Thomas Nickell, piano

Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, NY

March 20, 2026

On March 20^th at the Tenri Cultural Institute, pianist Thomas Nickell presented a thoughtfully curated program spanning late Romanticism to Impressionism, alongside several of his own works.

The evening opened with selections from On an Overgrown Path by Moravian composer Leoš Janáček. Mr. Nickell performed four pieces—Our Evenings, A Blown-Away Leaf, Come With Us!, and The Madonna of Frydek. Written later in Janáček’s life, these works demand more than technical command. Their folk-inflected lyricism exists alongside the harmonic and structural complexity that emerged at the turn of the 20th century. The central challenge lies in preserving expressive warmth without allowing density and technical demands to obscure the music’s poetic character. Mr. Nickell demonstrated excellent control, clean voicing, and strong technique; however, the set would have benefited from deeper lyricism and greater interpretive maturity. The performance felt somewhat restrained and emotionally on the surface.

Mr. Nickell’s own Two Pieces—January (Intermezzo) and February —felt notably freer and more personal. January unfolded meditatively, shaped by resonant harmonies and a reflective atmosphere. February featured a more active texture that suggested an Impressionistic influence, reminiscent of Debussy’s Mouvement, also heard later in the program. In these works, Mr. Nickell’s compositional voice and artistic personality emerged with greater individuality.

Images, Book I, by Claude Debussy followed. Mr. Nickell produced a refined touch in Reflets dans l’eau, navigating the rapid figurations with clarity and fluid control. The movement’s shifting textures evoke water in constant transformation, and the musical flow remained cohesive throughout. While the voicing was precise and the execution polished, the interpretation would have benefited if Mr. Nickell had indulged more in certain moments. Debussy’s harmonies invite elasticity and tonal bloom; at times, the sound felt somewhat contained rather than fully resonant in the hall.

Hommage à Rameau was the highlight of the evening. Mr. Nickell shaped the principal theme with elegant lyricism and expressive restraint, demonstrating attentive listening and musical sensitivity. The atmosphere in the hall reflected the audience’s focused engagement. The concluding Mouvement showcased Mr. Nickell’s technical facility, which was delivered with energy and precision.

The second half began with Mr. Nickell’s December (Winterlude), which stood out as his strongest composition on the program. The work displayed confident character, structural clarity, and a distinct expressive voice. In Jean Sibelius’s Piano Sonatina No. 2, Mr. Nickell produced a warm, grounded tone and demonstrated a clear understanding of harmonic direction. His pacing was patient and poised, with careful attention to inner details—especially in the Andantino.

The program concluded with Prélude, Aria and Finale, Op. 23, by César Franck. Despite the work’s dense textures and late Romantic complexity, Mr. Nickell maintained lyrical continuity and structural clarity. Even in technically demanding passages where harmonic weight can easily blur, his phrasing remained articulate, rhythmically assured, and expressively shaped.

Erika Dohi

by new york concert review  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Modus Operandi Orchestra

Justin Bischof, Music Director & Conductor

Eiko Kano, concertmaster

Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY

March 3, 2026

The Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO), under the direction of Justin Bischof, presented a concert entitled “Brahms & Burckardt @ Merkin,” featuring three world premieres by composer Rachel J. Burckardt, tastefully sandwiched between masterworks by Johannes Brahms, at Merkin Hall on March 3, 2026.

As noted in the orchestra’s biography, MOO consists of “65 of New York’s finest orchestral musicians,” and it was immediately evident that the group is made up of players of the highest caliber. Among the musicians were familiar faces from leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as chamber and contemporary ensembles including the Attacca Quartet, The Knights, and NOVUS NY of Trinity Church Wall Street.

The program began with Brahms’s Tragic Overture, Op. 81 (1880). The orchestra produced a rich timbre and warmth well suited to Brahms. Observing such a large-scale work from close proximity felt almost indulgent. The experience differs greatly from hearing an orchestra on Stern Auditorium’s Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. While the overall orchestral blend may be less unified at such proximity, one instead hears the intricate details of the orchestration, articulation, and the subtle colors Brahms sought to convey. It offered a unique listening experience that the audience appeared to enjoy as much as I did.

A native New Yorker, award-winning composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Rachel J. Burckardt (b. 1954) has spent more than 45 years as both a church musician and a civil engineer. The program featured four of her works, including three orchestral world premieres. October Fanfare (1984/2025), heard here in its orchestral world premiere, was originally composed as a choral recessional for Ms. Burckardt’s wedding more than 41 years ago. The work pairs the main theme from her Fanfare in E-flat with verses from her setting of Psalm 150. Psalm 150—often favored by composers—has also inspired works such as Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky, Psalm 150 (1892) by Anton Bruckner, and Psalm 150, Op. 67 (1962) by Benjamin Britten. In Ms. Burckardt’s work, the brass writing effectively conveyed the grandeur of the text (NIV): “Praise the Lord, Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.”

Aire Mount Auburn (2020) began with a solo harp, beautifully played by Kristi Shade. One could clearly hear the influence of traditional Irish music. Ms. Burckardt notes that her mother’s side of the family has Irish roots stretching back generations. The melody, drawn from the traditional Irish tune “Shane”—also associated with the hymns Be Thou My Vision and Lord of All Hopefulness—was later taken up by solo flute (Anna Urrey) and violin (Eiko Kano), the latter performed in a fiddle-like style. The result was both stylistically convincing and one of the most memorable moments of the evening.

The second world premiere, Variations on Afternoon Light (2025) further revealed Ms. Burckardt’s distinctive orchestral voice. The work takes as its starting point Afternoon Light, a composition by her close friend and collaborator Bill Desmond, originally written for electric guitars and percussion. Ms. Burckardt herself performed in Mr. Desmond’s ensemble Tone Poem, an unusual group that included hammered dulcimer, psaltery, guitars, piano, pan pipes, and charango. Perhaps influenced by this experience, the orchestration here felt especially imaginative. A solo harp reimagined the opening guitar theme, later punctuated by pizzicato strings. A particularly striking moment came in the form of a lyrical cadenza by oboist Hsuan-Fong Chen.

