Demfis Fyssicopulos, Lighting Designer and Programmer, Dies at 41Lighting&Sound America has learned of the death of Demfis Fyssicopulos, a well-known concert lighting designer and programmer. He was 41 and reportedly died while surfing near his California home. A native of Venezuela, Fyssicopulos studied engineering, then attended film/theatre school. He worked as an intern at Bash Lighting, then started touring as a freelance lighting programmer and lighting director. His clients included Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Maxwell, Carrie Underwood, Green Day, Lenny Kravitz, and The Black Eyed Peas. He programmed Michael Jackson's This is It tour, which was tragically aborted by the singer's death. He worked especially closely with Prince, providing production design and artistic direction services. He was responsible for using the famous hologram of Tupac Shakur seen during Dr. Dre and Snoop's performance at Coachella in 2012. He also provided creative direction and lighting design for the last two Maroon 5 tours. Other non-concert-touring credits include associate lighting design for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, media server programing for a national tour of the Broadway musical Wicked, programming for the Cirque du Soleil show Criss Angel Believe, lighting direction and programming for WWE Hall of Fame 2009, Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh, and Disney on Ice: Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey. Shocked members of the industry have filled Fyssicopulos' Facebook page with heartfelt farewells. Lighting&Sound America will provide additional details as they become available. Lighting designer Patrick Dierson said, "The industry lost a creative force this week and there was no telling the heights to which Demfis would eventually reach. Most recently he and I collaborated on a project in Las Vegas; the first one back together in almost 10 years. We had several heart-to-heart chats over the course of the production and I had made particular mention to him about how mature his raw sense of smart design choices had come this past decade. We were in talks about immediately approaching collaborations for this summer and it breaks my heart to not only have lost such a dear friend but also a creative partner in what was sure to be visually inspiring future not just for him but for the audiences that would inevitably enjoyed the fruits of his labor." Blaine Engle, of Elation Professional, said, "I knew Demfis for about the past 12 years or so. We weren't close friends but we knew and liked each other well enough that every time we were in the same room together I was always greeted with a smile, hug and a pleasant hello. He was a true gentleman and a brilliant talent. The industry has lost one of the good ones and way too soon." He is survived by a sister and a daughter. 
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