Reviews
Reviews
Lynn Kuo, violin
Songs Of Longing by Felipe Téllez TakeFive Ensemble
LYNN KUO, Violin I
CSABA KOCZÓ, Violin II
CAROLYN BLACKWELL, Viola
EMMANUELLE BEAULIEU BERGERON, Cello
SHOSHANA TELNER, piano
“The TakeFive Ensemble (comprised of violinists Lynn Kuo and Csaba Koczo, violist Carolyn Blackwell, cellist Emmanuelle Beaulieu Bergeron and pianist Shoshana Telner) have recorded two substantial works by Colombian-Canadian composer Felipe Téllez. The musicians in TakeFive execute Téllez’s music with a shimmering brilliance. The expressive quality permeating from each instrument in the ensemble is at once individually impressive but also blends into an exquisite whole. Bravo to TakeFive on some superb performances – an ensemble I hope to hear much more from in the future.”
Adam Scime
October 2021
Beethoven Triple Concerto with Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra & Marc David, conductor
Trio Benetri:
Lynn Kuo, Violin
Rafael Hoekman, Cello
Thomas Yee, Piano
Photo credit: Greg Locke
”All three soloists played with beautifully rounded phrasing, and marked dynamic contrasts, but if I had to say where Trio Benetri excels, what sets them apart from other trios, it is the strong mental line each of them showed in the cascading runs that took them down to the bottom range of their respective instruments. The audience loved the performance and could hardly wait to leap to its feet for a standing ovation."
Jean Snook
The Telegram, September 2014
”And what better way to sample some of his non-commercial output than through this fine Naxos recording with music performed by some of Toronto's top musicians? Among the pieces presented here are the ... Improvviso... admirably performed by Mary Kenedi, piano, Lynn Kuo, violin..."
"This is a charming disc, its appeal not only in the high level of performance, but in the inherent contrasts found within the music."
"This collection is a most welcome addition to the catalogue, and ample proof that there is much more to Nino Rota than what we've heard on the big screen during the last 45 years.
Bravo to all performers involved for some fine music making."
Richard Haskell
Wholenote Magazine, June 2013
"...the musicians were...stellar."
The included violinists: COC concertmaster Marie Berard, her assistant Benjamin Bowman, and Lynn Kuo.
John Terauds
The Toronto Star, October 2006
Canada
Colours of Music Festival in Barrie, Ontario - September 25, 2007:
"NEXUS presented the world premiere of 'PHOENIX' by Canadian composer, Elizabeth Raum.
Scored for solo violin and five percussion, this lush composition overflows with romanticism and effectively merges the sonic worlds of strings and percussion.
The solo violinist for this premiere performance was Lynn Kuo, a native of St. John's Newfoundland, whose virtuosity and musicianship were readily apparent throughout."
Colours of Music Festival in Barrie, Ontario - September 25, 2007:
"NEXUS presented the world premiere of 'PHOENIX' by Canadian composer, Elizabeth Raum.
Scored for solo violin and five percussion, this lush composition overflows with romanticism and effectively merges the sonic worlds of strings and percussion.
The solo violinist for this premiere performance was Lynn Kuo, a native of St. John's Newfoundland, whose virtuosity and musicianship were readily apparent throughout."
Nexus Percussion
Nexus Percussion.com, September 15, 2007
"...We were both blown away by Lynn Kuo and her classical violin..."
"...Ms. Kuo was a delight right from the start"...
"...We were both blown away by Lynn Kuo and her classical violin..."
"...Ms. Kuo was a delight right from the start"...
Louise Daymond
Pinawa Life, January 2006
Canada
”It was as though Ms. Kuo and her instrument became one… She (and the music) were mesmerizing, and accompanist Marianna Humetska only emphasized the imagery. So captivating…”
”It was as though Ms. Kuo and her instrument became one… She (and the music) were mesmerizing, and accompanist Marianna Humetska only emphasized the imagery. So captivating…”
Louise Daymond
Pinawa Life, January 2006
”Kuo's technique appears flawless, and she has the ability to extend a note from one end of her bow to its very tip, all the while, maintaining a clear, strong tone. Beethoven was followed by Fantasie bohemienne by Canadian composer Michael Pepa."