The final world premiere, Shloshah Tehillim (Three Psalms- 2025) emerged as the highlight of Ms. Burckardt’s contributions to the program. Given her decades of experience as a church musician, her deep understanding of sacred music was evident throughout. The work powerfully conveyed the devotional spirit of the texts. The first movement, Al Yedei Nechalei Bavel (By the Streams of Babylon), sets the well-known Psalm 137. Ms. Burckardt notes in the program that the original version used a complex layering of synthesizers, soloists, and choir, followed later by an “unplugged” arrangement featuring fingerpicked guitar arpeggios and solo tenor voice. Both versions evoke the melancholy and longing of the captive Israelites. In this orchestral adaptation, the layered textures of the earlier versions were effectively translated into orchestral color. The second movement, Rachamim (Mercy), merges Ms. Burckardt’s settings of Psalms 51, 103, and 106, while the third movement, Yerushah (Inheritance), sets Psalm 16.

Conductor Justin Bischof introduced the program by discussing the distinction between “radical” and “traditional” orchestral composition, citing figures such as Hector Berlioz and Arnold Schoenberg as examples of the former, and composers like Brahms and Antonín Dvořák as representatives of the latter. The evening’s program leaned toward the traditional side. Ms. Burckardt’s works largely avoided extended techniques, electronics, or improvisation, remaining grounded in Western classical tonality.

In an era when orchestral writing often incorporates a wide range of experimental techniques and multimedia elements, Ms. Burckardt chose a more traditional framework. Yet within those boundaries she expressed an authentic and personal voice, drawing on sacred and liturgical traditions, elements of jazz, and the lilting character of Irish melody.

This raises an intriguing point. One might also argue that Brahms himself was radical in his own way. Although his formal structures and orchestration were deeply rooted in the tradition of Beethoven, his harmonic language and rhythmic innovations—particularly his masterful use of hemiola—pushed the boundaries of what symphonic writing could be within that inherited framework. In doing so, he reshaped the course of orchestral music for generations that followed.

Erika Dohi

by new york concert review  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Minyoung Rho, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 2, 2026

I was interested to hear pianist Minyoung Rho after seeing the intriguing repertoire on her recital program. Although it has become more common to program works of living composers alongside classic repertoire, it takes a certain tenacity and belief in the music to make the program truly work. This is what was heard tonight at Weill Recital Hall; pairings of works with meaningful connections that were communicated with nuance and pianistic integrity.

Commissioned in 2007 for the Second International Beethoven Competition, Ludwig’s Alptraum (Ludwig’s Nightmare) by Lera Auerbach (b. 1973) opened the program. The work begins with a quote from the Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 27, No. 1, but quickly goes off into new territory ending in a shambles after a section of brutal turbulence. Ms. Rho might have been more captivating in her sound as she established the opening “dream state,” more fully drawing the listener into this new realm. The more violent sections felt somewhat casual and would have benefited from greater intention, urgency, and a more extreme sense of the sonority, however, the playing demonstrated clarity and command and even sparked a genuine interest in this reviewer to explore this work and others by Auerbach.

The standard repertoire pairing in the first half of the program was Kreisleriana, Op. 16, by Robert Schumann. This emblematic work reflects the unsettled and extreme nature of the Auerbach piece through a musical language uniquely realized in the hands of Robert Schumann. Ms. Rho is clearly comfortable in this style, playing with full control of the many complex lines and voices appearing and disappearing throughout the work – not an easy feat! In some moments, this reviewer wishes that Ms. Rho would have played with more abandon, even if sacrificing a note or two. At the same time, the slower sections could have been more flexible, living and breathing to create a natural unfolding of the phrases, highlighting the ambiguity Schumann creates in phrase length, harmony and pulse. This would have made the second movement, II. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch, more successful. Similarly, III. Sehr aufgeregt was played with great elegance but could have opened with a more sinister character. The last movement, VIII. Schnell und spielend, was particularly moving, encompassing the emotional depth of the set as a whole.

The second half began with another unknown work to this reviewer. Clifton Callender (b. 1969) wrote à la manière de…. (in the style of) in 2018 as a musical homage to six composers, from Bach to Art Tatum. He writes about the work, “In each prelude some aspect of the composer’s style, technique, or even specific fragments form the basis for my own take. The preludes were not intended to be stylistic exercises or parodies, but rather opportunities to explore without inhibition elements (latently) present in my own voice.”

The first movement, Chopin, clearly takes inspiration from the fourth movement of the Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35. Though a recognizable sound world, Callender manages to veer off into a prelude that communicates a more extroverted, intense and intentional character that Ms. Rho performed brilliantly. The second movement, Bach, transforms almost seamlessly into a two-part invention. Though the sonic landscape was appropriate, this reviewer was missing more interaction between all the lines and figures, especially the canonical material. Langetiessen (a name mash-up of the composers David Lang, György Ligeti and Louis Andriessen) was fantastically complex in its rhythm and organization but could have had more rhythmic inflection from Ms. Rho. Tatum stood out a favorite for its swinging rhythm and natural improvisatory quality but with its own unique language, still integrated and related to the work as a whole. Liszt was also an interesting study in repeated notes, concluding with virtuosity displayed expertly by Ms. Rho.

The second pairing on the program featured Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version) by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943). In this work, Ms. Rho demonstrated complete mastery of her artistry and pianistic authority. Her performance of this work stood out as the most compelling of the evening, showcasing not only her astounding technique, but also deep interpretive insight. While this pairing might initially appear incongruous, careful listening reveals subtle threads of connection between the works, creating a cohesive narrative across the program.

Ms. Rho’s interpretation of the Rachmaninoff Sonata was filled with exciting climaxes and a clear sense of overall structure. She shaped phrases beautifully and with care allowing them to develop organically. This reviewer was particularly struck with how Ms. Rho worked out the layered sonorities so clearly and how each line was handled with supple nuance. The work concluded with an exhilarating final movement, communicating a bombastic conclusion to the thoughtful program. I look forward to hearing Ms. Rho again in the future!

by Walter Aparicio  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Naren Palomino Pardo, piano

Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY

February 27, 2026

Pianist Naren Palomino Pardo presented a program of music by South American composers at Merkin Hall, under the auspices of Kantuta Concerts Opus 3 and the Foundation for Bolivian Artists. Mr. Pardo, a native Bolivian, enjoys a healthy career as a concert artist, collaborative musician, and educator.

