Oct. 18-19: The Birch Festival is Back in the Berkshires for Fall – Featured Performance: Bold Beginnings with Cellist Amit Peled, Pianist Roman Rabinovich, & Violinist Yevgeny Kutik

Announcing The Birch Festival Fall Edition: October 18-19, 2024

Yevgeny Kutik, Artistic Director & Rachel Barker, Executive Director

Featured Performance: October 19, 2024 at 4pm
Church on the Hill, Lenox

Bold Beginnings: First Works by Brahms, Beethoven, and More

Cellist Amit Peled, Pianist Roman Rabinovich, & Violinist Yevgeny Kutik

Tickets and Registration Information: www.thebirchfestival.org

Lenox, MA — The Birch Festival is back for the fall season from October 18-19, 2024. Returning just in time to embrace the Berkshires’ beautiful autumn foliage, this year’s festivities include an evening of wine, music, and community camaraderie with a musician meet-and-greet; the return of the “Don’t Tap on the Glass” open rehearsal; and a feature performance with cellist Amit Peled, pianist Roman Rabinovich, and violinist and Birch Festival Artistic Director and Co-Founder Yevgeny Kutik.

The Birch Festival was founded in 2022 by Lenox-based husband-and-wife team Yevgeny Kutik, an internationally renowned violinist who serves as Artistic Director, and writer/educator Rachel Barker, who is the non-profit organization’s Executive Director.

The Birch Festival’s mission is to bring world-leading musicians for artist residencies in Berkshire County schools, and work in tandem with local business and cultural partnerships. Kutik, a Belarusian-Jewish refugee resettled in Pittsfield by the Jewish Federation in the 1990s, named the festival for his grandmother Sima Berezkina, whose last name means “birch tree.” With significance in many global cultures, birch trees symbolize growth, resilience, and adaptability – qualities that Sima embodied.

On Friday, October 18, 2024 from 6-7:30pm, The Birch Festival will present a free meet-and-greet event at the newly opened Doctor Sax House in Lenox, MA (35 Walker St). Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Kutik, Peled, and Rabinovich while enjoying a wine tasting provided by Dare Bottleshop and Provisions. Space will be limited. Registration is required. On Saturday, October 19 at 10:30am, the public is welcome to join the festival’s “Don’t Tap on the Glass” open rehearsal at the Church on the Hill in Lenox (55 Main St). No registration required.

Concluding the festival on Saturday, October 19 at 4pm, cellist Amit Peled, pianist Roman Rabinovich, and violinist Yevgeny Kutik will perform together in a program entitled Bold Beginnings. The concert will include performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 3, Gaspar Cassadò’s Requiebros in D Major, Sergey Rachmaninov’s Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8. The performance will be held at the Church on the Hill in Lenox (55 Main St) and at 3:30pm there will be a pre-concert talk open to all ticket holders. Berkshire County Students and a guardian may attend for free. Tickets are available at www.thebirchfestival.org.  

“For the third edition of The Birch Festival, we’re excited to be going bold by featuring works that Beethoven and Brahms wrote very early in their careers, works that foreshadow great music to come,” says Kutike. ”We love the Berkshires in the fall and are excited to celebrate with great music and artists.”  

The Birch Festival promotes and propels distinct voices in music, whether through new composition or creative interpretation of old favorites. The Festival offers leading musicians a chance to play and establish relationships in the Berkshires, while recognizing the importance of their work by offering compensation that sustains and values their efforts in this industry.

The Birch Festival’s Spring Events 

Artist Meet-and-Greet & Wine Tasting
Friday, October 18, 2024 from 6-7:30pm
Doctor Sax House
35 Walker St. Lenox, MA
Registration Required: www.thebirchfestival.org

Wine and music! Meet the Musicians of the Birch Festival at the newly opened Doctor Sax House while enjoying a wine tasting provided by Dare Bottleshop and Provisions. Space is limited, registration is required.

“Don’t Tap on the Glass” Open Rehearsal
Saturday, October 19 at 10:30am
Church on the Hill
55 Main St., Lenox, MA
Free and open to the public.

