Vitalij Kuprij
Encyclopedia
Vitalij Kuprij (born 1974) is a Ukrainian
pianist
, composer
, music teacher, and keyboardist of the defunct neo-classical
progressive metal
band Artension. He resides in Reading, Pennsylvania
when he is not touring.
's Mykola Lysenko
Music Academy where he studied with Professor Nina Najditsch. After graduation, he went to Switzerland
to study with Vienna's Rudolf Buchbinder
at the Basel Conservatory. In 1995, Mr Kuprij was sent to the United States upon recommendation by Sir James Galway
to study with pianist Gary Graffman
, President and Director of Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia
. From Curtis, while on full scholarship
, he obtained another degree and graduated in 2000.
Galway chose him as his accompanist for the International Flute Seminar Master Classes held in Switzerland and for work on an international tour. Galway and Vitalij were on National Public Radio in the United States when Galway played a world-premier of one of his original compositions written for piano and flute. Soon thereafter, Vitalij was featured on WRTI
for an hour broadcast from Philadelphia titled "Crossover with Jill Pasternak".
On March 7, 1999, Vitalij was selected as the soloist to perform the "Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1
" with the New York Youth Symphony
at Carnegie Hall
, followed by performances at the Alice Tully Hall
and Avery Fisher Hall
.
After performing his Carnegie Hall solo debut, Kuprij was featured in a two-page spread in the New York Times written by arts and entertainment writer Dan Wakin.
During the summer of 2007, Vitalij appeared at Mexico's "Music Fest" in Mexico City
.
Vitalij is negotiating with the Kiev Philharmonic to record the Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto.
In 2009 and 2010, he joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra
as pianist for live performances in the United States and Europe.
. He plans to dedicate his concerto to the memory of his late father and mentor who was a professor of trombone
and music theory
in a conservatory in Ukraine.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, music teacher, and keyboardist of the defunct neo-classical
Neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performanceExact quote from the french text: "L'arrivée du néoclassique remet au goût du jour la virtuosité et le travail de l'instrument", « Les secrets du metal-...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Artension. He resides in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
when he is not touring.
Music career
Vitalij began piano studies at KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
's Mykola Lysenko
Mykola Lysenko
Mykola Vitaliiovych Lysenko was a Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor and ethnomusicologist.- Biography :Lysenko was born in Hrynky, Kremenchuk Povit, Poltava Governorate, the son of Vitaliy Romanovich Lysenko . From childhood he became very interested in the folksongs of Ukrainian peasants and...
Music Academy where he studied with Professor Nina Najditsch. After graduation, he went to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to study with Vienna's Rudolf Buchbinder
Rudolf Buchbinder
Rudolf Buchbinder is an Austrian classical pianist.-Biography:Buchbinder studied with Bruno Seidlhofer at the Vienna Academy of Music. In 1965 he made a tour of North and South America. In 1966 he won a special prize awarded at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition...
at the Basel Conservatory. In 1995, Mr Kuprij was sent to the United States upon recommendation by Sir James Galway
James Galway
- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...
to study with pianist Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman
Gary Graffman is an American classical pianist, teacher of piano and music administrator.Graffman was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. Having started piano at age 3, Graffman entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 7 in 1936 as a piano student of Isabelle Vengerova...
, President and Director of Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. From Curtis, while on full scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
, he obtained another degree and graduated in 2000.
Galway chose him as his accompanist for the International Flute Seminar Master Classes held in Switzerland and for work on an international tour. Galway and Vitalij were on National Public Radio in the United States when Galway played a world-premier of one of his original compositions written for piano and flute. Soon thereafter, Vitalij was featured on WRTI
WRTI
WRTI is a public radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a service of Temple University.WRTI began in 1948 as an AM carrier current station. It was founded by John Roberts, professor emeritus of communications at Temple and long-time anchorman at WFIL-TV . He'd helped found the School...
for an hour broadcast from Philadelphia titled "Crossover with Jill Pasternak".
On March 7, 1999, Vitalij was selected as the soloist to perform the "Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Liszt)
Franz Liszt composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S.124 over a 26-year period; the main themes date from 1830, while the final version dates 1849. The concerto consists of four movements, which are performed without breaks in between, and lasts approximately 20 minutes...
" with the New York Youth Symphony
New York Youth Symphony
The New York Youth Symphony is a tuition-free music organization for youth in New York City. Its programs include its flagship symphony orchestra, Chamber Music program, Jazz Band Classic, Apprentice Conducting, and Making Score. Its members range from 12 to 22 years of age...
at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, followed by performances at the Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
and Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
.
After performing his Carnegie Hall solo debut, Kuprij was featured in a two-page spread in the New York Times written by arts and entertainment writer Dan Wakin.
During the summer of 2007, Vitalij appeared at Mexico's "Music Fest" in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
Vitalij is negotiating with the Kiev Philharmonic to record the Rachmaninoff 2nd Piano Concerto.
In 2009 and 2010, he joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
as pianist for live performances in the United States and Europe.
Compositions
When he is not touring, Vitalij works on writing and composing his own piano concertoPiano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
. He plans to dedicate his concerto to the memory of his late father and mentor who was a professor of trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
in a conservatory in Ukraine.
Solo albums
- High Definition (full-length, 1997)
- Extreme Measures (full-length, 1998)
- VK3 (full-length, 1999)
- Works of Liszt and Chopin (full-length, 2001)
- Forward and Beyond (full-length, 2004)
- The Modern European Tradition (full-length, 2005)
- Revenge (full-length, 2005)
- Glacial Inferno (full-length, 2007)
- Glacial Inferno & Revenge (compilation, 2007)
- 12 Months of the Year (full-length, 2008)
Ring of Fire
- The Oracle (2001)
- Burning Live in Tokyo (2002)
- Dreamtower (2003)
Artension
- Into the Eye of the Storm (1996)
- Phoenix RisingPhoenix Rising (Artension album)Phoenix Rising is the second album by progressive metal band Artension. It contains the second song in the "Don't Care" trilogy, "I Really Don't Care", with "I Don't Care" on the preceding album and "I Really, Really Don't Care" on their latest album....
(1997) - Forces of NatureForces of Nature (album)Forces of Nature is an album released by neo-classical progressive metal band Artension in 1999.-Track listing:All songs by Vitalij Kuprij and John West, except "Wild Trip" by Vitalij Kuprij.# "The Forces of Nature" – 6:29# "Ride Like the Wind" – 5:10...
(1999) - MachineMachine (Artension album)Machine is an album released by neo-classical progressive metal band Artension in 2000.-Track listing:All songs by Vitalij Kuprij and John West# "Machine" – 5:24# "The Way" – 5:54# "Madness Calling" – 5:00# "Mother Earth" – 5:16...
(2000) - Sacred PathwaysSacred PathwaysSacred Pathways is an album released by neo-classical progressive metal band Artension in 2001. The album has a definite Aztec or Mayan feel to it, as well as links with the Nazca civilization, with aspects such as the cover art and various tracks, for example "Silent Temple", "Sacred Pathways" and...
(2001) - New DiscoveryNew DiscoveryNew Discovery is an album released by neo-classical, progressive metal band Artension in 2002.-Track listing:All tracks by Vitalij Kuprij and John West except track 11 by Vitalij Kuprij# "New Discovery" – 6:16# "Remember My Name" – 4:31...
(2002) - Future World (2004)