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 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 music, such as Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Aida Garifullina, Andrea Bocelli, Sumi Jo, Alla Pugacheva, Lara Fabian, Dimash Qudaibergen, Valery Leontyev, Ani Lorak, Sergey Lazarev, Irina Allegrova, Mikhail Shufutinsky and others.
Since 2002, together with Raymonds Pauls, he organized the New Wave competition for young performers.
Igor Krutoy was born on July 29, 1954, in Haivoron, Kirovograd Oblast to Jewish parents. When a child, he taught himself to play the accordion, 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 and spent the following year giving accordion classes in Haivoron 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.<br> 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 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 (CIS) countries.
Born into a Jewish family, to Yakov Krutoy (1917âÂÂ1980), 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, "ÃÂðÃÂúðòþ ÿÃÂþÃÂøüþ") show at TV company "Ukraine".
Film soundtracks
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) for young performers of popular music with Raimonds Pauls and Alla Pugacheva. As a management agency, ARS has signed artists such as Sopho Khalvashi.
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.