The Birch Festival welcomes the community of the Berkshires to enjoy some morning music at its “Don’t Tap on the Glass” open rehearsal at the Church on the Hill in Lenox. No registration required.

The Birch Festival Feature Performance – Bold Beginnings: First Works by Brahms, Beethoven, and More
Sunday, October 19, 2024 at 4pm
Church on the Hill
55 Main St., Lenox, MA

Tickets: www.thebirchfestival.org

Cellist Amit Peled, pianist Roman Rabinovich, and violinist Yevgeny Kutik will give a collaborative performance in a program entitled Bold Beginnings. The concert will feature Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven, Requiebros in D Major by Gaspar Cassadò, Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 by Sergey Rachmaninov, and Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8 by Johannes Brahms. Tickets are required. Berkshire County students and a guardian may attend for free. A pre-concert talk will be held at 3:30pm in the Church on the Hill.

For The Birch Festival’s Complete Fall Schedule, Event Registration, and More Details visit: www.thebirchfestival.org/events

About Yevgeny Kutik: With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny 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 both standard works and newly composed repertoire. 

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik’s discography, all on Marquis Classics, includes The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012). 

In August 2022, Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour written specifically for Kutik. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. 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. 

Kutik 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. 

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com. 

About Rachel Barker: Rachel Barker is an educator and writer with over a decade of experience working in public and international schools and currently writes about science and engineering for Harvard University.

Barker has been awarded spots in writers workshops for both nonfiction and fiction, including the Key West Literary Seminar, the Aspen Institute's Aspen Summer Words, and multiple residencies with Write On, Door County. She has consulted and presented for a number of organizations throughout the country, including the Yale Council for African Studies, Flint Institute of Music, Boston University's African Studies Center, Primary Source, and the Wayland/Weston Interfaith Council on Teaching Religion in Schools.

Rachel Barker’s MEd. is from Boston College, where she graduated with a focus on social justice and teaching English language learners. Her undergraduate degree in Anthropology is from Boston University, and she currently studies Religion at Harvard University.

Follow The Birch Festival on Social Media

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebirchfestival
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-birch-festival/

Sept. 5: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik & Pianist Renana Gutman Presented by the Ravinia Festival – Performing Selections from Kutik’s Celebrated Album Music from the Suitcase

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik and Pianist Renana Gutman
Presented by the Ravinia Festival

Performing Selections from Kutik’s Celebrated Album
Music from the Suitcase

Plus Major Works by Darius Milhaud, Ernest Bloch, and Felix Mendelssohn

Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 7:30pm
Bennett Gordon Hall (in the John D. Harza Building) | Highland Park, IL

Tickets and More Information

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm” – WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com

Highland Park, IL — On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 7:30pm, longtime friends and collaborators violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times) and pianist Renana Gutman, will perform at the Ravinia Festival’s Bennett Gordon Hall. The two musicians will perform selections from Kutik’s acclaimed album, Music from the Suitcase, as well as major works by Darius Milhaud, Ernest Bloch, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Recorded in 2014 on Marquis Classics, this year marks the tenth anniversary of Music from the Suitcase. The recording highlights works Kutik and his family found meaningful during their journey to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in 1990. The album’s title refers to an actual suitcase – one of only two pieces of luggage – that Kutik’s mother insisted be filled with old sheet music and brought with them to the U.S.

Most recently, Gutman, who is a Ravinia Steans Music Institute alumna, performed with Kuitk as part of the spring 2024 edition of the Birch Festival – a music and arts festival in the Berkshires of Massachusetts held twice a year* in the fall and spring, of which Kutik is the founding Artistic Director. The Birch Festival is dedicated to promoting and propelling distinct voices in music, bringing world-leading musicians for artist residencies and working in tandem with local business and cultural partnerships.

