Yurii Kerpatenko

Yurii Leonidovych Kerpatenko (; 9 September 1976 – 28 September 2022 ) was a Ukrainian conductor, orchestrator, and accordionist who was the principal conductor of the from 2004 until his death in 2022. He was also the principal conductor of the Gileya chamber orchestra of the 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 Kerpatenko was born 9 September 1976 in Kherson. He graduated in the accordion class from State Secondary School No. 1 in 1991 under teacher A.V. Kostrub. He was considered a virtuoso player of the Bayan. 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. Since August 2004, he was also the principal conductor of the Mykola Kulish Music and Drama Theatre. 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. His death was reported on 13 October 2022.

Reactions 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." and writer Andrey Kurko