The Week in Reviews, Op. 530: Veronika Eberle & Jean-Guihen Queyras; James Ehnes; Randall Goosby

December 16, 2025, 1:00 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. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.

Violinist Veronika Eberle and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras with Chamber Orchestra of Europe, at their recent Luxembourg performance. Photo by Sebastien Grébille, courtesy Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Veronika Eberle and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras performed Brahms’ Double Concerto with Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall.

New York Classical Review: "The final movement had the best playing in the piece, lively and with a nice rhythmic touch from the orchestra."

James Ehnes performed Britten’s Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda.

Chicago Classical Review: "From the flickering vibrato of his opening statement, the Canadian violinist brought a compelling human quality as the narrative’s solo protagonist via his intimate style and pure tone. Ehnes brought faultless technique to the Spanish-tinged fast sections as well as the driven, nerve-wracked middle movement, making a compelling soliloquy out of the cadenza."
Splash Magazine: "Noseda, elegant and articulate in control, and Ehnes, enormously proficient and confident, were in full accord with the Orchestra in this complicated piece."

Randall Goosby performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and Kahchun Wong.

San Diego Jewish World: "He brought warmth and passion to the ethnic melodies and dispatched the technical hurdles with great competence. His cadenza in the first movement was particularly stunning. The audience erupted into tumultuous applause after the first movement, something even sophisticated audiences often do because of its breathtaking climax. But this time, the listeners even rose for a standing ovation."

Chad Hoopes, Julian Rhee, Kristin Lee and Richard Lin performed Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and Arnaud Sussmann performed Bach’s E major Violin Concerto - at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

New York Times: "The emotional heart of the concert was Arnaud Sussmann’s performance of Bach’s Violin Concerto in E with its deeply affecting Adagio. Written in 1730, a quarter century after the two newly attributed pieces for organ, it brought home the genius of the mature Bach to infuse lucid structures with deep meaning."

The Esmé Quartet and cellist Paul Wiancko performed a recital of works by Schubert for SF Performances.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "The String Quintet, an enormous work nearly an hour in length, received a wonderful performance from the Esmé Quartet and Wiancko. Their overall approach was light and transparent, a strategy that worked well for nearly the entire quintet."

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Elisabeth Matesky

December 19, 2025 at 05:51 AM · As from ~ Elisabeth Matesky, "Apostle" of Jascha Heifetz & Nathan Milstein ~ {#1} James Ehnes in Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto ~

Throughout my Concert Performing Recording Career, I've encountered words about the more contemporary Composition of British lauded Composer, Benjamin Britten, also Composer of Lord OM Britten's Fabled Opera,"Peter Grimes" and knowing full well about this hailed British Twentieth Century Composer's romantic and I must say having Concert-mastered this fabulous Opera, containing its Sea Shanty's and rare fused romantic thematic material with Love themes from earlier Century Imprints yet IMO Britten's Violin Concerto is Not ever for even the most adept of violinists without prior public LIVE Concert Violin Soloist performance due to its complicated relationship of the Soloist Violin Melodic Themes fused to Orchestral Collaborating {if known well enough by both Conductor and Violin Soloist} Score ... My first hearing of this rare violin concerto was supposedly composed for my Iconic Violin Mentor, Jascha Heifetz, (and I'm not sure Mr. Heifetz ever publicly played or Recorded the Britten Violin Concerto?} and due many voices speaking of it being composed for Jascha Heifetz although I may not be 'In The Know' and if a JH Recording Please Let me Know!!

I finally did hear and view a wonderful Dutch born Violinist, Janine Jansen, performing this Britten remarkable score with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and perhaps w/the Berliner Philharmoniker? quite recently sounding beautiful and well understood with glosses of Love atop!! I was invited to go to the Ehnes Concert with our CSO yet the Weather was So Dire many did defer to stay home not for lack of interest but due brutal cold here in Chicago, so it was not a 'right' time to venture out in frigid Temps to Orchestra Hall and due Crowd ongoing Protests having occurred.

All Said thus far which is hardly a "Review", I would glean from the likes of one of my finest violin pupil's and now a superb Physician who is usually in the OR, yet a very pedigreed violinist having studied with yours truly and a bit later on w/Ruggiero Ricci, in his later years, my ongoing Pupil who did write a few sentences describing Ehnes's tone which he mentioned was now much more rounded and intimate when the Music called for an intimate and more personal sound which was also vital in all the very difficult to fuse with also orchestral complex technical hurdles in the solo violin 'Role' which was described as 'fantastique and More Than' by my pupil of decades, Dr. B. ever thought possible having heard James Ehnes on more than several occasions also telling me his Strad now being played has greatly added to his more personal and warmed up close sound!! I do trust my Doctor Violin Pupil with fine discernment and always speaking about his Heroes> David Oistrakh, Heifetz and Nathan Milstein so his judgement is coming from a "High Place" and Expectations which are difficult to meet and obtain yet according to Local Critic's Saturday Last, Ehnes met all of them and even More!!! I had hoped to try accessing the words of my pupil to bring exact wording on here if not too delayed but it seems a touch out of date 20.12.2025 ~ I do know Canadian born James Ehnes is now representing Canada beyond Most Well and in my own mind I had an Idea Violinist, James Ehnes & Ofrah Hornoy, Canadian Violoncellist, might make a 'Canadian' Brahms Double Violin and Violoncello Duo with Orchestra on a Summer Ravinia Gala Evening Concert in 2026 or 2027!!! Just an Elisabeth Matesky US Veteran Violinist Colleague Neighbourly Thought!!!

~ ~ With Christmas in 5 Days, Health Happy Christmas to All ~ ~

............... Elisabeth Matesky/ Chicago ..............

Fwd ~ dmg Save Book File Christmas Ehnes/Britten V.C./CSO/IDr.BO/em {#1}

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