PHILADELPHIA, PA – Steinway performance artist Vitalij Kuprij, pianist for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, will deliver a guest performance as part of the College’s Steinway Master Artist series on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. in the East Parlor, St. Joseph Hall.
Kuprij, a Ukrainian born pianist and composer, has international acclaim for his classical background and training while also transitioning seamlessly to neo-classical, progressive rock and metal.
A graduate of the Curtis School of Music in Philadelphia and a resident of Reading, Pa., Kuprij is an in-demand musician throughout the United States and abroad. He has performed in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. The recipient of many distinguished musical honors in several countries, he won the prestigious first prize as the youngest person to compete in the All-Union Chopin Competition held in the Soviet Union, the gold medal in the Kiev Conservatory Competition and the Mykola Lyssenko Competition in the Ukraine. He also received first prize in the Geneva Duo Competition for Violin and Piano as well as the gold medal in the Piano 80 and Swiss Youth Competition, the Chicago Piano Competition, the New York Piano Competition, and the Cleveland Piano Competition.
In 1999, he was selected as the soloist to perform composer Liszt’s Piano Concerto #1 with the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall. Recently he had his solo Carnegie Hall debut where he played two encores followed by performances at Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. He has recorded six classical albums to date, and is working on composing his own piano concerto.
Although well-known for his classical training and technique, Kuprij’s crossover ability into neo-classical and rock has made him a famous name amongst his peers. He has numerous albums under the Marquee Avalon and Yamaha labels, hits on the Japanese charts, and has given master classes and workshops at colleges and universities across the country. He began touring with the Trans-Siberian orchestra in 2009, after being discovered through internet clips of his incredible keyboard work. The orchestra, although best known for its renditions of Christmas songs, is a touring progressive rock group best known for bringing back the rock opera with their dazzling pyrotechnic light show.
The Steinway Master Artist Series kicked off in 2012 with a performance from Steinway performance artist Meral Gϋneyman, state artist of the Republic of Turkey.
The concert is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. To register for the event, please email eventregistration@chc.edu
