Igor Krutoy was born on July 29, 1954, in Haivoron (Kirovograd oblast). When a child, he taught himself to play the accordion, and then played together with the school band. Igor studied at the musical school, and after graduation he entered the Theory faculty at Kirovograd music college, that he graduated with distinction in 1974. He failed to enter the Kiev Conservatory and spent the following year in giving accordion classes in Haivoron and Bandurovo village. In a year Igor entered Nikolaev State Pedagogical Institute at conductor (choral music) department, and having studied there, he worked in restaurants, where he met singer Aleksander Serov, who later will become his friend and will be performing many of his songs. During that period Igor Krutoy worked also as the artistic director of Valentina Tolkunova band and was giving performances accompanying famous Russian actor Yevgeny Leonov.
In 1979, he was invited to Moscow Concert Orchestra "Panorama", where he worked together with such famous artists, 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".
