The Week in Reviews, Op. 510: María Dueñas, Pekka Kuusisto, Augustin Hadelich

July 29, 2025, 11:21 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 María Dueñas. Photo by Tam Lan Truong.

María Dueñas performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony and Andris Nelsons at Tanglewood.

Bach Track: "At 22, María Dueñas brought a striking combination of daredevil technique and musical maturity to Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor."
The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "...violinist María Dueñas’s fresh interpretation of the opening aria gave it an intimate, personal feel in its outpouring of yearning, more joyful than anguished - or, rather, anguished only because the desire for joy is the most scandalous and impossible desire of all."

Pekka Kuusisto performed in recital with pianist Nico Muhly at the Aspen Music Festival.

The Aspen Times: "They offered a feast of inventive contemporary music that’s eminently approachable...Kuusisto’s expressive playing won the day in the three-movement work (Muhly's concerto for violin, 'Shrink')."

Augustin Hadelich performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo at the BBC Proms.

Arcana: "Oramo has worked with Augustin Hadelich on numerous occasions and this evening’s account of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto confirmed their rapport right from the outset."
Broadway World: "Hadelich brought real fire to the opening. This was Mendelssohn with backbone. The slow movement? Intimate, poised, and heartbreakingly direct." (Editor's note: this review appears to be partially or completely AI-generated, based on its flip description of Augustin's background. (See the article). Debating never quoting from Broadway World again if their 'journalists' are this derelict.)

Blake Pouliot performed Matthias Pintscher's "Assonanza," violin concerto and Ravel's "Tzibgane" with the Aspen Chamber Symphony and Pintscher.

The Aspen Times: "(Pintscher's concerto) did not go over well....Don’t blame Pouliot. His energetic and individualist performance of Ravel’s violin showpiece 'Tzigane,' which followed, was so ebullient it often outpaced the orchestra."

Théotime Langlois de Swarte, performed works by Vivaldi and Bach with Le Consort at the BBC Proms.

Broadway World: "On top of their obvious talent, it was the enthusiasm of the youthful de Swarte and his ensemble that quickly won the audience over - so much so that the rapturous response from the patrons was rewarded with two encores."

Concertmaster Martin Chalifour performed Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending" in his final solo appearance with the LA Phil, with conductor Leonard Slatkin.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "...conductor Slatkin shaped its moody rhetoric lovingly, in command of every nuance, and Chalifour’s slightly astringent tone thankfully conveyed not a drop of sentimentality."

Daniel Lozakovich performed the Korngold Violin Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Bakchormeeboy: "Lozakovich brought a remarkably human touch to the piece – gentle, emotive, and unpretentious. His playing seemed to evoke the human voice itself, speaking of sadness, the yearning, the quiet triumphs – each note was etched with nuance and intention."

Blake Pouliot performed in recital with pianist Henry Kramer at Carnegie Hall (in May)

The Strad: "Pirayeh Pourafar’s 'Damon' from I Have Not Seen Butterflies Around Here (a co-commission by Carnegie Hall) included 28 different tempo changes within about five minutes of music (as Pouliot revealed), yet was performed with almost uncanny ease, the violin weaving in and out of various percussive recordings."

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

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Jake Watson

July 30, 2025 at 06:19 PM · Maria is a fantastic violinist, albeit not my cup of tea. I saw her play the Sibelius concerto a little while ago.

Paul Deck

July 31, 2025 at 01:41 AM · AI is the perfect tool for writing classical performance reviews. You go to the show. You see Hadelich. Hadelich plays great. What's to say? Might as well let a robot write the florid prose. When you go to see Nigel Kennedy, that's a different matter entirely!

Mark Kashper

August 3, 2025 at 08:56 PM · It would be interesting to see Jake elaborate on what exactly is missing in the "fantastic" Maria Duenas' playing in comparison to those violinists (with names please) who are qualified to be his "cup of tea".

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 510: María Dueñas, Pekka Kuusisto, Augustin Hadelich

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