As Artist-Director of the Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic Orchestras Since 2003, Alexey Shabalin conducts the Symphony (the most advanced group). Having expanded and improved under his leadership, the ensemble performed in Carnegie Hall in May, 2005. He also founded and conducts the Rhode Island Youth Soloists, a chamber orchestra of the top string players. Many colleges take pride in their musical offerings for non-majors, attracting excellent students who play seriously for their own enjoyment. For several years, Shabalin has been the assistant conductor and strings coach of the MIT Symphony, and he led the group as principal conductor in an all Russian program in December 2005. He coaches chamber music at Brown University , and he conducts the symphony orchestra, coaches violin and chamber groups, and teaches music theory at Providence College . In addition, he instructs a large number of private students in the Boston and Providence areas, and at the Music School in Rhode Island , in 2005, Siemens Foundation appointed Shabalin as Artistic Director to select talented students from elite colleges around the country. He created a concert in New York City featuring an eclectic mix of pieces by these young performers.

Currently, Shabalin is a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. Active as a solo recitalist and chamber player, his busy concert schedule has taken him around the world. Shabalin graduated from Moscow Conservatory in 1995, having studied with Professors Igor Besrodny and Alexander Melkinov. As a student he won third prize in the Soviet national string quartet competition in 1991. During the same year he was a semifinalist in the International Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition. In 1995 he won the "Best Violinist in a Duet" category in the International Bashmet Competition Moscow.

From 1992 to 1996, Shabalin toured with the world-renown Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Yuri Bashmet. The group played in 32 countries and most of the major concert halls of the world. In 1995 the group gave the second performance ever held of Mozart's newly unearthed Triple Concerto, with Shabalin playing the solo violin part. In recognition of his talent, he was allowed to perform on a priceless Stradivarius violin owned by the Russian government. The orchestra recorded extensively on a variety of prestigious CD labels with the world's top soloists. Moving to the US in 1996, Shabalin has played in many orchestras, at chamber groups, and festivals around New England and the US .

The Boston Globe called him "a very gifted and unusually personal violinist," and praised his playing for projecting "a certain aristocratic air that is solidly supported by technique and musicality."