Bolivian composers were featured prominently, though not exclusively, in an evening that also included works by two giants of South American music, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Alberto Ginastera. Throughout the recital, Mr. Pardo played with buoyancy, lyricism, and most of all, an instinctual and improvisatory sense of rhythm.

Baroque works are often the first choice of pianists to initiate a concert, and in this case, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 filled that slot in a way that was both referential and inventive. Mr. Pardo projects a big sound, and the Steinway that evening had a brightness that could easily overpower the space. Within minutes, however, he found the warmth in the instrument. He played the Prelúdio with simplicity and beautiful tone. His technique is relaxed, playing deep into the keys like a jazz pianist. This worked especially well for the Coral movement, with its melismas and the Ária with its massive chords. Mr. Pardo’s voicing in the Ária movement had complete clarity and nuance. It was in the Danza movement, however, that he revealed what he does best- to play music influenced by movement in a way that is both virtuosic and natural.

Jaime Mendoza-Nova, a Bolivian-American composer and conductor with an extensive filmography, was represented by his Tres Danzas Bolivianas, a reimagining of three classic Bolivian folk dances- a fast and furious Taquirari with a bit of hand crossing, a Sikuri with a pagan ritualistic quality, and the Cueca, the most infectious and joyous of the three dances. The Cueca appeared a second time later in the evening, in a version by the Bolivian composer Simeon Roncal that provoked spontaneous rhythmic clapping in the audience. Of the other Bolivian composers in the “Bolivian Watercolor” grouping of the second half, I was most drawn to the Prelúdio by Eduardo Caba, a Debussyian waltz with displaced accents, which was played with sensitivity and color by Mr. Pardo. While I applaud his very generous inclusion of composers of his homeland, some judicious editing of this part of the program would have made it much more effective.

Two very different but compelling Argentinian composers, Osvaldo Golijov and Alberto Ginastera, made significant contributions to the evening. Golijov’s Levante, drawn from his Saint Mark Passion, is a powerhouse piece that was played brilliantly by Mr. Pardo. Ginastera’s Sonata No.1, Op. 22, the most complex and musically substantial offering, showed the full range of Mr. Pardo’s strengths as a performer.

I enjoyed this recital very much, for its exposure to the audience of some neglected composers who deserve more attention, and for the enthusiasm and expertise that Mr. Pardo brings to all his playing. He is a big talent, and I would look forward to hearing him as a collaborative artist and as a purveyor of other corners of the standard repertoire.

by David La Marche  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

February 11, 2026

The Chinese New Year is bringing in celebrations all over the world, and none the more festive (and extensive!) than the one I listened to last night (February 11^th) at Weill Hall! Pianist Tiehan Pan (a graduate of Manhattan School of Music who is currently serving on the institution’s International Advisory Board) has put together an evening full of talent and joy, featuring many of his colleagues from MSM and a few other young musicians from Juilliard, the Special Music School, and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Mr. Pan, who is also the leader of Lincoln Square Music (described in the program notes as “an education consulting firm that supports institutions and individuals in modernizing arts education for real-world impact.”), is a very fine pianist and a talented curator and presenter. I rather liked his idea of assembling a group of young artists to evoke a 1980’s “Operatic Gala” feel, where each artist performs just one work, not longer than a few minutes, trying to win over the audience in an almost contest-like display of artistry. It must be said, the concert went on for too long (I will get to that later on), but I admit I didn’t feel the time passing and, for the most part, I was completely taken with the impressive musicianship of these young performers.

The first half of the program – which lasted close to two hours! – was divided into three sections: The Classic (where well-known and much loved works from the mainstream repertoire were presented), The Exotic (still mostly repertoire with a “stamp of approval” pedigree, but slightly more adventurous), and The New (a combination of vibrant and exciting new works and AI generated compositions, a fascinating and very intriguing offering).

The Gala opener came from tenor Tong Zhang, whose rendition of Lehár’s Dein ist mein ganze Herz impressed with excellent diction and beautiful phrasing, though the projection seemed a bit forced at times, especially with such perfect acoustics as provided by Weill Hall. 

Next, violinist Marina Alba proved to be an enchanting presence and produced a beautiful tone while resolving all the technical challenges of Kreisler’s Recitative and Scherzo Caprice, showing musical intelligence and refinement.

Pianist Guanxiao Yang delivered the fiendishly difficult Feux Follets by Liszt with elegance and humor. His playing was supple and never heavy-handed, but perhaps a little too careful of taking risks with tempo and thus lacking fire.

Mozart’s Cherubino aria Voi che sapete from Le nozze di Figaro was given an odd interpretation by Zimo Wang: she had problems with the intonation, and the meaning of the words (and the whole story of the character) seemed lost on her. She did, however, wear a stunning and elaborate dress!

Weiwei Kong’s rendition of Dvořák’s Song to the Moon from Rusalka was lovely and fittingly floating. She could have use more nuance and freedom in the phrasing, but her voice and projection were beautifully adjusted to the magical resonance of the hall.

Ending the Classic section of the program, violinist Alix Auclair was joined by pianist Michael Wang in the first movement of Richard Strauss’ Violin Sonata, Op. 18. Ms. Auclair gave a polished and dignified performance, always in full command of the technical difficulties of the piece. She produced a warm tone and played with intelligence and good taste. I felt that at times she could have been better supported by the pianist, especially when navigating the sweeping long lines upon which the entire movement is built.

The Exotic segment was opened by baritone Wei Chen with a shaky version of the Toreador Song from Bizet’s Carmen. The performance lacked gravitas and both performers – singer and pianist – seem to push and pull in different direction, never quite settling on the right pacing for this music. 

Tenor Ramon Gabriel Tenefrancia is the possessor of a stunningly beautiful and capable instrument, as evident in his very musical rendition of Francisco Santiago’s Madaling Araw, but he still needs time to develop and tame that raw material.

