays with the Moscow Virtuosi State Chamber Orchestra and the Moscow Philharmonia Academic Symphony Orchestra.
He teaches at the Moscow Conservatory Academic College.