Violin virtuoso joins DPO for ‘Reflections and Images’
Mozart’s beautifully evocative Violin Concerto No. 3 will be performed by Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, at the Schuster Center as part of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Masterworks Series concert entitled “Reflections and Images.”
Heralded in The New York Times for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” the Boston-based Kutik, who immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 5 from his native Belarus, has taken the classical world by storm receiving praise for his technical precision and virtuosity. Since he debuted in 2003 winning first place in the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition, he has been lauded for his poetic and imaginative interpretations of standard works in addition to rarely heard and newly composed repertoire. His latest solo album “Words Fail,” released in October 2016 and inspired by musings on Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known adage, “where words fail, music speaks,” notably encompassed works by Mahler, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.
Written by 19-year-old Mozart in 1775, the Violin Concerto No. 3 is the third of five violin concertos he wrote that year. The radiant piece broke new ground in its imitation of the style of an Italian operatic vocal solo.
“This violin concerto is Mozart’s way of saying he wanted the violin to sing,” said Kutik, 31. “I feel his third violin concerto was the breakout concerto in which he really tried to find the vocal component and mold it with the violin component. Even in the fast passage work, there are moments for lyricism.”
Although Kutik is no stranger to Mozart’s composition, he still finds refreshing avenues to explore within the music. He remains fascinated by the concerto providing a glimpse into Mozart’s artistic evolution and dexterity.
“The Violin Concerto No. 3
WANT TO GO?
“Reflections and Images” (Masterworks Series) and “Debussy’s Images” (Classical Connections Series)
Schuster Center, Second and Main streets, Dayton
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (Masterworks Series); 3 p.m. Next Sunday (Classical Connections Series)
$16-$65 (Masterworks Series); $15-$43 (Classical Connections Series)
Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage. com is an example of Mozart offering a different level of play,” he said. “It’s from a different level in his career where he opens a new door. I’ve played this concerto before but put it to sleep for a while, so it’s exciting to come back to it. I have a rush of brand new choices I want to try. Since the last time I’ve played it, I’ve grown as a musician and a person so I bring all of that to the piece.”
The Masterworks concert also features Kenji Bunch’s contemporary “Supermaximum” and Claude Debussy’s classic “Images.” Bunch, a violinist and composer based in Portland, Oregon, debuted “Supermaximum” in Brooklyn in 2011. The rhythmic piece, whose title is reminiscent of the prison term representing the strictest level of incarceration, is inspired by Depression-era Southern chain gangs.
Written between 1905 and 1912, “Images” is a colorful and celebratory three-movement work capturing the essence of England, Spain and France. The work also serves as the centerpiece of the DPO’s Classical Connections Series concert slated Sunday, March 26. Music Director Neal Gittleman will analyze the symphony during the first half of the concert followed by a full performance of the piece after intermission. A casual Q&A with Gittleman and a Graeter’s Ice Cream Social follows the concert. In addition to serving as an advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the United States, Kutik regularly speaks and performs across the country to both raise awareness and promote the assistance of refugees from around the globe. He is also passionate about encouraging younger audiences to support classical programming and classical artists in an ever-changing musical landscape.
“As a musician I have work to do,” he said. “There are ways to get younger people interested and involved, and there is a lot of interest, but the interest has changed. More people are hearing Brahms than ever before but they’re hearing it through YouTube, Spotify or other different mediums. I want to make my music relevant to as many people as possible.
“I’m particularly driven to make it relevant to people my age. I want them to see what I see in music. I want them to understand that even though Mozart is a genius and is acknowledged as one of the greatest composers of all time, his music is not a thing of the past. His music is relevant today. He was a living, breathing person who felt and experienced all the same things one does on a daily basis.”