Vyacheslav Mikhaylov was born in 1957 in Moscow. Being 9 years old he was taken into the Moscow Boys Choral Capella directed by Vadim Sudakov and was taught there cello playing and choir conducting.
In 1977 he graduated from the Academic Music College at the Moscow Conservatory (Andrei Astakhov’s classes) and in 1982 from the P․I․Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (Evgeny Kolosov’s classes). In 1981-1982, he was a member of the Students and Post-Graduates Ensemble of the Moscow Conservatory directed by Yuri Nikolaevsky.
He got a diploma of the All-Union Double Bass Competition in Lvov (1980).
In 1982-1989 he had worked in the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Veronika Dudarova (since 1986 — the concertmaster of the double bass section).
In 1989-1990 he had been an artist of the Moscow Philharmonia Academic Symphony Orchestra directed by Dmitry Kitaenko and in 1990-2003 — an artist of the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Mikhail Pletnev.
Since 2003 — an artist of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the second concertmaster of the double bass section and the orchestra manager.
Since 1995 — an artist of the Helikon Opera Orchestra.
He has been honored with thanks of the President of Russia.