Igor Yakovlevich Krutoy (russian: Игорь Яковлевич Крутой) or Ihor Yakovych Krutyi ( uk, Ігор Якович Крутий, born on July 29, 1954), is a Ukrainian and Russian music composer, performer, producer and musical promoter. Krutoy was awarded the

Lenin Komsomol Prize Lenin Komsomol Prize () was a 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 Youth (Russi ...

in 1989. He is also "Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation",

People's Artist of Russia People's Artist of the Russian Federation (russian: Народный артист Российской Федерации, ''Narodnyy artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii''), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the Russian Federation, is an h ...

and

People's Artist of Ukraine People's Artist of Ukraine is an honorary and the highest title awarding to outstanding performing artists whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema, etc.). Esta ...

. As a composer, he has collaborated with numerous renowned singers in classical and contemporary music, such as

Anna Netrebko Anna Yuryevna Netrebko (russian: Анна Юрьевна Нетребко; born 18 September 1971) is an Austrian operatic soprano with an active international career and performed prominently at the Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Vien ...

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Dmitri Aleksandrovich Hvorostovsky (russian: Дми́трий Алекса́ндрович Хворосто́вский, ; 16 October 1962 – 22 November 2017) was a Russian operatic baritone. Early life and education Hvorostovsky was born ...

Aida Garifullina Aida Emilevna Garifullina (russian: Аида Эмилевна Гарифуллина, tt-Cyrl, Аида Эмил кызы Гарифуллина, translit=Aida Emil kyzy Garifullina; born 30 September 1987) is a Russian lyric soprano of Tatar d ...

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

Dimash Kudaibergen Dinmuhammed Kanatuly Kudaibergen ( kk, Дінмұхаммед Қанатұлы Құдайберген, ''Dınmūhammed Qanatūly Qūdaibergen''), born 24 May 1994, known professionally as Dimash Qudaibergen, is a Kazakh singer, songwriter, and m ...

Lara Fabian Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (born January 9, 1970), better known as Lara Fabian, is a Belgian-Canadian pop singer and songwriter. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide as of 2021Broadway World (2017)"Lara Fabian annule finalement sa tourn ...

Alla Pugacheva Alla Borisovna Pugacheva, ) (born 15 April 1949), is а Soviet and Russian musical performer. Her career started in 1965 and continues to this day, even though she has retired from performing. For her "clear mezzo-soprano and a full display ...

Ani Lorak Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek, russian: Каролина Мирославовна Куек (born 27 September 1978), popularly known as Ani Lorak,, russian: Ани Лорак is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and former U ...

, Rose Sisters,

Mikhail Shufutinsky Mikhail Zakharovich Shufutinsky (russian: Михаи́л Заха́рович Шуфути́нский; born 13 April 1948) is a Russian pop singer. He was once a citizen of the United States from 1990 to 2003, but now lives in Russia. He is cu ...

and

Irina Allegrova Irina Aleksandrovna Allegrova (russian: link=no, Ирина Александровна Аллегрова; born 20 January 1952) is a Russian singer. She is a People's Artist of Russia (2010).

Life and career

Igor Krutoy was born on July 29, 1954, in Haivoron (

Kirovograd Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast ( uk, Кіровоградська область, translit=Kirovohradska oblast; also referred to as Kirovohradschyna — uk, Кіровоградщина) is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. The administrative center of t ...

). When a child, he taught himself to play the accordion, and later played in the school band. Igor 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 Pyotr Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine ( uk, Національна музична академія України імені Петра Чайковського) or Kyiv Conservatory is a Ukrainian state institution of higher music e ...

and spent the following year giving accordion classes in Haivoron and Bandurovo village. Next year Igor 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 Valentina Vasilevna Tolkunova (russian: Валенти́на Васи́льевна Толкуно́ва, 12 July 1946 – 22 March 2010) was a Soviet and Russian singer and was bestowed the title of Honored Artist of RSFSR (1979) and People’s ...

band and gave performances accompanying famous Russian actor

Yevgeny Leonov Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov (russian: link=no, Евгений Павлович Леонов; 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 ...

.
In 1979, he was invited to Moscow Concert Orchestra "Panorama", where he worked together with such famous artists, as Leonid. In 1986 Igor Krutoy finally managed to enter the

Saratov Conservatory Saratov Conservatory is a music conservatory in Russia. The conservatory in Saratov, was founded in 1912, and was the first provincial conservatory to be founded in Russia, after St Petersburg Conservatory and Moscow Conservatory. Saratov was, at ...

, 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". 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 (CIS) countries.

Family

Igor Krutoy's father Yakov Krutoy (1917–1980) is Jewish. He worked as a freight forwarder at "RADIODETAL" factory in Haivoron. His mother Svetlana (born 1934) worked as laboratory specialist at sanitary and epidemiological station. His sister Alla Krutaya (married name Baratta), is the author and host of Laskavo prosymo (Welcome, "Ласкаво просимо") show at TV company "Ukraine". Alla has been living in the United States since 1993, she is married to Italian lawyer Anthony Baratta, and they have one daughter, Natasha, who is a student.

Private life

* first spouse – Yelena Krutaya (born in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

) **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 in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, 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)

ARS records

Krutoy is head of ARS owns 25% of

Muz-TV Muz-TV (russian: Муз-ТВ, from Музыкальное телевидение - Music Television) is a Russian music TV channel, broadcasting since 1996. It is largely modelled after western MTV and predates launching of MTV Russia in 1998. ...

which plays Russian pop music videos. Since 2002, ARS also organizes the

New Wave (competition) New Wave (russian: Новая волна, ''Novaya volna'', lv, Jaunais Vilnis) 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 ...

for young performers of popular music with

Raimonds Pauls Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936 in Iļģuciems, Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer and piano player who is well known in Latvia, Russia, post-Soviet countries and worldwide. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1 ...

and

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

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

, 1996. * Album ''Nezakonchenniy Roman'' with Irina Allegrova 1998. * Album ''Odnazhdy v Amerike'' with

, 1998. * Album ''Latinsky kvartal'' with

Laima Vaikule Laima Vaikule (born 31 March 1954) is a Latvian actress, singer, director, and choreographer, best known in Europe and in the former USSR for such popular hits as "Vernisage" and "Charlie," among other songs. Biography Vaikule was born on 31 Ma ...

, 1998. * Album ''Ti Eto Ya'' with Rose Sisters, 1998. * Album ''The Rope Dancer'' with

Valery Leontiev Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev (russian: link=no, Валерий Яковлевич Леонтьев; born 19 March 1949) is a Soviet and Russian pop singer, sometimes songwriter and actor whose popularity peaked in the early 1980s. He was titled a ...

, 1999. * ''Deja Vu'', 2 CD+DVD with

, 2009. * Album '' Mademoiselle Zhivago'' with

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

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 Chang ...

, 2012 * Album ''Romanza'' with

and , 2017

Titles and honors

*Honoured Art Worker of

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia North Asia or Northern Asia, also referred to as Siberia, is the northern region of Asia, which is defined in geographic ...

(1992) *

(1996) *

(2011) *

(1989) *

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') 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 ...

(August 27, 2004) *

Order of Merit for the Fatherland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

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

of the 3rd class (July 21, 2014) * Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan) of the 2nd class (July 3, 2019)

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Krutoy, Igor 1954 births Living people Russian composers 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