Selected Recital, Festival and Competition Review Excerpts 2002-2006

Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, April 20, 2006
The New York Times, April 22, 2006
“His (Mr. Soukhovetski’s) reading of Scriabin's dense Sonata No. 3 struck a good balance between the clear and the blurry, structural coherence and mystical intoxication… Mr. Soukhovetski ended the evening with a fiery rendition of Schumann's Sonata No. 1 that brought the audience to its feet. He spared no indulgence in the final two movements, though the slower Aria made a stronger impression through his softer pearly tone and more nuanced sense of the music's elusive poetry.”

Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, April 20, 2006
www.theatrescene.net, April 21, 2006
“After the intermission, in an unusual and confident move for someone so young,
Mr. Soukhovetski addressed the audience directly and told how he had been moved by the opening scene of the film The Hours… Mr Soukhovetski seemed to stretch the expressive possibilities of this charming composition, infusing the piece with emotion and he himself seemed to be taken by the arpeggiated G-minor chords and the musical expression of frustration in the end of the piece…

Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 11 by Robert Schumann was just plain exciting. The intensity of passion and exultation of the piece were admirably contained and controlled without ever stopping the flow. Mr Soukhovetski's approach and identification with Schumann's Sonata was so organic that at times the player and the instrument seemed almost interlogged. His proficient technical skills were in full service of the music. The distance between the composer, the performer and the audience seemed to disappear. A truly delightful moment.”

Abravanel Hall, The Music Academy of The West, June 17, 2006
The Santa Barbara Independent, June 22, 2006
“…Konstantin Soukhovetski strolled onstage in white, looking like a character in a Chekhov play, gave us a gloriously lugubrious rendition of the “Love-Death” from Wagner’s Tristan (as arranged by Liszt).”

Recital at Baxter Hall, Cape Town, South Africa, September 10, 2006
Die Burger, September 13, 2006
“…pianist played Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque in the restful impressionistic style… Listening to the Prelude and Clair de Lune was like watching a painting of Manet or Monet. The sounds and beautiful legato were fascinating…(Chopin) Scherzo was a masterpiece played by a virtuoso. It is necessary to remark on the pianist’s staggering technique. May I just mention that he played the Scherzo with passion and overwhelmed the audience. Any pianist with finger facility can play percussive pieces, but only the most gifted can put his heart into his fingers and interpret Chopin in this way.”

Recital at Linder Hall, Johannesburg, September 3, 2006 and Recital at UNISA, Pretoria, September 4, 2006 South Africa Die Burger, September 5, 2006
“Soukhovetski…played Mozart as it should be played… clear, well-thought out in phrasing, and catching in musicality and virtuosity…For his Pretoria recital Sunday afternoon, …Konstantin…bewitched with Chopin’s music. What makes Soukhovetski’s playing special is his firm touch which lets out a stream of sound, but always with a soft grain. His articulation is magnificent and his lyricism distinctive. A young pianist who captivates!”

Mozart Concerto in D K.466 with KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and maestro Francois Xavier-Roth at Durban City Hall, September 29, 2006 ArtSmart.co.za, September 29, 2006
“Konstantin… confirmed at this symphony concert in the Durban City Hall that he is a player of outstanding quality. In Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor…he displayed … an immaculate technique, a powerful left hand, an acute sense of the drama of the music and, most important of all, the ability to make the piano sing with a lovely full tone. A fine performance of a great work.”

Brunch-Recital at InterContinental Hotel, Cleveland, OH, December 4, 2005
CoolCleveland.com, December 5, 2005
“There are those who think that an Invitation to the Dance will lead you to a dance with the Devil (Mephisto Waltz). However, if the invitation is extended by the very capable hands of Konstantin Soukhovetski, you should definitely accept it. …Mephisto Waltz of Lizst…All of the depicted characters were so clearly delineated, one had no difficulty in deciphering just who was who. The pianist plays with grace and strength and intensity, but above all—beauty.”

Recital for Screening Stage of Val Cliburn IPC at Rockefeller University, NY,
February 11, 2005 Star Telegram, February 12, 2005
“Mr. Soukhovetski combined vigor and refinement…that pulled listerner to profound serenity. Wagner’s Isolde Liebestod moved him into the realm of virtuosity and drama. Mr. Soukhovetski disarmingly unpretentious and relazes…became a showman and a comic, as well as a virtuoso.”

UNISA International Piano Competition, South Africa, January 23, 2004
Pretoria News, January 27, 2004
“Konstantin Soukhovetski put on a mind-boggling act. The sounds he unleashed had the audience in raptures, the purists in shock. Mr. Soukhovetski charmed with Faure Nocturne (#1 op.11) and gave Schumann’s taxing Sonata #1 glorious treatment.”

Tchaikovsky Concerto #1 op.23 with Cleveland Orchestra and Jahja Ling at Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 9, 2003
“Mr. Soukhovetski was most compelling in the intimate passages where Tchaikovsky sings in his most personal and heartfelt manner.”

Pianofest, Avram Theater, Southampton, July 14, 2003
The New York Times, July 20, 2003
“Mr. Soukhovetski brought coiled, explosive energy to the seldom-performed Sonata-Tragica by Medtner.”

Pianofest, Avram Theater, Southampton, NY Summer 2003
Southampton Press, July 2003
“Mr. Soukhovetski plunged into the Medtner like a house on fire, and probably gave it one of the best performances it had ever received.”

Ravel Concerto in G with Hilton Head Orchestra and Mary Woodmansee- Green at First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head Island, SC The Island Packet, March 15, 2002
“Mr. Soukhovetski is a performer of uncommon intensity whose vibrant personality infuses every note. He uncoils energy easily, moving from nuance to thundering volume. Opposing emotional states were highlighted by unexpected dymanic shifts.”

Recital at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, April 2002
L’Orient Le Jour, April, 2002
“Bonjour Mozart!”

Cleveland International Piano Competition, OH, July 2001
Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 2001
“Mr. Soukhovetski made the most stellar impression….at 20 he has everything needed for a fine career – virtuosity, expressive vibrancy and infectious spirit.”