Vitalij Kuprij

神指彈奏出精靈國度中熟悉的音符
黑白琴鍵隨著兩大吉他護法左右開弓
Artension、Ring Of Fire 當家鍵盤手
1974 年出生在前蘇聯(lián)加盟國 -- 烏克蘭的鋼琴神童 Vitalij Kuprij 他曾得過無數(shù)鋼琴比賽的首獎，最為眾人所樂道的是他曾拿過國際青年蕭邦鋼琴大賽的冠軍，16 歲時他離開烏克蘭前往瑞士進修，那時遇見了吉他手 Roger Staffelbach，他們組了一個叫做 "Atlantis Rising" 的搖滾樂團，隨后 VK 在基輔音樂學院繼續(xù)深造，直到21歲時前往美國追求更高的鋼琴演奏領域
。
天生多才多藝的 VK，除了在古典鋼琴的領域聞名外，也跨足進入重金屬搖滾的世界，這時他和老友吉他手 Roger 在美國找了印地安血統(tǒng)的主唱 John West、貝斯手 Kevin Chown、鼓手 Mike Terrana 合組 Artension 這個新古典金屬樂團，發(fā)行了六張專輯，"New Discovery(2002)"、"Sacred Pathways(2001)"、"Machine (2000)、"Forces Of Nature(1999)"、"Phoenix Rising(1997)"、"Into The Eye Of The Storm(1996)"，并且出版了三張充滿新古典風味的鍵盤演奏專輯，搭配了三位當今樂壇上的吉他大師，分別是1997年"High Definition，吉他手 Tony MacAlpine"、1998年"Extreme Measures，吉他手 George Bellas"、1999年"VK3，吉他手Greg Howe" 和古典鋼琴專輯”Works Of Liszt And Chopin”(2001)。他還為主唱 Mark Boal、John West，吉他手 Greg Howe、James Murphy、Tony Hernando 等人跨刀，當然古典金屬名團 Ring Of Fire 也少不了他的參與。
樂隊成員：
Keyboards: Vitalij Kuprij
Guitars: Greg Howe
Bass: Greg Howe
Drums: Jon Doman
by Greg Prato
Born in 1974 in Volodarka, Kiev, Ukraine, keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij has received numerous awards for his playing talents, and has covered a wide variety of musical styles throughout his career, including classical and prog rock, among others. During his early years, Kuprij won the first prize in the All-Union Chopin Competition held in the Republic of Kazan, Soviet Union, as well as the top honor at the Geneva Duo Competition for Violin and Piano (in addition, he appeared on Ukranian radio and TV performing concertos by both Beethoven and Chopin). By the age of 16, Kuprij had left the Ukraine and in 1993, formed his first prog metal band, Atlantis Rising, with guitarist Roger Staffelbach. After Kuprij relocated to the U.S. in 1995, the band later mutated into Artension, signing to Mike Varney's Shrapnel label and issuing such albums as 1996's Into the Eye of the Storm, 1997's Phoenix Rising, 1999's Forces of Nature, and 2000's Machine. Alongside his work with Artension, Kuprij began to issue his own solo albums on Shrapnel as well -- 1997's High Definition, 1998's Extreme Measures, 1999's VK3, and 2001's Plays the Works of Liszt and Chopin: Piano. In addition, Kuprij has performed with the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall, and, in 2001, was penning material for a new outfit, Ring of Fire, a collaboration with former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Mark Boals.