At Ravinia, Kutik and Gutman will perform an extensive and diverse concert program of selections from Music from the Suitcase, including: Preludes Nos. 10, 15, 16, and 24 from op. 34 (arr. Dmitri Tziganov) by Dmitri Shostakovich; Romance in E-flat major, Op. 44, No. 1 (arr. Henryk Wieniawski) by Anton Rubinstein; and Waltz from Cinderella, Op. 87 (arr. Mikhail Fikhtengolts) by Sergei Prokofiev. The concert will also include Le Boef sur le Toit (The Ox on the Roof) by Darius Milhaud, Violin Sonata in F major by Felix Mendelssohn; and Baal Shem (Three Pictures of Chassidic Life) by Ernest Bloch.

This concert program speaks to Kutik’s appreciation for how music can connect people and cultures alike. Le Boef sur le Toit is especially meaningful for Kutik, as he was introduced to the music of Milhaud through his long time teacher and friend, Roman Totenberg: “I had spent several weeks working on the Brahms Concerto with Mr. Totenberg in painstaking detail, and he could sense I was in desperate need of a ‘fun’ distraction. He suggested the music of Milhaud, with whom Mr. Totenberg had had a particularly close working relationship, even touring South America as a violin/piano duo,” Kutik explains.

“The piece was inspired by Brazilian folk tunes and French nightclub culture. The tunes were so catchy, the extensive bitonal passages and numerous dissonant notes all so blatantly "wrong" sounding--I had never encountered a piece quite like [Le Boef sur le Toit],” Kutik says. ”It's extremely difficult for both piano and violin and I realize now that it provided me the perfect opportunity to continue my growth as a violinist and artist against the backdrop of a fun, light-hearted work.”

Kutik says of the Mendelssohn Sonata: “It is remarkable for a number of reasons but particularly so that it was unpublished for over 100 years, until Yehudi Menuhin discovered it and edited it down. It's a clear demonstration of Mendelssohn's lyric and energetic brilliance and has some very poignant moments. In my opinion, I've always seen parts of it as an exploration of his mixed background - he was baptized as a Lutheran, while his grandfather was one of the most prominent Jewish philosophers.”

Bloch composed Baal Shem Suite: ​​Three Pictures of Chassidic Life, also a tribute piece, in 1923. Dedicated to the composer's mother who passed away two years prior, the three movement work is Bloch’s deeply personal reflection on various Jewish themes.

About Yevgeny Kutik: Violinist Yevgeny 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 both standard works and newly composed repertoire. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik’s discography, all on Marquis Classics, includes The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012). Music from the Suitcase is being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour, written specifically for Kutik. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. 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.

Kutik 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.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Renana Gutman: Praised by The New York Times for her “passionate and insightful” playing, Renana Gutman has performed across four continents as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and collaborative artist. She played at venues like The Louvre Museum, Grenoble Museum (France), Carnegie Recital Hall, People’s Symphony Concerts, Merkin Hall (New York), St. Petersburg’s Philharmonia (Russia), Stresa Music Festival (Italy), Ravinia Rising Stars (Chicago), Jordan Hall, Gardner Museum (Boston), Herbst Theatre (St. Francisco), Menuhin Hall (UK), UNISA (South Africa), Marlboro (VT), and National Gallery, Phillips Collection, and Freer Gallery (Washington DC). Her performances are heard frequently on WQXR Young Artists Showcase, NY, WFMT Dame Myra Hess, Chicago, and MPR in Performances Today, MN.

Renana was one of four young pianists selected by the renowned Leon Fleisher to participate in his workshop on Beethoven piano sonatas hosted by Carnegie Hall, where she presented performances of “Hammerklavier” and “Appassionata” to critical acclaim. Her recording of Chopin etudes op.25 will be released soon by “The Chopin Project.” A top prize winner at Los Angeles Liszt competition, International Keyboard Festival in New York, and Tel-Hai International Master Classes, she performed concerti such as Brahms 2nd, Rachmaninoff-Paganini Variations, and Beethoven’s “Emperor” with the Jerusalem Symphony, Haifa Symphony, Belgian “I Fiamminghi”, and Mannes College Orchestra. Her festival appearances included Marlboro and Ravinia, where she collaborated with prominent musicians like pianist Richard Goode, clarinetist Anthony McGill and members of the Guarneri string quartet, to name a few.