Next, pianist Daria Podorozhnova played the Infernal Dance from The Firebird by Stravinsky (arranged by Agosti) with the authority of a fully mature artist. The more intimate and poetic moments were also fully realized. While she produced crystal clear sound throughout and her voicing of the dense chords was perfect, I felt that she could have built up to a more ferocious finale.

Jamil Salizade’s lyrical playing and stylistically accurate performance of Rachmaninov’s Étude-tableaux, Op. 39, No. 8 still needs time to mature and find all of the magic of this heartbreaking music.

Ares Economides’ version of Bartók’s Piano Sonata (first movement) proved very capable but undifferentiated. The accents didn’t have enough “bite” and the rhythmical patterns were softened to the point where they almost lost their potency.

Violinist Betania Johnny and pianist Ainslie Mathew had fun performing African Dancer, the first movement from William Grant Still’s Suite for Violin and Piano, but could have used a more diverse pallet of dynamics which would infuse the music with even more excitement.

Closing this section of the evening, the piano duo Yufei Liu – Yuyue Zhou brought top level energy with an engaging version of Lisa Kaplan’s Boogie-Woogie, complete with elbow clusters and hand tapping for maximum response from the audience.

The next and final segment of the first half was, for me, the most successful and fascinating of the evening. Soprano Zihan Ning seemed to have stepped out of a Chinese fairy tale to deliver her interpretation of Jin Se (Brocaded Zither), which was truly magical. She was also perfectly supported by Mr. Pan, whose gorgeous piano introduction will stay in my ear for many weeks!

Equally beautiful and full of emotion and imagery was the performance of Yuehan Wang in My Faithful Heart Doth Wait for Thee. The voice and the piano blended perfectly and both artists (Mr. Pan was again the pianist) took full advantage of the pristine acoustics of Weill Hall. 

In one of the evenings’ most memorable moments, pianist Vladislav Kern achieved the almost impossible-  he introduced us to one of his own works, Dreamworld Suite, which not only would I want to listen to again and again, but as a pianist myself I would absolutely love to learn and introduce to more audiences throughout the world. In his composition, Mr. Kern creates a magical sound world in which both performer and listener can dream together. A superb pianist as well as an immensely talented composer, he blends melody, harmony and rhythm in a way that is at once fully original and universally relatable, without copying any previous style. As the piece came to an end, I thought to myself this is the kind of new music we need in order for classical music to survive and thrive into this century!

Saltwater, a piano piece by Elle Gurevich, was a fluid evocation of water and perpetual motion, reminiscent of Ravel. Written with intelligence and deft handling of a composer’s arsenal, and performed by Ms. Gurevich with grace and charm, the work was easy on the ears but not particularly original.

Olivia Wu, a 13 year-old singer and performer, decided to employ AI to help her tell the story of the White Horse (related to the Year of the Horse, celebrated this year in the Chinese tradition). The result was a piece that may very well give us a look into what the future holds for the creation of new music and how we as humans will (or will not) be slowly replaced by technology. I commend the idea and I found the result fascinating, albeit not necessarily convincing. The work sounded like a pop song (sung in English and Chinese by Ms. Wu)  with simple harmonic progressions which are very effective in insinuating themselves into the ears of less sophisticated listeners. What it lacked in originality, it made up in sentimentality and cuteness. The question is what do we value more, and what will help our art form survive- giving in to the taste of a wider audience, or preserving an appetite for the hard-won challenges?

As if this last question was hanging too heavily on our minds, the finale of the evening’s first half (!) was appropriately cheerful and low-key: baritone Peiming Cai (expressive and very musical, with a sure and powerful voice) was joined by Wei Chen, Zihan Ning and Yuehan Wang in the song The Moon represents my Heart, a lovely way to end a joyous celebration.

But of course the evening was not over! After a rather long (but much needed) intermission, I was stunned to see how few people opted to come back for the second half. I strongly believe that, in spite of the excessive length of the evening , neither the performer (Yingxin Wang) nor the featured composer of this second half (veteran Chinese composer Weijie Gao) deserved such treatment. In fact, while I was wondering if I would manage to keep my mind fresh for yet another 40 minutes of music, I found myself very much convinced by Ms. Wang’s excellent performance and by the rich musical offerings of this part of the concert.

The small piano suite Age of Childhood is composed of five short pieces, like pastel-colored sketches on faded paper. Ms. Wang played them with bristling clarity and sharp articulation. They were followed by Three Songs after Poems from Yuan Dynasty, which she played with a singing tone and a wide range of dynamics. Her articulation left me speechless. The music (all by Mr. Gao) is sweepingly romantic and descriptive; it belongs to a specific time and place, and its charm resides in transporting us there effortlessly. 

Autumn Fields had a different feel, employing more dissonance, sharp rhythmical figures and expressionistic gestures. The score is technically challenging but Yingxin Wang had everything under control. The musical language reminded me of Szymanowski’s piano suite Masques, a work which I wholeheartedly admire and which deserves a better place in today’s concert life. At times, I felt that Ms. Wang could have explored using even quieter dynamics. The following piece, Winter Snow, employed similar language and further showcased the pianist’s technical and artistic gifts. The next work, Three Preludes, was played with great virtuosity and commitment. 

The last selection on the program (we were now approaching 11:00 pm) was a two-movement suite titled Memories of Childhood. The first piece, Nostalgia, felt a little forceful in its tone, but it did feature some beautiful, evocative moments. The second, Childhood Innocence, lacked a bit in… childhood innocence, and I could not quite see why the composer chose that title. But these were minor quibbles which should not cloud the effect of a truly enjoyable evening (both parts!) which was put together with thoughtfulness and love. Love for music, for young talent, and for the Chinese tradition!

by Matei Varga  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Dr. Kookhee Hong, Executive Director; Dr. Minji Noh, Artistic Director

Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

January 19, 2026

On January 19, 2026, the Barum Music Foundation (www.barummusic.org) presented a program entitled “Rising Stars Showcase.” Featuring twenty-seven(!) young musicians in twenty-six(!) works (Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Moszkowski, Tchaikovsky, Arensky, Sarasate, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Bartók, and Rebecca Clarke) this mammoth program was three hours and ten minutes long- without intermission!

