The Week in Reviews, Op. 298: Nicola Benedetti; Gil Shaham; Karen Gomyo

November 19, 2019, 1:02 PM · In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.

Violinist Nicola Benedetti. Photo by Simon Fowler.

Nicola Benedetti performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Evening Standard: "The tone of her instrument was rich, at times voluptuous, while her finger-work was nimble and fearless. Yet her delivery was unhurried and Tilson Thomas was content to follow her lead."

Gil Shaham performed Béla Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "The concerto calls for a true virtuoso and had one of the world’s finest in Gil Shaham. Playing the 1699 'Countess Polignac' Stradivarius, Shaham is remarkable for his intensity, his technique and his deep understanding of the music he performs."

Karen Gomyo performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

ludwig van Toronto: "Gomyo is a special violinist who understands exactly what she is playing, never settling for substandard interpretation in place of the hard work required to sculpt a performance of considerable feeling."

Paul Huang and cellist Felix Fan performed Gordon Shi-Wen Chin's Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Bethesda, MD.

The Washington Post: "The two musicians complemented each other well, with Fan’s butterscotch tone and Huang’s lyrical lines flowing with ease."

Anne Akiko Meyers performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the MDR Symphony Orchestra in Sapporo, Japan.

Hokkaido Shinbun: "Her pure gorgeous sound which is supported by her extreme technique carried powerfully throughout a wide range...It was an extraordinary performance of the finest and the finest performance which was filled with excitement."

Richard Lin performed the Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Courier & Press: "As Lin finished the scherzo-like final movement, ethereal yet electric, audience members jumped to their feet in ovation."

Zachary DePue performed Dvorak's Violin Concerto with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.

The Anchorage Press: "He maneuvered the polished, virtuoso aspects of the concerto with ease, but also knew when and where to allow his sound to teeter on the edge and evoke the character of rustic fiddling that Dvorak demands."

Carolin Widmann performed Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The Guardian: "There was also Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto with German soloist Carolin Widmann, another new face for the orchestra and a fluid, powerful player. Showcasing his versatility further, (conductor Maxim) Emelyanychev even turned to the piano for Widmann’s encore, accompanying her in Faure’s delicate, whimsical Berceuse."
The Scotsman: "The Prokofiev was a triumph of restraint. The unassuming mellowness of the opening solo melody (soloist Carolin Widmann) was magically reflected in the orchestra’s sotto voce response, a teasing, temperate quality sustained throughout."
Herald Scotland: "The stark simplicity of the start of the slow movement was exquisite, and Widmann’s way with the snakes and ladders of the third riveting."

Jennifer Koh performed Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

stuff: "I loved the sheer physicality she brought to the piece, an omnipresent vortex of energy around which the orchestra revolved."

Jesse Irons performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra.

The Times Argus: "Irons truly delivered the glory of this Mozart concerto in a performance that was light and elegant, but with emotional depth."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 298: Nicola Benedetti; Gil Shaham; Karen Gomyo

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