“From beginning to end, the playing sounded intelligent and sure.”
– The New York Times
“Together they felt and shaped the ever-changing moods and characters of the work, passing the ball among themselves and inspiring one another with their lively music making.”
—Nordwest-Zeitung, Germany
“Their music, full of passion, yet with pure and beautiful tone color, intoxicated the listener.”
— Wen Hui, Shanghai
“The Ciompi were able to render with impeccable precision even the most complex points of the score… It is insufficient to praise the perfect ensemble of the group, its technical mastery: even more impressive is the shimmer of the sound, its clarity, the impalpable lightness of the notes, and the intimacy of the pianissimo.”
—La Sicilia, Italy
“Once the players entered the score’s sonic world, no distractions could interrupt the probing artistry. Here was music-making of remarkable poise and control.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
“What was so touching was that the music came across with no exaggeration, no applied virtuosity, but a real sense of its importance to each of the four players.”
— Toronto Globe and Mail
“The musicians showed great musical insight, playing together with a startling unanimity. “With performances like this, the festival will quickly become an essential rendez-vous for those who are passionate about classical music” said an audience member.”
– Ouest France
“The whole evening was a work of art, of technical brilliance, of careful, sensitive ensemble playing.”
— Osnabrücker Zeitung, Germany
“The result was impressive: perfection, such as we are accustomed to hearing only on mastered recordings, combined with musical spontaneity within the constraints of ensemble playing”
— Der Rheinphalz, Germany
“…the group plays everything as if its life depends on it…”
— The News and Observer, Raleigh
“The Quartet..demonstrated their technical perfection immediately… Above all, their musical insight and the precision of their collaboration made playing of the Ciompi Quartet a truly genuine listening delight.”
— Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung, Germany
“The Ciompi played Schoenfield’s creation as if mesmerized by its expressive urgency. They inhabited the diverse worlds, vividly conveying the subtle details and grand gestures.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer, Donald Rosenberg
“Here the chamber music skills of these musicians became absolutely clear. Together they felt and shaped the ever-changing moods and characters of the work, passing the ball among themselves and inspiring one another with their lively music making.”
— Nordwest Zeitung, Germany
“Rarely does a concert completely live up to expectations. As it turned out, the string quartet in question… the Ciompi Quartet… was phenomenal. They play with a unanimity of phrasing and attack that is remarkable. Every nuance, every shift in dynamics, had the four playing as one, and the intensity in the finale was thrilling. They are amazing.”
— Grunion Gazette, Long Beach, California
“The Ciompi Quartet never fails to astound, and this program was one of their most inventive yet heard.”
— The Herald Sun, Durham, NC
“The Ciompi Quartet’s polished and elegant Mozart took full advantage of this work’s rich involvement of all four instruments in exchanges of graceful curving phrases. The Minuet movement conveyed a microcosm of emotion, from mysterious, hushed drama to fiery energy, with the repetitions of the form executed with significance and logic. First violinist Eric Pritchard offered brilliance without ever crossing to the merely showy.
—Artsplus, Boston