While I understand the desire to maximize the quantity of both performers and selections (playing at Carnegie Hall is most likely going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some of the young musicians), this was simply way too much for a single session. As time went on, the audience was coming and going en masse, which penalized the later performers in a way that was completely avoidable. At least those audience members had that freedom- a reviewer does not.

The performers were aged (in my estimation) from early pre-teen to late teens – the printed program and the website had no information about the ages of the performers. While it was not completely necessary information, it would have been good to know the ages of the performers from the standpoint of assessment- obviously a conscientious listener would not judge a twelve-year old with the same expectations that would be appropriate for an eighteen-year old.

Any regular reader of these pages will already know this listener has a great interest in hearing young artists. This evening (the length notwithstanding) was no exception. However, the reality of these types of showcases is a wide range of levels, from very promising youngsters ready  to those displaying both superb technique and a highly-polished artistry that places them at the cusp of possibly reaching the highest levels. Accordingly, to comment on each and every performer would turn this into an adjudication, which would not only be tedious, but beyond the scope of this review.

Every one of these youngsters can be proud- they all showed poise and maturity in addition to demonstrating excellent technique and budding artistry. I do want to list all the performers- they are truly Rising Stars. They are Katherine Oh (Flute), Dora Yu (Viola),  Iris Yan, Matthew Margolis (Violin), Joseph Margolis, Matthew Mak  (Cello),  Alexis Lee, Allison Bang, Arin Choi, Ayun Kim, Brian Anesi, Caleb Eshagpoor, Derrick Lin, Erik Chen, Ethan Sun, Fredrik Wong, Isaac Lee, Janice Son, Jina Ju, Justina Cha, Alexander Kai Hilty, Kensy Cuellar, Knox Reid, Ricky Zhou, Sophie Lin, Takako Isobe, and Zachary Eshagpoor (Piano).

Without taking anything away from anyone, I am going to mention the musicians that I felt were standouts. The Eshagpoor brothers, Zachary and Caleb (the former played Bartók’s Op.14, No.3, the latter Mendelssohn’s Variations sérieuses – after waiting three hours!) are both not only technical wizards, but they possess a true artistry far beyond their years. They are definitely going to be on my to-watch list. Alexis Lee played Liszt’s La Leggierezza with a deft lightness (as per the title) that so many young players struggle with in Liszt, due to their focus on the technical demands at all costs. Ms. Lee displayed the technique and the touch. Cellist Joseph Margolis played Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, with a fine sense of insouciant playfulness and humor that is prominent in this masterpiece. I’ve heard older and more experienced players “swagger” excessively through this piece, where Mr. Margolis let every detail speak. Even after nearly three hours (he was the second-to-last), one was fully engaged in his outstanding performance. The trio of Matthew Margolis (violin), Matthew Mak (cello), and Fredrik Wong (piano) played the first movement of Arensky’s D minor Piano Trio, Op. 32 with a rapport one would have thought was a product of years of playing together. The balance and intonation were outstanding. This ensemble has great potential for the future, and I do hope they will continue to play together. Finally, the standout amongst the standouts was pianist Erik Chen, who dazzled all with Ravel’s La Valse. It was fortunate that Mr. Chen was at the midpoint of the program, so the hall was still full to experience a spectacular performance of one of the most fiendishly difficult works in the repertoire. I’m quite familiar with this work, so I was not going to be fooled by its inherent brilliance. I was initially skeptical when I saw it on the program, but suffice it to say that Mr. Chen obliterated that skepticism in record time. It easily held its own against any number of performances I have heard. The audience gave Mr. Chen a well-deserved standing ovation. Predictions are always an inexact science, but I expect to hear much more from Mr. Chen in the future and would not at all be surprised if I see him appearing at one of the premier piano competitions as a contestant. Good luck, Mr. Chen!

Congratulations to all, with wishes for future successes.

by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Chengcheng Ma, piano

Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY

January 8, 2026

Forte International Group is, according to its own mission statement, a global cultural enterprise dedicated to bridging the musical worlds of China and the US, specifically through providing promising musicians with premier performance opportunities and resources that help their career development. On January 8, at Merkin Hall in Manhattan, the organization presented a piano recital featuring Chengcheng Ma, as part of their “Signed Artist Series.”  This was the first concert of the group’s 2026 season. Mr. Ma presented an eclectic program composed by some war-horses of the piano repertoire combined with new works (some receiving their New York premiere) by contemporary composers who have a strong professional connection with this young pianist.

Personally, I don’t think that today, as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, and especially in a cultural haven such as New York City, there is a true necessity to “bridge” the musical worlds of China and America. I think that we are all fully aware of Chinese musicians’ extraordinary gifts, both on technical and artistic levels, as proved for many years and through many generations of outstanding performers. Therefore, I would imagine that, when an organization such as Forte International Group decides to present a new artist to a New York audience, the artist would be quite extraordinary indeed. I am sorry to say that I did not find Mr. Ma to meet that expectation, in spite of his obvious technical prowess and openness to a diverse and challenging repertoire (for which I fully commend him).

The program started with a piece by Kitty Nez, suite française (no caps), which was described in the program notes as a “free meditation on the richly flourished keyboard music of Couperin.” The piece has five distinct movements, all borrowing titles from the classic Baroque dances: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte and Rondeau. The music switches between quoting actual Couperin pieces and trying to develop an updated neo-Baroque language. Unfortunately, it goes on for far too long and soon wears out its welcome. Only in the last movement – a Rondo entitled “The Bees” – did I find the juxtaposition between Couperin’s passages and the stream of consciousness employed by the original interludes quite effective, and I kept wishing that we’d arrived at this earlier, and with less meandering. Mr. Ma displayed impressive clarity in all the ornaments and very crisp articulation, but his performance needed greater charm and imagination, both of which I tend to believe are essential to Ms. Nez’s vision of this musical bridge between two very different periods.

Next on the program was a puzzling choice: the complete set of Chopin’s Op. 10 Etudes. I really couldn’t see the connection between this monumental cycle and the suite we’d heard right before, so my guess is that Mr. Ma (not unlike most young and ambitious pianists) is simply in love with these works and wanted to include them in his recital. While I partly understand such reasons, I think this particular cycle should only be performed if the pianist has something truly original and remarkable to say and also if they are capable to fully transcend the onerous technical difficulties and reveal the great emotional diversity of each of these miniatures.

