In 1981 Igor Butman graduated from the Leningrad Mussorgsky Music School and started playing in its jazz club and big band. He moved forward as a viola saxophonist of David Goloschekin Ensemble (1980-81), in 1982-83 I became the leader of the saxophonic group in Oleg Lundstrem's Orchestra. In 1983 he returned to Leningrad and organized with his age-mates one of the best quintets of that time, which became a sensation at several festivals. At the same time Igor Butman participated in various free juzz projects, in particular, the Pop Mechanics band of Sergey Kuryokhin.
In 1987 he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Having graduated as a concert saxophonist and a composer, he moved to New York and got acquainted with lots of American jazz stars (Grover Washington, Pat Metheny, Billey Taylor, Eddie Gómez, and others). Igor Butman participated in the European tours of Lionel Hampton Orchestra.
From 1992 he took great interest in cultural exchange between America and Russia. He repeatedly brought ensembles with American musicians to Russian jazz music festivals and short tours.
Since 1996 Igor Butman has been living in Moscow and carrying out a set of various projects: from holding international festivals to hosting telecasts, such as Jazzophrenia, from organizing a jazz club (Le Club in the Taganka Theatre) to touring around this country with foreign musicians.