Markiyan Popil

Markiyan Popil was born in Lviv, Ukraine, in 1995 and began his musical journey at the piano under the guidance of his mother, Olena Popil. He continued his studies at the S. Krushelnytska Specialized Music School in Lviv, where he was mentored by Lidia Kryh and Oksana Rapita, and later at the M. Lysenko National Academy of Music. In 2015, supported by the Inspiratum Foundation, he moved to Belgium to study with Sergei Edelmann at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, where he obtained his Master’s degree magna cum laude.

Markiyan is deeply attentive to sound, with a constant search for

colour and nuance at the piano. Equally drawn to solo performance

and chamber music, he values musical communication and a direct

connection with the audience. His musical development has been

enriched through masterclasses and collaborations with musicians

such as András Schiff, Dina Yoffe, Richard Goode, Elisabeth Leonskaja,

Frank Braley and Christian Zacharias, among others.

As a performer, Markiyan has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe. Highlights include his early debut with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra and the INSO Lviv Orchestra, numerous performances with the Orchestre de la Chapelle Musicale de T ournai under Philippe Gérard, appearances with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and Casco Philharmonic. Alongside his performance career, he is active as an assistant to Professor Sergei Edelmann at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, where teaching forms a natural extension of his artistic practice.

In 2022, together with violinist Sarah Bayens and cellist Mikko Pablo, Markiyan founded the Susato Trio. The ensemble has since gained international recognition, winning several major chamber music prizes and becoming a member of the European Chamber Music Academy. Within the trio, Markiyan is particularly invested in exploring repertoire as a living conversation, combining historical awareness with a contemporary sense of expression.