"The high notes pierced the air with beautiful clarity, and the music was filled with tension that held your attention throughout, the trickling notes of the piano adding to the drama. At times, the violin sounded like a flute, and Kuo's command of both the lower and higher octaves was very impressive."
”Kuo's technique appears flawless, and she has the ability to extend a note from one end of her bow to its very tip, all the while, maintaining a clear, strong tone. Beethoven was followed by Fantasie bohemienne by Canadian composer Michael Pepa."
"The high notes pierced the air with beautiful clarity, and the music was filled with tension that held your attention throughout, the trickling notes of the piano adding to the drama. At times, the violin sounded like a flute, and Kuo's command of both the lower and higher octaves was very impressive."
Louise Daymond
Pinawa Life, January 2006
Canada
"Technically, she is a highly-endowed performer. She has mastered her instrument and can make it do just about anything she wants."
"Technically, she is a highly-endowed performer. She has mastered her instrument and can make it do just about anything she wants."
The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton
Canada
Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra; Kevin Mallon, conductor
"The meat of the program was a pair of pieces by the Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho.
Capriccio Ballo for violin, piano and strings is a longish work built upon the repetition and evolution of a few basic figures. It is a strong piece and would probably seem stronger still on a second hearing. It takes a few minutes to acquire the score's vocabulary.
The soloists were violinists Lynn Kuo and pianist Miarianna Humetska. Humetska's playing was especially important since the piano part is responsible for much of the music's pulse and motion. But everyone pulled together and rendered a persuasive account of the score."
Richard Todd
Ottawa Citizen, March 4, 2012
"Her charm shone through in something as simple as a carefree twirl of her bow in anticipation of a difficult entry. Both Yee and Kuo radiate a great degree of confidence and warmth on stage."
"Both Kuo and Yee have garnered an impressive wealth of accolades... As a duo, they're dynamite."
"Her charm shone through in something as simple as a carefree twirl of her bow in anticipation of a difficult entry. Both Yee and Kuo radiate a great degree of confidence and warmth on stage."
"Both Kuo and Yee have garnered an impressive wealth of accolades... As a duo, they're dynamite."
The Telegram
St. John's, Canada
"I liked Humetska's rolling storms and Kuo's total commitment to the music..."
"I never expected a made-in-Russia arrangement of Gershwin melodies to raise the roof in a classical concert, but that’s what happened. Igor Frolov’s (b.1937) Concert Fantasy on Themes from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Op. 19, for violin and piano,(1991) seemed to free the duo from their classical corsets and got the joint jumping.
Maybe it was Lynn Kuo’s banjo-sounding pizzicato on “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing,” or Marianna’s bluesy “Summertime” riffs that made this part of the concert take off into the blue. But there it went. Or maybe it was the complete relaxation into love of “Porgy, I’s yo’ woman now.” That too."
"I liked Humetska's rolling storms and Kuo's total commitment to the music..."
"I never expected a made-in-Russia arrangement of Gershwin melodies to raise the roof in a classical concert, but that’s what happened. Igor Frolov’s (b.1937) Concert Fantasy on Themes from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Op. 19, for violin and piano,(1991) seemed to free the duo from their classical corsets and got the joint jumping.
Maybe it was Lynn Kuo’s banjo-sounding pizzicato on “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing,” or Marianna’s bluesy “Summertime” riffs that made this part of the concert take off into the blue. But there it went. Or maybe it was the complete relaxation into love of “Porgy, I’s yo’ woman now.” That too."
Stanley Fefferman
Showtime Magazine, May 2011
"Michael Parker's In Memoriam is a modern elegiac work which is eloquent in the extreme and brought out Kuo's finest playing of the evening, as she conveyed the sorrow and loss with deep throbbing notes and telling phrases."
