The Week in Reviews, Op. 312: Benjamin Beilman; Jennifer Koh; Joshua Bell

March 10, 2020, 1:31 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 Benjamin Beilman.

Benjamin Beilman performed Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole with the Utah Symphony.

Utah Arts Review: "His reading displayed a level of maturity that surpasses his 30 years. That quality—combined with the depth of expression he brought to his performance, as well as his technical chops and interpretative skills— certainly place him in the forefront of today’s young concert violinists."

Jennifer Koh performed Courtney Bryan’s "Syzygy" violin concerto with the Chicago Sinfonietta.

Chicago Tribune: "Koh played the piece with obvious authority, reveling in its openly expressed emotion and dispatching technically complex passagework with apparent ease. Quite a triumph for composer, soloist and the Sinfonietta."

Joshua Bell performed and conducted Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "Bell sailed through double and triple stops at lightspeed, still shaping the theme with a dulcet elegance, nailing notes with a remarkable precision and clarity in intonation. "

Philippe Quint performed John Corigliano’s Red Violin Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

bachtrack: "The virtuosic solo part, highly characterised and fantasy-driven, found a perfect soulmate in Quint’s artistry."

Nancy Zhou performed Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor with the San Diego Symphony.

Broadway World: "...there are an amazing number of young artists today who can handle (the Sibelius Concerto's) technical demands in a concert hall. Nancy Zhou is one of them. Sustained writing in the violin's highest register or a trill on one string while the melodic line is on another-no problem. And that virtuosity is matched by tonal flexibility and emotional involvement."

Blake Pouliot performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.

The Cap Times: "Rarely do I see a soloist enjoying themselves as much as Pouliot....Though he performed the quick darting passages of the demanding concerto well, Pouliot seemed most at home with slower, lyrical themes."
Channel3000: "...(Pouliot) is a superb musician who can take his 1729 Guarneri violin and bring forth its full potential (the violin is on loan from the Canadian Council for the Arts). There’s just a sweet sound that comes from those violins and Pouliot caught it."

Rachel Barton Pine performed Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor with the Winston-Salem Symphony.

Winston-Salem Journal: "...there’s no easing into things for the soloist, that she’s got to establish her A-game immediately. Pine did so convincingly, unleashing small bursts of virtuosity that came to resemble mini-cadenzas of brilliance on the way to a highly memorable, full-blown one later on in the movement."

Angelo Xiang Yu performed Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Op. 61 with Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

The Republican: "Under Yu’s nimble fingers, the Stradivarius sang with penetrating sweetness in its highest registers, and even, golden tone throughout the remainder of its compass. Yu’s intonation was scrupulous throughout. His commitment to the drama and expressive depth of the piece was clear, and he made his mark with some teasing transitions and judicious tongue-in-cheek slides in the finale"

Richard Lin performed Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with the Montclair Orchestra

New York Classical Review: "...Lin virtually dared Chan and his players to keep up with his blistering virtuosity, which they did. The exhilarating performance closed with a fortissimo statement of the theme that brought the race to a photo finish and the audience to its feet."

Leila Josefowicz performed Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony.

The Stanford Daily: "Beginning with a lengthy but vigorous solo, it engaged the conductor, a glockenspiel, harp, celesta and vibraphone in an energizing conversation with each other leading into the rest of the piece."
The Berkeley Daily Planet: "I find Salonen’s Violin Concerto a strained work, one full of excruciating music. "

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