On Sunday, the Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles, and a Lansing-based musician and producer will be there as a first-time nominee. Sergei Kvitko is up for Producer of the Year, Classical.
Since he joined the Recording Academy about 15 years ago, Kvitko has been sending in submissions for consideration for the Grammy Awards in production and engineering categories.
Last November, he watched a livestream of the announcement of nominees for classical music production, and for the first time in his career, he heard his name.
“They announce pretty much everything in about three minutes,” he recalled. “They just list names and people, and it just flashes on the screen, and then they move on to the next category. So, it was a bit of a shock when I heard my name! And then, I looked at the screen and I don’t see it, because they already changed to the next one, so it was kind of interesting. My jaw was on the floor.”
The Russian-born Kvitko came to the Lansing area first as a pianist and was recruited to a doctorate program at Michigan State University. He’s made Lansing his home for about 30 years, and he now owns a recording studio where musicians from all over the world come to record.
Much in demand, he also travels the globe to record classical musicians, and still plays piano on tour. He took up production to record his own performances and those of his friends, starting Blue Griffin Recording in 2000.
Producers can submit up to nine albums to the academy for consideration. One of the recordings Kvitko included this year is by MSU College of Music faculty member Tasha Warren who had commissioned a body of work for her instrument, the bass clarinet. It’s called “Dancing in a Still Life.” He described Warren as a dynamite player who handled the fascinating music with grace.
Another album he produced last year was made with Ukrainian artists Anastasiia Larchikova and Mykhailo Diordiiev. They had escaped the war in their country and flew from their current base in Austria to Michigan to record “Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope” with Kvitko.
The album was published not by Blue Griffin, but rather by one of the most respected classical labels in the world, Reference Recordings.
“They were interested in publishing this production, which to me is another feather in my cap because Reference Recordings, for them, sound quality is paramount, and performance of course as well," he said.
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The MSU Wind Symphony, led by conductor Kevin Sedatole, worked with Kvitko to record “David Biedenbender: Enigma. River of Time.”
Biedenbender chairs the MSU College of Music’s composition area. Kvitko has high regard for the piece “Enigma," praising the joy and abandon with which the musicians played it.
Making a great album requires not just great production, of course, but also great music and artists. Kvitko is quick to share credit for this Grammy Award recognition.
“I’m so grateful for these musicians that I get to work with, and I’m so honored that they trust me with their recordings,” he said. “Really, it’s theirs as well as mine.”
Sergei Kvitko will be in Los Angeles for the ceremonies and one or two afterparties. The classical Grammys will be announced during the day on Sunday, so even if he wins, you’re not likely to see him on the television broadcast that evening.
Going in, he’s humble about his plans; he hasn’t written a speech for conceding the honor, nor accepting it.
UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS
The All-Of-Us Express Children’s Theatre stages the first of six performances of “Beetlejuice Jr.” at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center Friday 7 p.m.
At the Wharton Center, the touring Broadway production of “Hadestown” is back this week. There will be five performances, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
The Ten Pound Fiddle concert series welcomes Hubby Jenkins of the Carolina Chocolate Drops for a show at the Robin Theatre in Lansing, Friday at 7:30.