"Michael Parker's In Memoriam is a modern elegiac work which is eloquent in the extreme and brought out Kuo's finest playing of the evening, as she conveyed the sorrow and loss with deep throbbing notes and telling phrases."
The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton
Canada
"Schubert's Trout Quintet...displayed some fine lyricism from violinist Lynn Kuo..."
"Schubert's Trout Quintet...displayed some fine lyricism from violinist Lynn Kuo..."
The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton
Canada
"...and the highlight of the concert appears: the world premiere of Michael Pepa's ISOMORPHE II for mezzo-soprano, violin, accordion, and ensemble (2008). The soloists are outstanding. Lynn Kuo's violin is dramatic, both rousing and melancholy..."
"...and the highlight of the concert appears: the world premiere of Michael Pepa's ISOMORPHE II for mezzo-soprano, violin, accordion, and ensemble (2008). The soloists are outstanding. Lynn Kuo's violin is dramatic, both rousing and melancholy..."
Stanley Fefferman
Showtime Magazine
"Kuo has a rich full tone in the lowest octave and her bowing arm has considerable strength, qualities which became apparent in this work."
"Kuo has a rich full tone in the lowest octave and her bowing arm has considerable strength, qualities which became apparent in this work."
The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton
"A collaboration between Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick led to the composition Squamish, whose name is adapted from the Coast Salish word 'Sko-mish', which translates to 'Strong Wind' or 'Birthplace of the Winds'. It refers to the constant wind from the Pacific Ocean.
The wind voice of the Great Spirit was played by violinist Lynn Kuo, creating a rainy atmosphere by means of bells."
"A collaboration between Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick led to the composition Squamish, whose name is adapted from the Coast Salish word 'Sko-mish', which translates to 'Strong Wind' or 'Birthplace of the Winds'. It refers to the constant wind from the Pacific Ocean.
The wind voice of the Great Spirit was played by violinist Lynn Kuo, creating a rainy atmosphere by means of bells."
Music Biennale Zagreb
Croatia
"... a touchingly intense In Memoriam by Corner Brook composer Michael Parker.""The ending, a series of long notes ascending to the highest pitches on the instrument, require a steady hand, a good ear and nerves of flint, and Kuo, as cool as a bird on a wire, played it flawlessly."
"... a touchingly intense In Memoriam by Corner Brook composer Michael Parker."
"The ending, a series of long notes ascending to the highest pitches on the instrument, require a steady hand, a good ear and nerves of flint, and Kuo, as cool as a bird on a wire, played it flawlessly."
The Chronicle-Herald
Hailfax, Canada
"Throughout the recital, Kuo demonstrated the kind of confidence and control a soloist needs."
"She demonstrated throughout the recital an ability to draw rich draperies of tone from the lowest strings, surprising us with the roundness of her resonance, as well as an extraordinary and meticulously clean technical command..."
"Throughout the recital, Kuo demonstrated the kind of confidence and control a soloist needs."
The Chronicle-Herald
Hailfax, Canada
"I found the violin playing of Lynn Kuo very expressive, her violin adding a vocal quality to the music. ”
"I found the violin playing of Lynn Kuo very expressive, her violin adding a vocal quality to the music. ”
Bert Rowson
Lake Superior News
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
"An unusual performance was from violinist Lynn Kuo, who performed the work «Squamish» for violin and electronics by Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick (Canada). She then played the violin ... and pinched the strings, while in the background, speakers projected sounds characteristic of the city streets or rain."
"An unusual performance was from violinist Lynn Kuo, who performed the work «Squamish» for violin and electronics by Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick (Canada). She then played the violin ... and pinched the strings, while in the background, speakers projected sounds characteristic of the city streets or rain."
Svetlana Sokolova
Kiev, Ukraine
"I can't imagine my Sonata being better played than it was with Lynn Kuo and Gregory Oh."
"I can't imagine my Sonata being better played than it was with Lynn Kuo and Gregory Oh."