Victor Smolski

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Victor Smolski (born January 2, 1969, in Minsk, Belarus) is the son of Professor Dmitry Smolski, one of the leaders of the Russian composers of the present time.

He was six years old when he began studying the piano and cello, the guitar followed and at the age of eleven he was professional already. He played together with the Belarussian rock band Pesniary when he was 14 years old. Pesniary sold about 10 million records, being a band, which can be compared with the German band Scorpions.

Smolski was awarded diplomas on playing rock and jazz guitar as well as on composing and arranging music. In his early days of life Victor studied everything possible for a musician.

In 1988 he founded the band Inspector and they went to Germany to play concerts for the first time. During a concert Frank Bornemann was very interested in the band and offered a contract to Inspector. Due to some visa problems the tour became complicated, but even then Inspector played many shows in Germany. In 1993 they released their CD, Russian Prayer (ARIS / ARIOLA).

1 The Years Spent in Germany
2 Rage and Beyond
3 Motorsport
4 Discography
- 4.1 Producer and guestmusician for
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] The Years Spent in Germany

In 1993, Smolski decided to stay in Germany. He worked as a studio musician and produced his EP Destiny in 1996.

In 1995, Smolski joined the progmetal band Mind Odyssey, who were soon successful. They went on various European tours with Vicious Rumors and Savatage and their video for Schizophenia was regularly shown on MTV and VIVA. On the successful Mind Odyssey albums, Nailed To The Shade and Signs, most of the songs were composed by Smolski. He played all the guitar, sitar and keyboard tracks. During the arrangement of both CDs, he also worked together with the Symphonic Orchestra Belarus.

Smolski also works as a record producer. He works for the Label B. Mind Records he discovered and produced bands like GB Arts and Delirious? and also international musicians like the American vocalist DC Cooper. He has worked for labels like BMG, GUN Records, Drakkar and Ariola Victor.

His father, Dmitry, is convinced of his son's work. Together, they composed symphonies for electric guitar and classical orchestra, which they presented live during an European tour in 1999.

[edit] Rage and Beyond

In June 1999, Smolski became new guitarist of Rage, performing with their new line up at Wacken Open Air 1999 for the first time. European and Russian tours followed.

In the beginning of 2000, Smolski composed and produced his first solo CD, which was recorded in co-operation with the Belarussian Orchestra and his colleagues from Rage. This Symphony, entitled The Heretic deals with the time of burning witches. The Heretic was released on the 19th of June 2000. Noticed by the international press, parts of this exceptional "Metal meets Classic" album The Heretic were presented live during a few concerts together with the Belarussian Orchestra in the same year.

From August up to November 2000, the "Rage" album Welcome To The Other Side was recorded in the VPS Studios in Hamm. Half of the songs were composed by Victor, who was also responsible for the production.

Due to his many-sided engagements, renowned companies like Yamaha, Siggi Guitars, Peavey, Thomastik-Infeld and Cordial became attentive to him and sundry contracts were signed. At the Winter NAMM Show, the largest music fair in America, the Music Expo in Dubai and at many other international music fairs, Victor showed his ability as a solist and also represented the companies, mentioned before. Victor's greatest success was registered in 2001, as the song "Straight To Hell", composed by Victor for the Rage Album Welcome To The Other Side was used for the soundtrack of the most successful German movie production called Der Schuh des Manitu. About 15 million spectators have seen this movie up till now. In 2004 the same song was again used for another movie of Michael Bully Herbig called Traumschiff Surprise.

In 2002, Rage combined their long-term experience to produce their next album called Unity. Unity, a first-rate metal firework, is an impressive document of the high technical level Victor (guitars, keyboards) and his two colleagues have achieved, while embedding their virtuoso instrumental abilities cleverly into a homogeneous corset of songs. A video clip to the song "Down", was produced by director Yankovsky in the Belarus capital of Minsk, was shown on musicchannels like VIVA regularly.

In October 2003, the Rage album Soundchaser was released. A guest appearance by Andi Deris (Helloween) on "Falling From Grace" lended particular appeal to this song. Beside the many concerts and festivals all around the world that Rage played, they were also touring for months together with Helloween at the end of 2003.

In November 2004, Smolski's latest solo CD, Majesty & Passion, was released by Drakkar Classic on the market. Smolski has arranged songs of the "Old Master" Johan Sebastian Bach into some heavier versions. Together with his bandmates from Rage, Peavy Wagner and Mike Terrana, several notable international musicians and the Inspector Symphony Orchestra Victor recorded these songs. Twice, songs from this album were presented live. First at the International Bach Festival in Leipzig and also at the Rock Meets Renaissance festival at Schloss Beck in Bottrop, organized by Uli Jon Roth.

In the beginning of 2005, Rage got the permission to use a scene out of the most successful German movie production Der Schuh des Manitu, so Matthias Knézy-Bohm produced a video clip to the song "Straight To Hell", which was composed by Smolski. Together with the most successful Russian band Kipelov (ex Aria) Victor has recorded the CD Peku BpemeH as a guest musician, and played lot's of concerts together with Kipelov in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Israel. Beside that, a video clip full of action was produced to the new Kipelov CD by Director Yankovsky (Irreal Pictures). In August 2005, Smolski presented the Symphony Nr. 9 for orchestra and electric guitar together with the Symphonic Orchestra Young Belarus at the concert house at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, which was composed by Victor and his father. Victor appeared on the 2006 Rage album Speak of the Dead.

[edit] Motorsport

Smolski is also a racecar driver and has been on various race teams through the years.

Victor has got his first professional contract for a complete race season on the Russian Sport Garage Team, and will take part at the RTCC (Russian Touring Car Championship) with a VW GTI (Start Nr. 17)

Victor Smolski's Official Webpage.