Renana joined the piano faculty of Boston’s Longy School of Music of Bard College in the fall of 2019. She had previously been on the piano faculty of the Yehudi Menuhin Music School in the UK. A native of Israel, Renana started playing at the age of six, and soon after, garnered multiple awards and honors. She received scholarships from the America Israel Cultural Foundation, and the Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women. She completed her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Mannes College of Music, NY, where she studied with Richard Goode. In Israel, her teachers were pianists Natasha Tadson, Viktor Derevianko, and the Israeli composer Arie Shapira. Renana became an American citizen in 2015 and makes her home in Boston, MA. She also pursues her passion for Argentinian Tango, languages, and poetry.

About Ravinia Festival: Ravinia believes in the power of shared, live-music moments to inspire ourselves and the world. Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world’s greatest musicians, the nonprofit’s mission to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry can be seen through its community engagement and education programs like Reach Teach Play and the Steans Music Institute. Together, Ravinia’s initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and young professional musicians.

The 36-acre park is home to North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival and serves as an enchanting place to experience concerts throughout the summer. Performances range from Yo-Yo Ma to John Legend to the annual summer residency of one of the world’s finest orchestras: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Guests can bring their own picnics, including food and liquor. A full range of dining options is available at the park, from concession carts to fine dining. Ravinia performances occur rain or shine. Audiences are invited to come early to enjoy various pre-concert activities, including the festival’s sculpture tour, the interactive musical playground KidsLawn, and the Ravinia Music Box.

Ravinia is the only private train stop in Illinois, with Metra’s Union Pacific North line stopping at the Grand Entrance. Since 2021, in collaboration with Metra, all trains on the Union Pacific Line honor Ravinia tickets as train fares; patrons can show their dated concert e-ticket for a free train ride to and from the park on the day of the event. The festival is located about 20 miles north of Chicago at Green Bay and Lake Cook Roads in Highland Park. Onsite parking is limited, and the festival operates a free park-and-ride shuttle bus service to nearby lots along the train line.

The safety of audiences, artists, staff and the community is Ravinia’s top priority. Expert advice guides our safety protocols, which are currently updated to ensure best practices; a variety of specialized programs and technology are engaged to ensure the venue is accessible and safe for all its patrons.

Visit the website for the most up-to-date programming and protocols. Tickets are on sale now.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, described by The New York Times as having a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” and pianist Renana Gutman, praised for her “passionate and insightful” performance, are presented as part of the Ravinia Festival on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 7:30pm. Together, Kutik and Gutman will perform an extensive concert program featuring assorted selections from Music from the Suitcase. Released in 2014 on Marquis Classics, this marks the tenth anniversary of Music from the Suitcas – an album which highlights works Kutik and his family found meaningful during their journey to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in 1990. Their concert program will also include major works by Darius Milhaud, Ernest Bloch, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Concert details:

Who: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik and Pianist Renana Gutman
Presented by the Ravinia Festival
What: Performance of selections from Kutik’s 2014 release, Music from the Suitcase – an album featuring music Kutik and his family found meaningful when traveling to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in 1990.
When: Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: Bennett Gordon Hall (in the John D. Harza Building) | Highland Park, IL 60035
Tickets and information: www.ravinia.org/Online/Article/090524-YevgenyKutik

The Birch Festival Returns for Spring: Featuring The Soldier’s Tale by Igor Stravinsky Conducted by Fernanda Lastra – Performed by Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra & More

Announcing The Birch Festival Spring Edition: May 18-20, 2024
Yevgeny Kutik, Artistic Director & Rachel Barker, Executive Director

Featuring The Soldier’s Tale by Igor Stravinsky
Conducted by Fernanda Lastra with Narrator to be Announced
Featuring Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra & More

Tickets and Registration Information: www.thebirchfestival.org

Lenox & Pittsfield, MA — Following a highly successful launch in fall 2023, The Birch Festival returns with a spring edition from May 18-20, 2024, bringing three days of music-making, yoga, and community engagement to the Berkshires. The Festival was founded last year by Lenox-based husband-and-wife team Yevgeny Kutik, an internationally renowned violinist who serves as Artistic Director, and writer/educator Rachel Barker, who is the non-profit organization’s Executive Director.

The Birch Festival’s mission is to bring world-leading musicians for artist residencies in Berkshire County schools, and work in tandem with local business and cultural partnerships. Kutik, a Belarusian-Jewish refugee resettled in Pittsfield by the Jewish Federation in the 1990s, named the festival for his grandmother Sima Berezkina, whose last name means “birch tree.” With significance in many global cultures, birch trees symbolize growth, resilience, and adaptability – qualities that Sima embodied.

The Birch Festival promotes and propels distinct voices in music, whether through new composition or creative interpretation of old favorites. The Festival offers leading musicians a chance to play and establish relationships in the Berkshires, while recognizing the importance of their work by offering compensation that sustains and values their efforts in this industry.

On Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 9:30am, The Birch Festival Co-Founder and Executive Director Rachel Barker will open the May edition of the Festival with a free community yoga class at The Church on the Hill Chapel (55 Main St. Lenox) in the beautiful labyrinth room. At 11:00am, also at The Church on the Hill Chapel, Barker will lead a workshop linking The Soldier's Tale to the archetypal elements of the Tarot.

The May edition of The Birch Festival features two performances of Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 4pm at Duffin Theater, ​​Lenox Memorial High School (197 East St., Lenox) and Monday, May 20, 2024 at 6pm at Zion Lutheran Church (74 First St., Pittsfield). The performances will be led by rising-star maestra Fernanda Lastra, currently assistant conductor with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The performing ensemble will comprise some of the many leading instrumentalists who make the Berkshires such a musically rich community, including several members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The featured performers will be bassist Edwin Barker, violinist Yevgeny Kutik, trombonist Toby Oft, clarinetist Rob Patterson, bassoonist Rick Ranti, trumpeter Tom Siders, and percussionist Mike Williams. Each concert will also include solo and ensemble pieces performed by members of the ensemble.

In addition, the musicians will participate in community outreach by performing for the band, orchestra, and theater students of Pittsfield High School, furthering the Birch Festival’s goal of engaging the Berkshire community. Through school and community visits, The Birch Festival also encourages new audiences and builds community rapport by offering free tickets to any school-aged child and an adult family member, and prioritizing event accessibility for young adults.

“I’m excited to present Stravinsky’s beloved tale with such a great ensemble of musicians and colleagues,” says Kutik. “This work was originally conceived as a community theatrical work, presented from town to town. This spirit of sharing music with the community is exactly what The Birch Festival strives for. We can’t wait to see and connect with members of our community throughout the weekend.”

The Birch Festival’s Spring Events

Yoga by Birch with Rachel Barker

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 9:30am
Church on the Hill Chapel
55 Main St., Lenox, MA

Join Rachel Barker, yoga and meditation instructor (E-RYT® 200, YACEP®), for a community free yoga class in the Church on the Hill Chapel’s beautiful labyrinth room. Free, registration required, limited to 10 participants. Please bring your own mats.

The Soldier’s Tale and the Tarot Workshop with Rachel Barker

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 11:00am
Church on the Hill Chapel
55 Main St., Lenox, MA

A workshop linking The Soldier's Tale to the archetypal elements of the Tarot. Free, registration required, donations welcome, limited to 35 participants.

The Birch Festival Lenox Performance – Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 4pm
Duffin Theater, ​​Lenox Memorial High School
197 East St., Lenox, MA

Join The Birch Festival for a thrilling performance of Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) and other performances by the ensemble. $20 per person; K-12 children and one guardian attend for free.

The Birch Festival Pittsfield Performance – Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)

Monday, May 20, 2024 at 6pm
Zion Lutheran Church
74 First St., Pittsfield, MA

The Birch Festival ensemble will give a second performance of the program at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, after visiting Pittsfield High School earlier in the day for performance and educational outreach. $20 per person; KK-12 children and one guardian attend for free.

For The Birch Festival’s Complete Spring Schedule, Event Registration, and Details visit: www.thebirchfestival.org/events

About Yevgeny Kutik: With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny 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 both standard works and newly composed repertoire.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik’s discography, all on Marquis Classics, includes The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012).

In August 2022, Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour written specifically for Kutik. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. 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.

Kutik 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.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Rachel Barker: Rachel Barker is an educator and writer with over a decade of experience working in public and international schools and currently writes about science and engineering for Harvard University.

Barker has been awarded spots in writers workshops for both nonfiction and fiction, including the Key West Literary Seminar, the Aspen Institute's Aspen Summer Words, and multiple residencies with Write On, Door County. She has consulted and presented for a number of organizations throughout the country, including the Yale Council for African Studies, Flint Institute of Music, Boston University's African Studies Center, Primary Source, and the Wayland/Weston Interfaith Council on Teaching Religion in Schools.

Rachel Barker’s MEd. is from Boston College, where she graduated with a focus on social justice and teaching English language learners. Her undergraduate degree in Anthropology is from Boston University, and she currently studies Religion at Harvard University.

Follow The Birch Festival on Social Media

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebirchfestival
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/the-birch-festival/

April 25 & 27: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist with Minnesota Sinfonia

Photo by Corey Hayes available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/yevgeny-kutik

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist with Minnesota Sinfonia

Conducted by Artistic and Executive Director Jay Fishman
Featuring Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor

Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7pm
Metropolitan State University | 700 East 7th Street | St. Paul, MN
Tickets and Information

Saturday 27, 2024 at 2pm
Basilica of St. Mary | 1600 Hennepin Avenue | Minneapolis, MN
Tickets and Information

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm” – WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com

St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN — Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times) will be presented with the Minnesota Sinfonia on Thursday, April 25 in St. Paul, MN and Saturday, April 27 in Minneapolis, MN. For both concerts, Kutik will be the featured soloist in Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, conducted by Artistic and Executive Director Jay Fishman. Each performance will also include W.A. Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, “Linz” and Antonín Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 8.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Yevgeny Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. Kutik regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. His discography, all on Marquis Records, reflects an appreciation for culture and history –both his own and as well as the stories of others: The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012). Music from the Suitcase is being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Kutik is also the Artistic Director of The Birch Festival – a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to connect and integrate leading musicians with the Berkshire community, while highlighting the unique and original stories of those who make up the Berkshires. The festival promotes and propels distinct voices in music through new composition and creative interpretations of old favorites.

Kutik will reunite with Jay Fishman and the Minnesota Sinfonia following a 2021 guest performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor. For this program, Kutik and the Minnesota Sinfonia will perform Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26. In this performance, audiences can enjoy Kutik’s meticulous but elegant musicality, interspersed with the vibrant energy of the Minnesota Sinfonia. Bruch’s first violin concerto continues to endure as an extremely popular orchestral work to the present day. Still, even in the face of countless renditions, the sheer technical poise and expressive expectations of the piece elicit heightened thrill over the anticipation of a newly performed interpretation and the interconnected dynamic between soloist and the orchestra.

Of collaborating with Fishman and Minnesota Sinfonia to perform one of Bruch’s most popular works, Kutik says:

“It's always a great joy to revisit Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto, a work beloved by audiences across the world. The work is astounding in how effortlessly it blends virtuosity and breathtaking beauty. I loved working with Jay and the Sinfonia in 2021 and am particularly honored to be with them again now in their final concert season.”

More about Yevgeny Kutik: With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny 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 both standard works and newly composed repertoire. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival.

Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour, written specifically for Kutik. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. 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.

Kutik 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.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About the Minnesota Sinfonia: The Minnesota Sinfonia is a community-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to serve the musical and educational needs of Minnesotans with a special emphasis on serving families with young children, inner-city youth, seniors, and those with limited financial means.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, described by The New York Times as having a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” is presented as the featured soloist with the Minnesota Sinfonia in two performances on April 25, 2024 at 7pm and April 27, 2024 at 2pm. Together with the Sinfonia, under the direction of Artistic and Executive Director Jay Fishman, Kutik will perform Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 26. The performance will also include Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, “Linz” and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 8.

Short description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times), is presented by the Minnesota Sinfonia on April 25 in St. Paul and April 27 in Minneapolis, as the featured soloist in a performance of Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor led by Artistic and Executive Director Jay Fishman.

Concert details:
Who: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik
Presented by Minnesota Symphony
Conducted by Artistic and Executive Director Jay Fishman
What: Music by Max Bruch, Antonín Dvořák, and W.A. Mozart
When: Thursday, April 25 at 7pm and Saturday 27, 2024 at 2pm
Where:
(April 25) Metropolitan State University 700 East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106
(April 27) Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Tickets and information: www.mnsinfonia.org/2023-2024-wcs-4

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Signs With Epstein Fox Performances

Photo by Corey Hayes available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/yevgeny-kutik

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Signs With Epstein Fox Performances

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm”
– WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com | www.efperformances.com

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “assured and full-bodied playing” (The Washington Post), has signed with Epstein Fox Performances for North American and general management.

Michael Fox, partner and co-founder of Epstein Fox Performances, says, “Yevgeny Kutik has been telling a beautiful story his entire career about the strength and brilliance of the human spirit — his recordings and performances get straight to the heart of his life and what makes his approach to the rep that we all know and love so compelling. In 2024-2025, Kutik will be touring a recital program consisting of Mendelssohn, Bloch and Prokofiev along with performing a wide range of concerto repertoire that will include Shostakovich and the concerto by Joseph Schwantner that he recently premiered with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.”

With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny 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 began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival –– a festival built around connecting and integrating leading musicians with the Berkshire community, while highlighting the unique and original stories of those who make up the Berkshires.

Kutik’s 2014 album, Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures (Marquis Classics), 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. The album garnered critical acclaim and was featured on NPR's All Things Considered and in The New York Times. The album is currently being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Kutik’s additional releases on Marquis include his most recent album, The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), which highlights Russia’s rich history of folklore and folktales portrayed in the music of Prokofiev. The album connects Prokofiev’s Solo Sonata for Violin, Sonata No. 2, and “Parting Scene and Death of Juliet” (arr. Borisovsky) to five Russian folk melodies in new arrangements by Kutik, Michael Gandolfi, and Kati Agócs, commissioned specifically for the album. In 2019, he released Meditations on Family, for which he commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble, envisioning the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories, home, and belonging. Strings Magazine featured Kutik as its cover story for the March/April issue, reporting, “True to Kutik’s vision, each miniature is a window into the composer’s emotional life.” Featured composers include Joseph Schwantner, Andreia Pinto Correia, Gity Razaz, Timo Andres, Chris Cerrone, Kinan Azmeh, Gregory Vajda, and Paola Prestini. Kutik’s 2016 album, Words Fail uses Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words as a starting point to expand upon the idea that music surpasses traditional language in its expressive capabilities. His 2012 debut album, Sounds of Defiance, features the music of Achron, Pärt, Schnittke, and Shostakovich, focusing on music written during the darkest periods of the lives of these composers.  

In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, written specifically for Kutik. This is based on Schwantner’s earlier The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin, which Kutik recorded on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Throughout the United States, Kutik has performed with orchestras including the Rochester and Dayton Philharmonics, Tallahassee, New Haven, Asheville, Wyoming, and La Crosse symphony orchestras, as well as Florida’s SYMPHONIA, New York City’s Riverside Symphony and Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. Abroad, he has appeared as guest soloist with Germany’s Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock and WDR Rundfunk Orchestra Köln, Montenegro’s Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Japan’s Tokyo Vivaldi Ensemble, and the Cape Town Philharmonic in South Africa. He has appeared in recital as a part of the Dame Myra Hess Concerts Chicago, Peoples' Symphony Concerts, Merkin Hall Tuesday Matinee Series, and National Sawdust in New York City, the Embassy Series and The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., and at the Lobkowicz Collections Prague presented by Prince William Lobkowicz. Festival performances have included the Tanglewood Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Pennsylvania’s Gretna Music, Germany’s Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Passionate about his heritage and its influence on his artistry, Kutik is an advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the United States, and regularly speaks and performs across the United States to both raise awareness and promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. He was a featured performer for the 2012 March of the Living observances, where he played for audiences at the Krakow Opera House and for over 10,000 people at Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

