Vladimir Petrovich Holstinin (Russian: Влади́мир Петро́вич Холстинин) is a Russian guitarist. He is one of the founding members of heavy metal band Aria.[1]
Biography
Vladimir was born May 12, 1958, in Lyubertsy, Russian SFSR. He graduated from Moscow Power Engineering Institute, where he met Vitaly Dubinin. The two institute mates became friends and formed a band Volshebnie Sumerki (Magic Twilight). The band played mostly cover versions of foreign bands' songs, such as Deep Purple and Rainbow. Arthur Berkut was the band's vocalist, and Magic Twilight is often considered to be a prototype to Aria.
After Twilight's disband, Holstinin, together with bassist Alik Granovsky, joined rock band Alpha. Their participation was short-lived, and in 1984 they went to VIA Poyushchie Serdtsa (Singing Hearts) led by producer Victor Vekshtein. Joined by vocalist Valery Kipelov, they formed a heavy metal band Aria, officially registered as a "side project" to Singing Hearts. Aria soon developed to be much more popular than original Singing Hearts that played a common kind of Soviet pop-rock music. After the breakup of original lineup, Holstinin and Kipelov kept the side of Vekshtein, who owned the band's name. Vladimir invited his friend and former bandmate Vitaly Dubinin to replace Granovsky on bass.
Currently, Holstinin remains the only founding member in actual lineup of Aria. Along with Dubinin, he is one of main composers of the band. Recently he produced some young metal bands; his most notable collaboration was the best-selling Elven Manuscript concept album by Epidemia.
Equipment
Several Fender Stratocaster and a couple Telecasters
