Igor Yakovlevich Krutoy () or Ihor Yakovych Krutyi born on July 29, 1954), is a Ukrainian-Russian music composer, performer, producer and musical promoter. Krutoy was awarded the title "Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation",

People's Artist of Russia People's Artist of the Russian Federation (, ''Narodnyy artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii''), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the Russian Federation, is an honorary and the highest title awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation ...

and People's Artist of Ukraine. Winner of ZD Awards, and Ovation Award. As a composer, he has collaborated with numerous singers in classical and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

music, such as

Anna Netrebko Anna Yuryevna Netrebko (; born 18 September 1971) is a Russian and Austrian operatic soprano who has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera and La Scala. Netrebko is one of the few Russian p ...

, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Aida Garifullina,

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor. He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the newcomers' section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing " Il mare calmo della sera". Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo st ...

Sumi Jo Sumi Jo, OSI (; ; born 22 November 1962) is a South Korean lyric coloratura soprano known for her Grammy Award-winning interpretations of the bel canto repertoire. Life and career Early life and education Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong in Ch ...

Alla Pugacheva Alla Borisovna Pugacheva (, ; born 15 April 1949) is a Russian singer and songwriter. Her career began in 1965 and continues to this day, although she retired from performing in 2010 after the international concert tour "Dreams of Love". For her ...

Lara Fabian Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (; born 9 January 1970), known professionally as Lara Fabian (, , ), is a Belgian, Italian and Canadian singer and songwriter. She claims to have sold over 20 million records worldwide and to be one of the List of best ...

, Dimash Qudaibergen, Valery Leontyev,

Ani Lorak Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek (born 27 September 1978), better known as Ani Lorak, is a Ukrainian singer. Having been awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine (revoked in 2024https://www.president.gov.ua/news/34-zradniki-ukrayini-pozbav ...

Sergey Lazarev Sergey Vyacheslavovich Lazarev ( rus, Серге́й Вячесла́вович Ла́зарев, , sʲɪrˈɡʲej vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ ˈlazərʲɪf; born 1 April 1983) is a Russian singer. He is most famous for his singing career, when ...

Irina Allegrova Irina Aleksandrovna Allegrova (; born 20 January 1952) is a Russian singer. She is a People's Artist of Russia (2010).

, Mikhail Shufutinsky and others. Since 2002, together with Raymonds Pauls, he organized the New Wave competition for young performers.

Life and career

Igor Krutoy was born on July 29, 1954, in

Haivoron Haivoron (, ) is a city in Holovanivsk Raion, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of the Haivoron urban hromada, Haivoron Urban Hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Haivoron is situated along the Southern Bug.Гайвор ...

Kirovograd Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast (), also known as Kirovohradshchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (''province'') in central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kropyvnytskyi. The oblast's population is It is ...

to Jewish parents. When a child, he taught himself to play the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

, and later played in the school band. Krutoy studied at the musical school, and after graduation he entered the Theory faculty at Kirovograd music college, where he graduated with distinction in 1974. He failed to enter the

Kiev Conservatory The Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music (), formerly Kyiv Conservatory, is a national music tertiary academy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Its courses include postgraduate education. History The Kyiv Conservatory was founded on 3 November 1913 at ...

and spent the following year giving accordion classes in

and Bandurovo village. Next year Krutoy entered Nikolaev State Pedagogical Institute at conductor (choral music) department. While studying there, he worked in restaurants, where he met singer Aleksander Serov, who later would become his friend and perform many of his songs. During that period Krutoy also worked as artistic director of Valentina Tolkunova band and gave performances accompanying Russian male actor

Yevgeny Leonov Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov (; 2 September 1926 – 29 January 1994) was a Soviet and Russian actor who played main parts in several of the most famous Soviet films, such as '' Gentlemen of Fortune'', '' Mimino'' and '' Striped Trip''. Called "one ...

.
In 1979, he was invited to Moscow Concert Orchestra "Panorama", where he worked together with artists such as Leonid. In 1986 Igor Krutoy finally managed to enter the Saratov Conservatory, the composer department. In parallel, his friend, popular singer Aleksander Serov, was winning international competitions with Igor Krutoy songs "Inspiration" and "In Fate's Despite". Krutoy was awarded the

Lenin Komsomol Prize Lenin Komsomol Prize () was a Soviet Union, Soviet annual award for the best works in science, engineering, literature or art carried out by young authors of age not exceeding 33 years. Komsomol was the abbreviated name of The Communist Union of ...

in 1989. In 2012, Igor Krutoy became the chairman of Music1.ru and a shareholder of Net Element following a $2 million investment into the company. The joint venture culminated with the launch of www.Music1.ru, expected to become the online centerpiece of Krutoy's music enterprise and the online music market leader in the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...

