Andrey Pushkarev was born in 1974 in Kyiv. Graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine named after P. I. Tchaikovsky (class of Alexander Blinov). In 1995 he was awarded the New Names of Ukraine award.

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He performed as a vibraphonist in various chamber ensembles; in 1996–2004 was a timpani player of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. Since 1999 he has been an artist of the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, a regular participant in the Gidon Kremer Festival in Lockenhaus (Austria). His solos are featured on many of the band's discs released by Nonesuch, Deutsche Grammophon, ECM. The album After Mozart, recorded with his participation, won the Grammy (2001) and ECHO Klassik (2002) awards.

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He is active as a solo vibraphonist, is the author of arrangements for vibraphone, performs with Gidon Kremer in a duet and various chamber ensembles. In 2010, with Kremer and Argentinean bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi, he recorded a disc with music by Gia Kancheli, Themes from the Songbook (ECM Records). He also collaborates with such well-known musicians as Yo-Yo Ma, Vadim Repin, Michel Portal, Marta Argerich, Roman Kofman, Yuri Temirkanov, Gabriela Montero, Ekaterina Scanavi, Mario Brunello, Oleg Meizenberg, Didier Lockwood and others.

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In 2004, Pushkarev performed for the first time the solo program Bach Vibrations. In the same year he was awarded the European Pro Europe Award. In 2008, the recording of the program Bach Vibrations (Gramola) was awarded the German Music Critics' Prize.

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Since 2009, the musician has been giving master classes in different countries of the world, participating in the jury of international competitions for percussion performers. He is an endorser and official performer of Majestic Percussion and Innovative Percussion. In 2017, the ballet Don Giovanni was staged at the Latvian National Opera to music by W. A. Mozart and F. Chopin, arranged by Andrey Pushkarev.