Yurii Kerpatenko

Yurii Kerpatenko
Керпатенко Юрій Леонідович
Born9 September 1976
Kherson, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
DiedSeptember 28, 2022(2022-09-28) (aged 46)
Kherson, Ukraine
Alma materKherson School of Music
Kyiv Conservatory
Occupation(s)Conductor, orchestrator, accordionist
Years active2000–2022

Yurii Leonidovych Kerpatenko (Ukrainian: Керпатенко Юрій Леонідович; 9 September 1976 – 28 September 2022[1]) was a Ukrainian conductor, orchestrator, and accordionist who was the principal conductor of the Mykola Kulish Music and Drama Theatre [uk] from 2004 until his death in 2022. He was also the principal conductor of the Gileya chamber orchestra of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic [uk] from 2000 until 2022. Kerpatenko declined to cooperate during the Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast and was killed by Russian soldiers in his home in September 2022.

Life

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Kerpatenko was born 9 September 1976 in Kherson.[2] He graduated in the accordion class from State Secondary School No. 1 in 1991 under teacher A.V. Kostrub.[2] Kerpatenko attended the Kherson School of Music [uk] from 1991 until his graduation in 1995 where he studied under V.I. Melnichenko.[2][3] He graduated from the Kyiv Conservatory in 2000 where he studied in the department of folk instruments and was part of the accordion class.[3] He was considered a virtuoso player of the Bayan.[4] In 2004, Kerpatenko also graduated with distinction from the department of opera and symphonic conducting under professor V.B. Hnyedash and instrumental science and orchestration under professor Lev Kolodub.[2]

He became the principal conductor of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic's chamber orchestra, "Gilea" in 2000.[5][6] Since August 2004, he was also the principal conductor of the Mykola Kulish Music and Drama Theatre.[5][2] During the Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast, Kerpatenko continued posting defiant messages on Facebook through May 2022.[7]

Death

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In September 2022, family members of Kerpatenko outside of Kherson lost contact with him.[7][8] The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reported that he had declined to participate in an upcoming October 1 concert hosted by the Russian occupiers.[7] The Russian administration planned to feature Kerpatenko's Gileya chamber orchestra in a concert "intended by the occupiers to demonstrate the so-called 'improvement of peaceful life' in Kherson".[7] Later, the Ukrainian ministry claimed that he was shot dead in his home by the Russian military due to refusing to cooperate with them during their occupation of Kherson Oblast.[5][9] His death was reported on 13 October 2022.[10]

Reactions

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Ukraine's Kherson regional prosecutor's office is investigating his death "on the basis of violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder."[7] Musicians Dalia Stasevska, Semyon Bychkov,[7] Vlad,[11] and Roger O'Donnell[12] and writer Andrey Kurko[11] responded to the news of his death on social media.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Callaghan, Louise (2022-11-19). "Martyred for his music? The outspoken Ukrainian conductor shot dead by the Russians". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Керпатенко Юрій Леонідович" [Kerpatenko Yurii Leonidovych]. Арт Кавун (Art Watermelon). Archived from the original on 2017-11-04.
  3. ^ a b "Народні інструменти" [Folk instruments]. Херсонське музичне училище | Херсонское музыкальное училище (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-10-15. [Among its best graduates of different years are O.I. Serdyuk (in the 1990s - head of the city's culture department), Yu.M. Ivanenko - director of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic, Yu.L. Kerpatenko - conductor of the Drama Theater named after M. Kulisha.]
  4. ^ "Ocupantes rusos asesinan a conductor ucraniano" [Russian occupiers kill Ukrainian Conductor]. news.eseuro.com. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Zahorodnii, Mykhailo (15 October 2022). "Renowned conductor Yurii Kerpatenko killed by Russians". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  6. ^ "Yurii Kerpatenko refused to bow to Russian orders". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Higgins, Charlotte; Mazhulin, Artem (2022-10-16). "Russian troops kill Ukrainian musician for refusing role in Kherson concert". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  8. ^ Specia, Megan (2022-10-15). "An orchestra conductor has been killed after refusing to cooperate with Russian occupiers, Ukrainian officials say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  9. ^ "Kyiv told to save electricity after Russian missile strike". BBC News. 2022-10-15. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  10. ^ Петік, Марина (2022-10-14). "Окупанти в Херсоні автоматною чергою через двері вбили відомого музиканта: подробиці трагедії" [The occupiers in Kherson killed a famous musician with an automatic burst through the door: details of the tragedy]. OBOZREVATEL NEWS (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  11. ^ a b c Khaled, Fatma (2022-10-16). "Ukrainian killed by Russians for refusing to perform at propaganda concert". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  12. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (2022-10-16). "Ukrainian Orchestra Conductor Murdered By Russian Troops After Refusing to Perform". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
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