(CIS) countries.

Family

Born into a Jewish family, to Yakov Krutoy (1917–1980), who worked as a freight forwarder at "RADIODETAL" factory in Haivoron, and mother Svetlana (born 1934), who worked as laboratory specialist at sanitary and epidemiological station. His sister Alla Krutaya, is the author and host of Laskavo prosymo (Welcome, "Ласкаво просимо") show at TV company "Ukraine".

Private life

* first spouse – Yelena Krutaya (born in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

) **son Nikolai Krutoy (born 1981) * second spouse – Olga Krutaya (born 1963), since 1995. Olga Krutaya lives in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States, and is running a business there. Igor and Olga have one daughter together: ** Aleksandra (born 2003). ** step daughter Victoriya (born 1985), she is a singer, graduated from high school in New Jersey

Composer

* When i close my eyes (Когда я закрываю глаза) * A Sad Angel (Печальный Ангел) * You are in my September (Ты в моем Сентябре) * Blue Planet (Голубая планета) Film soundtracks * The Snow Queen (Снежная королева, 2003) * Hostages of "The Devil" (Заложники «Дьявола», 1993) * Thirst for Passion (Жажда страсти, 1991) * Souvenir for the prosecutor (Сувенир для прокурора, 1989)

Producer

* TV series "Star Factory" (Фабрика звезд) (2002–2007)

Businesses

ARS records

Krutoy is head of ARS owns 25% of Muz-TV which plays Russian pop music videos. Since 2002, ARS also organizes the

New Wave (competition) New Wave (, ''Novaya volna'', ) is an international contest for young performers of popular music founded in 2002 by the Russian composer Igor Krutoy and Latvian pianist and composer Raimonds Pauls, and was later enhanced by the Russian supersta ...

for young performers of popular music with

Raimonds Pauls Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936) is a Latvian composer and a pianist who is well known in the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1993. His songs were performed by such popular si ...

and

. As a management agency, ARS has signed artists such as Sopho Khalvashi.

Krutoy Media (formerly ARS Media) group

In November 1999, Krutoy founded the "ARS Media" holding. The group - which was renamed in 2012 as - owns the radio networks , , , Radio Russkiy Hit and as well as the Moscow-exclusive stations and (a/k/a ''Pervoye Sportivnoye''). In January 2013, Krutoy sold 75% of the company's shares to oligarch Mikhail Gutseriev, keeping the 25% to himself.

Recordings

* Album ''Madonna'' with Aleksander Serov, 1988. * Album ''Ya plachu'' with Aleksander Serov, 1991. * Album ''How Is It in Russia?'' with Rose Sisters, 1992. * Album ''Ya Tuchi Razvedu Rukami'' with

Irina Allegrova Irina Aleksandrovna Allegrova (; born 20 January 1952) is a Russian singer. She is a People's Artist of Russia (2010).

, 1996. * Album ''Nezakonchenniy Roman'' with Irina Allegrova 1998. * Album ''Odnazhdy v Amerike'' with Mikhail Shufutinsky, 1998. * Album ''Latinsky kvartal'' with Laima Vaikule, 1998. * Album ''Ti Eto Ya'' with Rose Sisters, 1998. * Album ''The Rope Dancer'' with

Valery Leontiev Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev (; born 19 March 1949) is a Soviet and Russian pop singer, sometimes songwriter and actor, whose popularity peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. He was titled a People's Artist of Russia in 1996.Dmitri Hvorostovsky, 2009. * Album '' Mademoiselle Zhivago'' with

, 2010. * Album ''Le Luce'' with

, 2012 * Album ''Romanza'' with

and , 2017

Titles and honors

*Honoured Art Worker of

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

(1992) *

(1996) * People's Artist of Ukraine (2011) *

(1989) *

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...

(August 27, 2004) *

Order of Merit for the Fatherland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...

of the 4th class (July 28, 2009) *

of the 3rd class (July 21, 2014) *

Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan) The Order of Friendship (, ''Dostyq ordenı'') is a state award of the Republic of Kazakhstan, introduced in 1995. It is awarded to individuals for the promotion of international and civil consensus in society and the promotion of peace, friendsh ...

of the 2nd class (July 3, 2019) *

of the 2nd class (November 21, 2024)

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Krutoy, Igor 1954 births Living people Russian accordionists Russian male composers Russian pop musicians Russian male singers Russian record producers Entertainment industry businesspeople Saratov Conservatory alumni Fabrika Zvyozd People's Artists of Russia Recipients of the title of People's Artists of Ukraine Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Ukrainian Jews Jewish composers Jewish singers People from Kirovohrad Oblast Russian National Music Award winners