Chengcheng Ma started the cycle with a capable but perfunctory rendition of the majestic No. 1, lacking spirituality and finesse. In the tricky No. 2, he lost his place and struggled with the material. The intimate and poetic No. 3 lacked its most essential ingredient: a singing tone, and the rubato felt rather gauche. No. 4 was played at what I call “Richter speed” (I invite you to watch the famous video clip on YouTube), but without the clarity and tension of that unforgettable version. No. 5 continued the speed journey, and in the highly chromatic No. 6 the pianist made use of the same pattern of push and pull to emphasize new harmonies and colors. No. 7 was a big blur of sound, and in No. 8 the pianist again had some memory troubles – unfortunately every music lover knows this one note by note, and every accident becomes even more noticeable. In the sigh-inducing and expressive No. 9, I wish Mr. Ma had shown more awareness of the emotional possibilities offered by the key of F minor. No. 10 went by too fast (quite literally!), and No. 11 suffered from lots of missed notes. The famous Revolutionary Etude was given an impressive technical reading, with a truly precise and light-speed left hand, but it lacked nobility and turned into an exercise rather than the heartfelt statement which Chopin intended. 

After intermission, Mr. Ma was back with a new work, Many’s the Time I’ve Seen Her Nude at the Piano, by Rodney Lister. The title is much more exciting than the actual work (a Prokofiev-like Toccata), in spite of Mr. Ma’s efforts to render it with precision and accuracy. 

He followed this with Liszt’s Dante Sonata, performed with the score. I am a great advocate of playing with music, but I wondered why Mr. Ma used the score for this piece and not for the Chopin Etudes. Aside from obvious reasons to use the score when performing new music, I think the decision should reflect a certain philosophy of the performer and therefore be consistent throughout a recital. Still, with or without the music, Mr. Ma charged again at supersonic speed through most of the difficult passages, with different degrees of success. This caused, quite frequently, a lack of tension and purpose. Listening to his otherwise impressive playing I kept wondering why so many young pianists seem to think that this work is an unabashed display of pyrotechnics and brush off almost entirely the philosophical and deeply conflictual side of it. Chengcheng Ma is a musician undoubtedly capable of conquering most technical challenges and has ability to unleash the expressive treasures of such music, so one wonders why he seemed content to just accelerate the tempo at the cost of missing the emotional twists and turns which give meaning to the piece.

The evening concluded with a short piece for four hands by Zhao Zhang (Hua Yi Dance), which Mr. Ma played together with Yimiao Fang. The two pianists seem to have a lovely rapport, and they navigated with charisma and assurance through this very short musical sketch. The audience (an almost packed Merkin Hall) responded with enthusiasm. 

by Matei Varga  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Shiqi Zhong, percussion

YoonJung Hwang, violin; Qianci Liu, cello; Jiacheng Xiong, piano; Jonathan Haas, timpani/percussion; Kelsey Choi, percussion

New York University, John H. Paulson Center, New York, NY

December 18, 2025

On December 18^th, Shiqi Zhong gave what was his third recital towards the completion of a DMA degree in percussion at New York University. Mr. Zhong is the first DMA candidate in the newly created doctoral program for percussionists. The sole work on his program was the Viktor Derevianko/Mark Pekarsky arrangement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 15^th Symphony for piano trio, percussion, and celeste, which is obviously not a percussion-centric work, so one assumes that this recital is to meet a chamber/ensemble requirement. Mr. Zhong was joined by violinist YoonJung Hwang , cellist Qianci Liu, pianist Jiacheng Xiong, and percussionists Jonathan Haas and Kelsey Choi .

Mr. Zhong welcomed the audience and thanked them for attending. Before the recital proper, there was some pre-recital “bonus” content – a pipa/piano piece and a presentation of handpan drumming, featuring Mr. Zhong with some of his young students. The Handpan is a steel drum that resembles a large tortoise shell. It has both melodic and rhythmic qualities, which Mr. Zhong demonstrated. He is currently writing a method book for handpan, and two studies that he wrote were offered – the first highlighting the melodic possibilities, and the second, the rhythmic with a focus on hand independence. It was nice to see how much pride Mr. Zhong has in his young students. Of course he is an outstanding musician, but one has the sense that he is also an outstanding teacher who wants to share his love and enthusiasm for music and percussion with his students, regardless of their level of prowess.

After this demonstration,  Mr. Zhong invited his advisor/mentor Jonathan Haas to speak as the other musicians took their places in preparation for the Shostakovich. Professor Haas spoke about Shostakovich and this arrangement of the 15^th Symphony in a manner intended to be a very quick overview of his life and trials. (He had written some informative notes that were included in some pre-concert publicity, but unfortunately those notes were not distributed at the recital.) He did take a few liberties – for example stating that Shostakovich’s first three symphonies had aroused Stalin’s ire, though in fact it had been the composer’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District that had caused such trouble. Also, Professor Haas suggested that a fear of Stalin figured into Shostakovich’s compositional mindset, whereas Stalin had been dead for nearly two decades when Shostakovich wrote this symphony, so such fear was unlikely.

Like many of Shostakovich’s works, the 15^th Symphony has definite autobiographical underpinnings, but what exactly they are in this work have been, and continue to be, debated by experts. A plausible explanation suggests that the composer knew that this was going to be his final symphony, and that he shared memories of his life, from childhood to his final days, when the end was imminent. There are quotes from other composers, the most obvious being Rossini’s William Tell overture, which appear throughout the work.

