“The fluent, stylish performance by the gifted Finnish violinist Elina Vahala, in her Chicago debut, revealed a musician whose brilliant technique is matched by abundant spirit, sensitivity and imagination.”
Chicago Tribune
Read MoreCurrent RSNO assistant conductor Holly Mathieson brings clarity and transparent appreciation for the elegance of the music to the seasonal diet of Strauss waltzes. Not to criticise the fine line-up of guest conductors we have seen already this season, but we do not see her often enough on the podium, where she was also a very informative emcee. This was a concert of charm and sophistication, miles from the barn-storming arena-filling approach that others have inflicted on these beautiful tunes.
The Herald Scotland (Keith Bruce), 2018 (RSNO, Viennese Gala, Stirling)
Read More“... [If] there was an atmosphere conjured up it was mainly due to the efforts of the orchestra under the excellent New Zealand conductor Holly Mathieson. Her gestures were impeccably clear and yet expressive, and the orchestra responded impressively to her way with the score. She naturally feels just the right amount of give and take, enabling the music to flow. The orchestra needs to be extremely flexible to avoid exuding a sort of generalist Gallic feel, and Mathieson was particularly adept at isolating the central feel of a particular section, or following the unfolding drama naturally.”
Seen and Heard International (Colin Clark), 2015 (Holland Park Opera)
Read More...[W]hat we had from the Junior Orchestra of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland on Saturday was a phenomenal display of musicianship. I literally thought, on the night: "These musicians are between eight and 13 years old; what they are achieving here tonight, in a sold-out Greyfriars concert, where the buzz is electric, is genuinely outstanding." Everything they did, guided and released by the charismatic New Zealand conductor Holly Mathieson, from MacCunn's Land of the Mountain and Flood to Gliere's little-known, gloriously-melodic Horn Concerto, came soaring off the page.
The Herald Scotland (Michael Tumelty), 2015 (NYOS Junior Orchestra)
Read More"Lucerne's talented Music Director Clemens Heil conducts the score [of Verdi’s Falstaff] with real zing, and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra coruscates with rhythmical precision and alluring timbre."
Opernwelt (Peter Hagmann), 2018
Read More“Violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, like his accompanists, displayed an admirable technical facility and to this he added an incredibly clear sound blessed with a lovely silky sheen. Once more like the Tonkünstler, Sitkovetskyʼs power and projection were striking – I donʼt think Iʼve ever heard the harmonics in the first movement cadenza ring so loud, full and true.”
Seen & Heard (Claire Seymour), March 2017
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Op.64 with the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra
“Sitkovetsky harks back to an older tradition of violin playing not often heard these days.”
-The Washington Post (Patrick Rucker), December 2016
Recital at the Phillips Collection
“..and thatʼs just exactly where a mischief breaks though, the same way that Liebreich had previously hinted at in the miniatures "Arbor Cosmica". The Russian-British soloist Alexander Sitkovetsky picks that up with a heightened and always keenly direct sound, especially in the third movement where the wild position changes of the solo part soar above the jocular hurricane of pizzicato of the orchestra –a final clear chord sounding the end of the storm. Liebreich beams, the orchestra smiles, and the audience is rapturous.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung (Rita Argauer), March 2016
Read More“... her sense of line and capacity to make things happen are both beautiful and strikingly individual ... The Lark Ascending's opening solo searches out an extreme degree of musical space in a way that's at once daring and mesmerising.”
–BBC Music Magazine
Read More“Her playing reminded me of that of the great Arthur Grumiaux; a higher compliment is impossible.”
–The Examiner, Ireland (Declan Townsend)
Read More“... superlative performances of Vaughan Williams. The Lark Ascending ... Highly recommended.”
–Northern Echo
Read More“The most exceptionally gifted young violinist I have ever encountered.”
–Ruggiero Ricci, Violinist
Read More“The Sitkovetsky Trio play not just in three individual parts but, more importantly, in three dimensions... Architectural shape and overriding purpose prevailed, the very last notes being delivered with as much edge-of-the-seat importance as the first. This was the real deal. [Mendelssohn Piano Trio No.1, Op.49]”
–The Australian, 2017
Read More“These three artists – all in their early 30s – have fused rapidly into an exemplary piano trio, working through a demanding program with excellent fluency and solid collegiality of attack, phrase-shaping and insight.”
–Sydney Morning Herald, 2017
Read More“The first half’s melodramatic serving of tragedy and visceral protest, Russian-style, was a stunner. There were no boring drifts. No throwaway segments in which thoughts can wander and dreams unfold. The Sitkovetsky don’t let their listeners off the hook. And their zest for high drama resonates in unusually prolonged endings... Deeply rewarding, the recital brimmed with infectious sincerity, wild energy and impressive unity.”
–Limelight Magazine, 2017
Read More“Wu Qian’s playing was full of colour and power – she isn’t afraid to stand out boldly when the music calls for it. I haven’t heard a better performance of this work [Shostakovich Piano Trio No.2]”
–Adelaide Now, 2017
Read More“The Trio Sitkovetsky’s playing displays colour, liveliness and a strong feel for Mendelssohn’s voice. It has all the ‘fire and vivacity, the flow in a word the mastery’ that Ferdinand Hiller described after hearing the premiere in 1840. Wu Qian dazzles but never blinds and her seemingly easy-virtuosity is well matched by violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky. There is always the sense of three individuals listening to one another to create a satisfying whole.”
–BBC Music Magazine (4 stars) (CD Recording BIS Records: MENDELSSOHN Piano Trios), 2015
Read More“The pianist in the Andante [of the D minor Trio] sets up a good tempo, with an apt balance between eloquence and simplicity. In the C minor Trio, they dispatch the scherzo with great spirit and are particularly compelling in the finale, with a palpable sense of elation at the switch to the major in the closing minutes.”
–Gramophone, 2015
Read More“Secret weapon of the UK based Piano Trio is called Wu Qian. Under the hands of this Chinese pianist the Steinway turns into an X-ray device that displays each and every grain.”
–Volkskrant, 2015
Read More“These are three instrumentalists at the top of their game, who blend well and play with a sense of shared purpose. Tempi, phrasing and dynamics all seem comfortable and right and couldn't be bettered.”
–Music Web International, 2015
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