Kirill Vladimirovich Pokrovsky was a Russian keyboardist and composer. He w… Read Full Bio ↴Kirill Vladimirovich Pokrovsky was a Russian keyboardist and composer. He was a member of the original lineup of popular heavy metal band Ария, and eventually became a video game composer.

Pokrovsky was born March 25, 1962 in Moscow, Soviet-Union. Kirill's musical career began at the tender age of five when he took his first music lessons from his mother, an instructor and accomplished pianist. From that moment on music would determine Kirill's entire life. Pokrovsky continued his studies at the Music School, where he learned to play the piano, the oboe and the saxophone. Then he started creating his first compositions.

After graduation he decided to make his way in the world of music as a composer. To develop his creativity he enrolled in Moscow's conservatory, where he concentrated on music theory and composition. During the conservatories period Pokrovsky worked on his compositions, participated in different projects and bands. He embarked on diverse projects for film, television, radio, theatre etc. Never accepting the traditional barriers as a 'classical composer', Pokrovsky gained quite some success in jazz, rock, pop and other genres.

Since rock music in Russia was officially forbidden until 1986, recording two albums with a rock band "ARIA" in 1984/1985 and performing this music was a very big risk at that time, but it brought rapidly growing popularity to the band. Luckily Perestroika happened and by the end of 1986 the band gained enormous success.

In 1987 two musicians left the band and kept the name. After the replacement the name was changed to "MASTER", new albums and tours followed, bringing more and more popularity. Once there was a concert attended by 20.000 people. One of the records sold over 1.500.000 copies. Despite the popularity of the band in 1989 Kirill decided to leave the band to concentrate on his solo career. Pokrovsky's creative ambitions and musical curiosity brought him to Western Europe.

In 1990 he settled in Belgium where he got so inspired by the beauty of the medieval town of Bruges, that he decided to name "BRUGGE" his first solo album, released in 1991, after this historical town. On that album the artist presents piano compositions in a neo-classical romantic style.

Pokrovsky's music displays a colourful picture of a metamorphosis. Passion, intensity and wit blend into sentimental feelings and sublime delicacy. He does not concentrate on new musical forms or tonality structures, but seeks exciting melody lines and an emotional world of sounds: "I have put all my experience and Russian heart in music". Typical Slavic intonations as well as the traditions of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov can be heard all over his work.

In the years 1990-1998 Kirill performed his music across the country, in Holland and in France. Aside from this public performances he worked a lot in the studio, recording music for films, theatre and multimedia productions. He wrote songs and made arrangements for various bands and artists.

Kirill is creating music for computer games developed by Belgian Larian Studios in Oudenaarde. At the same time he is working on a lot of "Projects". There he tends towards what he calls ‘Dream-Age Music’. The new compositions are quiet, dreamy and spacy. This music makes you feel comfortable, it cleanses your soul and fills you with warm feelings. "It is like a conversation in a very quiet way", says Pokrovsky. "I communicate with music. It is my language, a direct conversation with the heart and
soul of my listeners."