Viktor Dmitriyevich Ogorodnov was born in Leningrad in 1953. He has been living in the city of Gatchina in Leningrad region since 1959. In 1978 Viktor graduated from Leningrad State Conservatoire named after N. A. Rimskiy-Korsakov, choir conducting department of professor T. I. Khitrova, and in 1981 - composition department of professor V. P. Tchistyakov. He also took lessons of symphonic music conducting from M. Jansons.
In 1980 Viktor Ogorodnov founded choral music school ''April'' (Gatchina) and became its artistic director. Time and again choirs of this school have become laureates of international choir contests in Switzerland, Belgium, Wales, Italy, Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Slovakia etc.
Viktor Ogorodnov is a laureate of National Festival of young composers (Erevan, 1980). He has been a member of Composers’ Union of USSR since 1989. Main genres in his creative work - symphonic, choir, vocal, chamber-instrumental music - are represented by such works as Variations for Sy mphony Orchestra, Concerto for violin and orchestra, Melodramatic fragments for symphony orchestra ''Nameless Star'', two masses (Missa brevis) for female choir and pipe organ, Concerto for mixed choir based on O. Kazakov’s lyrics, Concerto for female choir, soprano and clarinet solo, vocal series based on folk lyrics and lyrics of F. Garc?a Lorca, A. Akhmatova, V. Lavrov, and also by music to theatre performances and works for children.
Viktor Ogorodnov is the author of the chime melody of the oldest clock in Russia - chiming clock of Ferapontov Monastery (Vologda region).
The premiere of Missa Brevis No. 2 took place in 2002 in St. Nicholas’ Church (Nikolaikirche) in Potsdam, Germany. Performing cast: female choir ''April'' conducted by Viktor Ogorodnov, pipe organ - Yelena Borisovets. The Mass is devoted to Berliner friends of Choir ''April'' who played a very big role in their professional development.

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