In an earlier review in these pages ( Shiqi Zhong  in Review), Mr. Zhong was the focal point, showcasing his “seemingly limitless technical abilities.” Tonight, he was tasked with a supporting rather than starring role. In this context, it is not easy to offer any specific praise, other than he was an attentive and sensitive team player, moving seamlessly between the components of the percussion battery. His collaborators were all top-notch musicians as well, and the combination of their skill and the very effective arrangement of this symphony resulted in one of the more memorable concerts this reviewer has experienced in some time. There were of course some individual highlights. Violinist YoonJung Hwang captured the gallop-like motifs with a jaunty insouciance that was perfect. Cellist Qianci Liu’s purity of tone brought out the emotional impact of the simple but profoundly beautiful solos from the second movement. Pianist Jiacheng Xiong was a force as he served as the de facto “orchestra”.  Last, but certainly not least, percussionists Kelsey Choi and Jonathan Haas joined Mr. Zhong as the “heart” of the work.  The forty-five minute performance time seemed to pass in a few moments – this is how spellbinding it was. And yes, the audience members were all smiles when the William Tell quotes appeared in the opening movement. Kudos to all, and best of luck to the soon-to-be Dr. Zhong in all his future endeavors.

by Jeffrey Williams  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Yoon Jin Park, cello

Marc A. Scorca Hall, The National Opera Center, New York, NY

December 6, 2025

On a breezy Saturday evening in New York City, the Spanish based Sociedad de Compañerismo de Compositores (The Composers’ Fellowship Society) presented the world premiere of Ross Avant’s monumental new work for solo cello, the Suite No. 2 titled Venient Tenebrae (which translates to “Let the Darkness Come”). Initially I was surprised that the entire concert was to consist of only one piece, but the fifty-minute performance time of this work soon made me understand that the performance would feel anything but short. 

The master of ceremonies for the evening was Jeanette Hoelscher, who introduced herself as a New York-based actress and model. She was a lovely presence, wearing a very high cut dress, and she brought elegance and a breath of fresh air (no pun intended) to the event; however, I couldn’t help wondering if perhaps the services of a classically trained musician would have better served the purpose of this concert, especially during the post-performance talk (with the composer and the performer). Ms. Hoelscher was obviously well prepared and asked pertinent and sometimes interesting questions, but since this was a new work, reaching the audience’s ears for the very first time, it would have helped to have a moderator who could dive deeper into more specific questions about the motivations, goals and inspirations which led the composer to write this unusual (at least for our times) piece of music.

When using the title “cello suite,” one inevitably thinks of Bach and the legacy he left with his extraordinary works in this genre. Even if the musical language is very different, I did feel that Ross Avant was somewhat paraphrasing (or at least paying homage?) to his famous predecessor. Mr. Avant’s work also comes in six movements, which is the established form used by Bach. Both composers use the specifics of the instrument in order to convey a wide range of emotions, from the intimate to the cathartic. Bach looks at traditional dances (such as Allemande, Courante, Sarabande) as inspiration and heartbeat for each movement, and perhaps because of this he achieves great diversity (both in tempo and expression) from one movement to another. In Mr. Avant’s work, the first five movements sounded too similar, almost to the point where I had trouble deciding whether we were still listening to one movement, or have graduated to the next. Only in the last movement did the composer really stir up more contrasting material (an entire pizzicato section, some syncopated melodies) which brought a much needed climax to an otherwise meandering opus. As I was listening to the former movements, I wondered if they had titles, or at least some suggestion as to what inspired them- sadly, the programs were not ready in time for the event, and nobody who was present had the benefit of knowing anything about the piece which was being performed. The answer – which I found later on – is that no, there are no titles for the movements. When I was eventually provided with the missing playbill, I read that Mr. Avant wrote the suite as an homage to the German-Jewish philosopher, critic and essayist Walter Benjamin, who tragically committed suicide in order to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. Mr. Avant’s intent is to evoke not only Benjamin’s memory, but also that of countless victims of the Holocaust and other authoritarian atrocities perpetrated during the Second World War.

As such, the piece is important and undoubtedly deserves to be heard. It is also very refreshing to hear a fifty-minute work for solo cello, crafted with passion and minute care for details, especially in an era obsessed with two-minute Instagram videos, instant gratification, and shorter and shorter attention spans. Ross Avant works here against the current, and that is not only commendable but also encouraging-  perhaps, after all, classical music, and its most traditional forms,  can still provide a thoroughly stimulating and enjoyable experience, without any gimmick. Mr. Avant, who apparently dabbles successfully into many different genres (movie and TV soundtracks, pop tunes) is perhaps an ideal link between the old and the new, bringing to the classical parameters a bit of 21st century salt and pepper. His writing is atmospheric, evocative and I would describe it as faux-melodic in the sense that one can hear many beautifully shaped lines which are, however, impossible to reproduce with the voice or even to remember them exactly after they brushed against your ears. I felt at times that this music might work better as an accompaniment for a beautifully shot sunset in an art house movie than as a stand-alone, listen-with-your-eyes-closed musical journey, but perhaps this is a (small) price to pay for bringing a less savvy audience into the concert hall. 

In the program notes (which I could only read the day after the concert), it is said that the Suite is a “meditation on finality, sacrifice, and the power of resilience.” These are very big words, and listening to the piece as it was performed on Saturday night I would not say that they all came to my mind. Perhaps the cellist, Yoon Jin Park, would need more time to explore the depth and meaning of this complex and ambitious work. Ms. Park is a wonderful performer who plays with grace and a lovely genuineness, making even the most technically awkward passages sound organic and natural. Considering the sheer length of the work, her accomplishment is exceptional and her commitment truly inspiring. I did feel, however, that she was almost avoiding big contrasts as if not to disturb a delicate balance, embedded somewhere in the DNA of the piece. I’m not sure this approach is consistent with the feelings of finality, sacrifice and strength; I dare suggest that a larger spectrum of colors, moods and dynamic changes would help the music seem fresher and even more exciting. Still, there was much to admire in the performance, and in the work itself; towards the end of the fifth movement, the young couple sitting directly ahead of me touched their heads and embraced with sweet affection. What more can we ask from a piece of music, then to bring out the love within us and allow us a moment to savor it?

by Matei Varga  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

The New York Philharmonic; Stéphane Denève, conductor

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY

November 26, 2025

David Geffen Hall was filled to capacity on the eve of this Thanksgiving by listeners eager to hear – among other enticements – the New York Philharmonic with superb pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet under the baton of the dynamic Stéphane Denève. For this reviewer, it was one of their most striking, brilliantly played programs in recent memory. Combining music of Aram Khatchaturian – his Piano Concerto Op. 38 – with music of Lera Auerbach, Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Ottorino Respighi, the program itself was inspired, uniting a vast range of mythological, historical, natural, and emotional themes, all building to a powerful and uplifting finale.

