Dear Friends,

It is with great excitement that I write this update.  A short time ago, I was approached by the respected, Toronto based, international record label, Marquis Classics, with an offer to release and distribute my upcoming album under their label.  Marquis learned of this project through the incredible momentum we generated together during the Kickstarter campaign.  After much careful thought and consideration, I have decided to enter an agreement with Marquis for global release of this album, to be titled: Sounds of Defiance: Music of Shostakovich, Schnittke, Pärt and Achron.

This amazing opportunity will increase the album’s exposure around the world and will help to ensure that this incredible music and the important stories behind it reach the widest possible audience.  As an artist, I could ask for nothing more.  Marquis offers a superior physical distribution network and a heavy digital presence via Amazon, iTunes, Classicsonline (Naxos), and The Classical Shop.  The integrity and creative parameters of the project will not be altered in any way; Marquis will compliment and assist with the monumental efforts and logistics involved in an international release.

Thanks to your incredible support, I will now be able to focus more resources on building a more vibrant and successful publicity campaign for this project via print and digital media, as well as social media and the creation of high-quality promotional materials.

Advance physical and digital copies of the CD, as well as other materials, will be distributed to you by the end of November – two months before the projected official in-store release date of January 31, 2012.  Additionally, backers who contributed over $200 will be listed in the album booklet.

Let me express my most sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for your vital role in this.  Without your support none of it would be possible.  Together, we are creating a genuinely important album, and for this I say – THANK YOU!

I look forward to staying in touch as the album continues to develop, but in the meantime, please feel free to reach out with questions or comments.

yevgeny@yevgenykutik.com

With sincere gratitude,

Yevgeny

 

Dear Friends,

Allow me to formally say thank you to each and every one of you for your incredible support – I am beyond grateful and humbled by the community that has come together to support my first album project.  When I first launched this project just a mere seven weeks ago I had my fair share of worries about what would happen during the course of this campaign.  Instead, I was blown away by not only how fast we met our goal, but by the momentum we created together helping bring this project and incredible music to the attention of people from all over the world. And for this I say – Thank You!

It has been a truly thrilling month for me.  At the beginning of July, I made my first “official” UK appearance at Duke’s Hall in London.  Last night I returned from what I am happy to say was a very successful debut at Germany’s famed Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele. And of course last but not least, with your help I met my Kickstarter campaign goal!

The recording is currently completed in pre-Master format.  During the month of August, I intend to make further adjustments to the recording and finalize an official Master copy.  In addition I will start work with a designer to create album design concepts, purchase mechanical rights for the recording, explore distribution methods, and begin thinking about publicity and exposure for the finished product.

As of current, my goal is to release this album by November.  I will have more details on this in a later update.  Meanwhile, in the coming weeks I will be sending each of you a survey via Kickstarter to get the information necessary to get your backer rewards to you.  Please fill out this survey to receive your recordings, notes, etc.

As I was performing the other night in the opulent former throne room of King Ludwig’s palace, something particularly special happened during a phrase in the piece by Brahms I was playing.  There was a moment where it felt like the audience and I stopped thinking and even breathing, we were spellbound by the music, inexorably tied together by the present moment as all our differences faded away.  To me, this is why the world needs music and why I am making this recording.

Thank you again for your amazing support – I am truly grateful.

Onwards and upwards,

Yevgeny

www.yevgenykutik.com

 

 

Incredible!

Thanks to each of you and your support, we successfully met the initial funding goal of $7,500 in just 10 days! Meeting this goal means that on the project funding deadline, July 7th, we can celebrate as this project definitely receives the necessary funding for its realization. I am incredibly grateful to each of you for forming this unbelievable and humbling community, together we have accomplished so much! Thank you for your generous support, involvement and belief.

Where is the project now?
I am happy to report that the recording of the CD is now complete. A short while ago, Tim and I spent two intense days at the beautiful WGBH recording studios in Boston. I am very excited with what we have so far and can’t wait to share with all of you soon! I am now spending the many hours necessary to listen through all of the takes, and work on the editing with my engineer, Antonio Oliart – a fantastic producer/engineer whom I am grateful to have working on this project. I expect this process to be finished by mid-July. At the same time, I have already begun to plan the design and production components of the CD, while starting to consider the best strategies for releasing and publicizing the album itself. Much more to come on that around August…

What happens now?
For over two weeks (or until July 7th) we can continue to raise money for this project. Keeping the momentum is critical. More money will allow for greater possibility with design, production, and most importantly exposure – getting this incredible music and story out to people. Knowing the impact we can achieve with this project, I am raising the overall goal to $10,000. (This will not affect our milestone goal - all pledges will be honored on July 7th and thanks to your generous support, the project will be funded no matter what). 

Please continue to share this project you are a part of with your friends and colleagues today: 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1120494432/yevgeny-kutiks-first-major-album

Raised to-Date: $7,726

New Goal: $10,000 76% to goal – 17 Days remaining.

New Incentive!
I am excited to announce that I am adding and modifying two incentives: now, all those that have pledged or pledge at least $100 before July 7th will receive an invitation to a private release party in either NYC or Boston. And also, those that have pledged or pledge at least $250 will be listed in the album liner notes.

Blog Mention!

Last but not least, I am thrilled to say that we have already received some notable attention for this project. Just today, respected music critic and author Norman Lebrecht gave this project a very nice post and mention on his noted blog. Check it out here:

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/06/a-happy-kick-start-story/

Once again, a special thanks to each and every one of you for being part of this incredible community – it is inspiring. I am beyond grateful, energized and thrilled to shape and put forward this album.

Onward!

With much gratitude,

Yevgeny

 

 

What a crazy couple of days!  In the first four days of a 30 day campaign we have managed to raise over 75% of our original goal.  I cannot even begin to describe how thrilled, grateful, overwhelmed and humbled I am by this collective, community-driven effort.  Thank you to all for your generosity, support, and help in pushing this to a wider community.

The music and stories of the composers on this album deserve and need to be heard.  In the early 1960's, Alfred Schnittke was blacklisted by the Soviet Composers Union for his work Nagasaki, a depiction of the nuclear bomb and it's aftermath.  This blacklisting lasted for nearly 20 years.  In the midst of this all (1963), Schnittke wrote his Sonata No. 1, a work to be featured on this album.  Similarly, by the time Shostakovich wrote his Sonata in 1968, he himself had already had numerous conflicts with the authorities and Composers Union for his musical expression and brutal honesty in the face of Soviet repression.  Despite all of this, these composers stayed true to themselves and their art.  The great fear they undoubtedly had to live with never inhibited their talent and desire to express themselves to the world.

Perhaps there is something they can still teach us today. Together we are giving them a voice.

It is so critical we don’t stop the important momentum now – please share the video and page with friends, colleagues, and fellow music-lovers.  I can’t say enough how appreciated your generous time and commitment means to me and the story I hope to share.

Thank you and thank you - I am truly grateful!

With all best wishes,

Yevgeny