Vitalij Kuprij, a Ukrainian-American maestro famous for his classical training and virtuoso performances, has passed away at 49. Kuprij, known for his collaborations with progressive metal bands ARTENSION and RING OF FIRE, as well as his tours with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, leaves behind a legacy in music. The cause of his death remains undisclosed at this time.
The confirmation of Kuprij‘s passing came from his longtime friend Lars Eric Mattsson, a Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer, who shared the news on his Facebook page, writing: “Woke up to really sad news this morning as my dear friend and keyboard maestro Vitalij Kuprij has passed away last night. The Ukranian born virtuoso was living in Philadelphia and recently came off another hugely successful tour with the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA.
“I have known and worked with Vitalij for over 20 years and he always talked about seeing me here in Finland to go fishing, which was his second love after music. We have recorded together several times, first time was for the debut album of BOOK OF REFLECTIONS 20 years ago and then later for my MATTSSON concept album War. My record label Lion Music Record Label has released a lot of his music including three solo albums, his band ARTENSION and more.
“You will be deeply missed my friend!”
Vitalij started his piano studies at Kiev’s Mykola Lysenko Music Academy under the tutelage of Professor Nina Najditsch. Following his graduation, he pursued further studies in Switzerland under Vienna’s Rudolf Buchbinder at the Basel Conservatory. In 1995, upon the recommendation of Sir James Galway, Kuprij traveled to the United States to study with pianist Gary Graffman, who served as the President and Director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Benefiting from a full scholarship, he obtained an additional degree from Curtis, completing his studies in 2000.