Maestro Denève proved to be an intensely musical leader, showing a strong rapport with the orchestra and easy communication with the audience. He drew his listeners in by commenting on the works from the podium – though there were generally good printed program notes as well. To start, he remarked before the opening Auerbach piece that this program could have been named “The Augmented Orchestra” concert, as the scoring of each work extended well beyond traditional orchestral instrumentation. He briefly explained, while also crediting the instruments’ guest performers, who had been omitted from the printed program.

Starting with Lera Auerbach’s Icarus, Denève cited its remarkable inclusion of the theremin.  For those unfamiliar with the sound of this instrument, he asked for a demonstration from guest thereminist Rob Schwimmer (who chose to riff on an excerpt from the main theme of the television show Star Trek – to the delight of the audience). In addition, Denève noted, there would be Khatchaturian’s use of the musical saw, to be played by Dale Stuckenbruck in the Piano Concerto, Op. 38, with Jean-Yves Thibaudet. After intermission would be two works that incorporated bird songs into orchestral textures via recording, first in Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, using a recording created by the composer in 1972, and then in Respighi’s Pines of Rome, using bird sounds recorded decades earlier on a 78 recording (the exact one specified by Respighi to be used in the New York premiere under Toscanini in 1926). An imposing 1909 phonograph behind the winds had been lent to the New York Philharmonic for this occasion. It was just one way in which this entire concert wedded a rich musical history with the exhilaration of the new.

While such unusual scorings were certainly exciting to highlight for all present, the true excitement followed, thanks to the composers’ vivid conceptions and the performers’  impassioned commitment. The opening Icarus by Lera Auerbach evoked the ill-fated flight of the mythical character Icarus as he dared come too close to the sun. The work is based on material from her 2006 Symphony No. 1, premiered in its current version in 2011 at Verbier, and given its New York premiere at this concert. Though the program notes stated that Ms. Auerbach chose the title after the piece was composed, anyone present at this concert would now surely link the music inextricably with Icarus. One felt his initial urgency to escape earthly imprisonment, the chimeric rise, the ecstatic soaring, and even perhaps the melting of his wax wings in theremin waves near the final tragic plummet to earth. As Ms. Auerbach stated in her notes, “Sometimes I think that it is the law of gravity that truly defines our existence.”  This twelve-minute work conveyed that sense, and all that comes with it, from courage in the face of the unknown to glorious aspirations and hubris, from the inevitable fall to the reflections on both beauty and pain. It was a powerful experience, and Ms. Auerbach was present to take a well-deserved bow.

Though the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto (1936) is not a new work for the New York Philharmonic (having given its New York premiere in 1942 following its 1937 Moscow premiere), it enjoyed at this concert a long-overdue revisiting in the hands of the brilliant Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Maestro Denève announced Mr. Thibaudet as “the most American of the French pianists” (again to the delight of the audience) – but one wasn’t sure whether that was a reference to Mr. Thibaudet’s playing style or a certain wardrobe flair that brought to mind Hollywood (not far from where he is artist-in-residence at the Colburn School). His playing itself was free of sheer display, as he simply made short work of the tremendously challenging score, handling fiendish sections with suavity. Whether rapid-fire double notes, octaves or whiplash-inducing ritards after accelerandi – all in remarkable synchronization with the orchestra – Mr. Thibaudet was precise and indefatigable. The second movement was memorable for its bass clarinet lines, soulfully projected, and Mr. Stuckenbruck’s musical saw lent it all an otherworldly feeling. As the program notes reminded us, this work and others were “not instruments of musical propaganda” despite coming out of the early Soviet years, but Khatchaturian meant them as celebrations of Armenian culture.  Just two years ago, in fact, another outstanding performance of this concerto was reviewed by New York Concert Review, as passionate Armenian pianist Kariné Poghosyan performed it with the MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra in honor of Armenian Independence Day. The New York Philharmonic’s last performance of it for some reason dates back to 1961, but after the tremendous response from this week’s audience, one doubts there will be another sixty-year hiatus. Mr. Thibaudet responded to the huge ovation with an encore of O polichinelo from Prole do bebê by Villa-Lobos, played with panache.

After intermission came Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, Op. 61 (1972), a favorite of this reviewer for over twenty years on the basis of a recording by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO, Naxos 1999). It is hard to believe that this evening marked the New York Philharmonic’s first programming of it, but the magnificent performance it was given on this occasion will surely keep planners from waiting another half-century to include it again.

From its chromatic flute lines at the opening to the wind-like whistling and deep chant-like basses, the piece evokes a vast frigid landscape that is raw and melancholy as well as miraculous. The bird sounds are about as far as they can get from the Romantic sentimentalizing of, say, Henselt’s If I Were a Bird – these are birds that cry, wail, squawk, warble, and merge into a unified texture that inspires an awe of nature. When the audience can unite in recognition of such a landscape, the experience can be potent and life-affirming, and it was. Maestro Stéphane Denève gave his all to it, and the orchestra gave theirs.

Just when one thought nothing further could add to the evening, Respighi’s Pines of Rome (1923-24) capped off the program with its own its magic. The Pines of the Villa Borghese was jubilant and shimmering. The Pines near a Catacomb was doleful, yet regal, bolstered by the exceptional brass section. The Pines of the Janiculum found the sparkling piano part setting the tone for a moonlit night, and the clarinets were sublime in their lines – rivaled perhaps only by nature’s own “winds” – the birds via phonograph. Not far after the last heavenly strains of the harp in this third movement, one of the most glorious crescendos of music begins in The Pines of the Appian Way – and how glorious it was in this orchestra’s rendition!Trumpets emerged in the upper boxes drawing looks of wonder from the audience, as the other brass, percussion, and strings built to a majesty that simply exploded. What a great finale to a great evening!

There are still two performances left at the time of this writing – so I do urge music lovers to run, not walk, and hear one!

by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY