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The Week in Reviews, Op. 537: Hilary Hahn's Return, with Philadelphia Orchestra

February 17, 2026, 1:08 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.

Hilary Hahn returned to the concert stage after a six-month break for injury recovery, performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

• Bach Track: "No surprise here: it was like she never left....Prokofiev requires not just a dextrous technician but an artist who can shift moods on a dime. Hahn fits that bill down to the ground."

Melissa White performed the world premiere of Sophia Jani’s Violin Concerto with the the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Tabitha Berglund.

• Texas Classical Review: "The quiet intensity of the concerto was very compelling and received the most enthusiastic response of the program; the audience gave the work a standing ovation and brought both White and Jani back for repeated curtain calls."

Himari performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden.

• Chicago Classical Review: "Himari in fact made the strongest impression in her encore of Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice, almost seeming more comfortable without an orchestra, and navigating Kreisler’s virtuosic pyrotechnics with fluent artistry."

The Dover Quartet performed works by Schubert, Grazyna Bacewicz and Mendelssohn at Northwestern University's 2026 Winter Chamber Music Festival.

• Chicago Classical Review: "...the most important discovery of the program was the String Quartet No. 4 of Grazyna Bacewicz....The Dover foursome dispatched the Fourth Quartet with enormous panache, making Bacewicz’s original and compelling sound world the stuff of high musical adventure."

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1 and György Kurtág’s "Kafka-Fragmente" with soprano Anna Prohaska, with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Gustavo Gimeno.

• Bach Track: "In the Bartók, Kopatchinskaja’s charisma was so complete that I scarcely registered another soul on stage until the final bars. From the opening Andante – its intimate dialogue embodying Bartók’s unrequited love, violinist Stefi Geyer – to the fiery Allegro, she inhabited the music physically and emotionally."

Gil Shaham performed Brahms' Violin Concerto in D Major with the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra.

• The Gonzaga Bulletin: "After a standing ovation for the Concerto and Shaham, the soloist made one final appearance on stage for an encore. Shaham played Meditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet along with the orchestra to another standing ovation."

Daniel Lozakovich performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Hannu Lintu.

• Bach Track: "There was nothing faulty in his playing, and his handling of the lyrical theme was especially fine, but he seemed most present in moments when his part matched that of the first violins."

Jennifer Pike performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor with Czech Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra and Daniel Raiskin.

• ReviewsGate: " Her tone was brilliant throughout, and her technique flawless. This was quite literally a pitch-perfect performance of dazzling virtuosity."

Clara-Jumi Kang performed Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with the Houston Symphony and Ryan Bancroft.

• EarRelevant: "Making her Houston Symphony debut, Kang immediately took control of the music. The proudly stated opening notes were a declaration of dramatic intent. Musically, she grabbed Lalo by the lapels and said, 'Here I am—listen to this!'"

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

You might also like:

• The Week in Reviews, Op. 536: Alexi Kenney, Maxim Vengerov, David Kim
• The Week in Reviews, Op. 535: Augustin Hadelich, Randall Goosby, María Dueñas
• The Week in Reviews, Op. 534: Gil Shaham, Blake Pouliot, Simone Porter

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