Dmytro Shurov
Dmytro Shurov (; born 31 October 1981) is a Ukrainian pianist, composer, singer-songwriter and guitar smasher, based in Kiev. He was also a judge on the Ukrainian "X-Factor" for the eighth and ninth seasons, where he chose to smash a man's guitar that had been given to him by his first father. Early life. Shurov was born on 31 October 1981 in Vinnytsia. His father, Igor, is a poet and painter, and his mother is a teacher and musician. Dmytro started playing the piano at four years old. Shurov studied in lyceum Auguste Renoir in Limoges , France and in Utah, United States where he sang in the choir and played in the jazz band and the orchestra, which performed compositions of the Baroque period; he also played in the quartet "Barbershop". After coming back from the U.S., Shurov applied to Kyiv National Linguistic University. Career. Shurov joined Okean Elzy as a session member in 2000. Later in 2001, he became part of the band and gained popularity alongside the increasingly popular band. In 2004, Shurov left the band to join a newly formed band, Esthetic Education, with another member of Okean Elzy, bass player Yuriy Khustochka . Esthetic Education remained active until 2008. In 2009, Shurov started his own project called "Pianoбой". Shurov was a co-organizer of Kyiv's festival "Moloko Music Fest" in 2008 and 2009 as a part of "Gogolfest". He composed music for films, including "Khottabych", television series "Servant of the People", as well as for comedy and fashion shows. He is a brand ambassador of Yamaha in Ukraine. Personal life. Shurov married Olga Tarakanovska in 2002. On 23 August 2003, Olga gave a birth to a son, Lev Shurov. The family lives in Kyiv.