In this video premiered exclusively to The Strad, violinist Yevgeny Kutik and pianist Anna Polonsky perform an extract from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet suite. Click Here to Watch the Video.
From Leonard Slatkin’s November Blog: “Yevgeny Kutik turned out to be a real discovery with incredible musicianship, flawless technical prowess and (even though he was very lightly amplified) a big, generous sonic palette. The concerto, in two movements and a bit longer than half an hour, is one of the most impressive new pieces I have led in a long time. It holds the performers and audience in a kind of hypnotic trance and as is usual with Joe’s music, has an incredible range of colorful sounds.
It is my hope that we get to perform it several more times together. The concerto is difficult, but once the various rhythmic patterns are understood, I think it can be done comfortably by many orchestras. Perhaps the video of the livestream will be added to DSO Replay by the time you read this. Please tune in. You will be astounded.”
World Premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto with Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin [live DSO webcast]
“Schwantner’s thirty-five-minute Violin Concerto, written for Yevgeny Kutik, is a compelling piece… Kutik (a violinist new to me and quite a find) gave a technically brilliant, rich-toned and musically intense performance, Slatkin in total control of the mosaic-like orchestration. As for the piece itself, it needs to be listened to again to fully appreciate the many facets; however, even if it’s perhaps too easy a reference, if you love Barber’s Violin Concerto, you’ll love the Schwantner, and he too was present.”
Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Joins Conductor Leonard Slatkin at Orchestra Hall
“Yevgeny Kutik will be premiering Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto in a program that will include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Samuel Adler’s Mirror Images, another world premiere.”
“Kutik made a convincing argument that Mendelssohn’s D-minor Concerto deserves to be heard more often. He took a work prone to histrionics in some hands and made it a captivatingly subtle musical journey. While there were some big, bold lines in the stormy first movement, there was disarming gentleness in the Andante. And Kutik displayed exhilarating athleticism in the fast passages of the Roma-flavored finale.”
Yevgeny spoke with The World about his docu-recital series Finding Home: Music from the Suitcase in Concert.
Air date: February 10, 2021
Listen here
Yevgeny writes about the Glazunov Violin Concerto for Strings Magazine‘s August issue.
Yevgeny is featured in the winter issue of Steinway & Sons’ Listen Magazine. Read the article here.