DAYTON — Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik will perform as soloist, Sept. 28-30, with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 in the Schuster Performing Arts Center, 1 W. 2nd St., Dayton.
Led by Artistic Director Neal Gittelman, the performances Sept. 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. include Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor is a veritable musical declaration of the romantic soul. Composed at the pinnacle of his career, this concerto is a marvel of craft employing great clarity of design, romantic sonority and graceful melody. Of the piece, Kutik says, “It is one of my favorite works to play in the entire repertoire. The craft and design behind the piece never cease to amaze me. Several of the melodies are perhaps some of the most stunning ever written for violin. In some ways, after each performance of this piece, I feel like I have gotten to know the violin better in its expressive and technical capabilities.”
Sept. 30 at 3 p.m., the DPO’s unique “Sundae Classics” format features musical examples and explanation by Neal Gittleman with an encore performance of the Bruch and Debussy. The afternoon concludes with a casual question and answer session in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, along with an ice cream social with a free scoop of Graeter’s ice cream.
Tickets cost $9 to $65 and are available at daytonperformingarts.org/tickets.
Kutik has captivated audiences worldwide with an old-world sound that communicates a modern intellect. Praised for his technical precision and virtuosity, he is also lauded for his poetic and imaginative interpretations of standard works as well as rarely heard and newly composed repertoire.
A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of five. His 2014 album, “Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures” features music he found in his family’s suitcase after immigrating to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990, and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Classical chart. Kutik’s 2012 debut album, “Sounds of Defiance,” features the music of Achron, Part, Schnittke and Shostakovich. Kutik released his third solo album, “Words Fail,” in 2016. The album uses Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” as a starting point to expand upon the idea that music surpasses traditional language in its expressive capabilities and includes two new commissions on the theme by Timo Andres and Michael Gandolfi.
In April 2019, Yevgeny will make his debut at the Kennedy Center. Additional performances in his 2018-19 season include appearances with the La Crosse Symphony, Duluth Superior Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Redwoods, Verde Valley Sinfonietta, the Cape Town Philharmonic in South Africa, and recitals at the Honest Brook Music Festival, Bargemusic and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Kutik made his major orchestral debut in 2003 with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops as the first-prize recipient of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. In 2006, he was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and currently resides in Boston. Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella.
