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Vitalij Kuprij


Member

1993-2024 Artension - keyboards  
1997-2024 Vitalij Kuprij - keyboards, piano  
2000-2003 Ring Of Fire - keyboards  
2013-2024 Ring Of Fire - keyboards  
2021-2024 Majustice - keyboards  

Studio musician

2000 Mark Boals - keyboards  
2004 Takayoshi Ohmura - keyboards  
2007 John Macaluso & Union Radio - keyboards  
2012 Trans-Siberian Orchestra - keyboards  

Live musician

2009- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - keyboards, piano  
2015 Savatage - keyboards  

Guest musician

1998 James Murphy - keyboards  
2002 John West - keyboards  
2002 Tony Hernando - keyboards  
2004 Book Of Reflections - keyboard solo  
2005 Lars Eric Mattsson - keyboards  
2005 Francesco Fareri - keyboards, piano  
2006 José Del Río - keyboards  
2007 Francesco Fareri - keyboards, piano  
2009 Noumeno - keyboards  
2010 Tommy Vitaly - keyboards  
2012 Mythodea - piano  
2016 Vivaldi Metal Project - keyboards  

Personal information

Also known as: Віталій Купрій
Born on: 04.07.1974
Died on: 20.02.2024

Official website

Vitalij Kuprij (Віталій Купрій) (born 1974) is a Ukrainian-American pianist, composer, music teacher, and
keyboardist of the defunct neo-classical progressive metal band Artension.

Music career

Vitalij began piano studies at Kiev'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.