Vladimir Holstinin

"Vladimir Petrovich Holstinin" (rus: Владимир Холстинин) is a Russian guitarist. He is one of the founding members of heavy metal band Aria.

----

Vladimir was born May 12, 1958, in Lyubertsy (Russian: Люберцы́) Moscow Oblast, USSR. He graduated Moscow Power Engineering Institute, where he met Vitaly Dubinin. Two institute mates became friends and formed a band "Volshebnie Sumerki" (Magic Twilight). Band played mostly cover versions of foreign bands songs, such as Deep Purple and Rainbow. Arthur Berkut was band's vocalist, and "Magic Twilight" is often considered to be a prototype to Aria.

After "Twilight"'s diband, Holstinin, together with bassist Alik Granovsky, joined rock band Alpha. Their participation was short-lived and in 1984 they went to VIA "Poyushie Serdsa" (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 own the band's name. Vladimir invited his friend and former band mate 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 best-selling Elven Manuscript concept album by Epidemia.