Yevgeny Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and went on to study with Zinaida Gilels, Shirley Givens, Roman Totenberg, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and currently resides in Boston. In 2006, he was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize. Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Epstein Fox Performances: Epstein Fox Performances (EFP) is a performing arts agency specializing in classical, jazz & roots artists. The newly minted Classical division is led by EFP partner and co-founder Michael Fox and Agent & Manager Brooke Scholl. The classical roster consists of many of the most dynamic ensembles & artists reshaping chamber, symphony and opera: Terence Blanchard, Turtle Island Quartet, Joseph Conyers, Harlem Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, PUBLIQuartet, and many others. The agency prides itself in its focus of supporting artistic innovation that moves the field forward and deepens the connection between the audience and the performers.

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist with Traverse Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes

Photo by Corey Hayes available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/yevgeny-kutik

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist
with Traverse Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes

Featuring Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm
Corson Auditorium | 4000 M-137 | Interlochen, MI

Tickets and Information:
http://traversesymphony.org/concert/beethoven/

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm”
– WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com

Traverse City, MI — On Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm, violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times) will be presented in concert as the featured soloist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes. The performance will take place in Corson Auditorium (4000 M-137).

A longtime collaborator of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Kevin Rhodes, Kutik reunites once again with Rhodes and the TSO after a 2022 performance in the TSO’s Maestro Series. For this concert, Kutik and the TSO will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 as part of a program that also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36. In this performance of Beethoven’s sole violin concerto, audiences can enjoy Kutik’s refined solo artistry alongside a musical conversation fostered with the TSO. The work embraces a more collaborative approach to the concerto form that connects the soloist and orchestra through a melodic dialogue.

Of this next collaboration with Maestro Kevin Rhodes and the TSO, Kutik says:

“I am so delighted to return back to Traverse to perform with Kevin Rhodes and the TSO. The Beethoven Violin Concerto is a stunning piece, without a doubt one of the most important violin concertos ever written. One of the greatest joys in music making is when a piece is a true collaboration between instruments, and this piece is a great example of this. Often, it can feel like a gathering of friends, together on stage, making music for the purpose of something much larger than themselves.”

About Yevgeny Kutik: With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny 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 both standard works and newly composed repertoire. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik’s discography, all on Marquis Classics, includes The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012). Music from the Suitcase is being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour, written specifically for Kutik. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. 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.

Kutik 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.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Traverse Symphony Orchestra: The Traverse Symphony Orchestra (TSO), founded in 1952 by community leader Elnora Milliken as The Northwestern Michigan Symphony Orchestra, has grown from a small group of volunteer musicians to a paid professional orchestra of 60 contracted members, with a commitment to presenting the finest in musical entertainment and quality educational programs.

Tickets for this performance are $25.50, $38.50, $45.50, and $61.50 and available now at www.traversesymphony.org/concerts-tickets

For more information about the 2023-23 Season concerts including the complete lineup of guest artists and repertoire, please visit our website at www.TraverseSymphony.org or call our Box Office 231-947-7120, 10-3pm Monday-Friday.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, described by The New York Times as having a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” is presented as the featured soloist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm. Together with the Symphony, Kutik will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, under the direction of Maestro Kevin Rhodes.

Short description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times), is presented by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra on October 22, 2023 as the featured soloist in a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major led by Maestro Kevin Rhodes.

Concert details:

Who: Yevgeny Kutik
Presented by Traverse Symphony Orchestra
What: Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Saturday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm.
Where: Corson Auditorium, 4000 M-137, Interlochen, MI
Tickets and information: www.traversesymphony.org/concert/beethoven/