SELECTED REVIEWS OF RECORDINGS AND PERFORMANCES
CLASSICAL MUSIC DAILY, Nov., 2019, G. Pearce, Sydney, Concertos by Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote)
CD Spotlight; Sparklingly Virtuosic The soloist is authoritative, warm and very sure footed, and reveals what a remarkable artist she is. "The performance here is superb, (Dvořák) both as far as the soloist is concerned, and also the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gerardo Edelstein. She is sparklingly virtuosic and warm and lyrical, playing with great tenderness and love. She also hits each note in the wide leaps impeccably. I would buy this disc for this performance alone. In the last movement, the changes of mood, from dazzlingly virtuosic to a somewhat wistful and tender lyricism, are a total delight and very impressive." I find this recording (Elgar) with Kim Cook full of colour, fire and attention to detail. The cello sound is full and expansive, with passion and fire. Both soloist and orchestra capture the work's wistfulness. "the overall sound is sumptuous" (Don Quixote) "very fine, balancing fine playful lyricism with drama and fire." (Schumann) The soloist, Kim Cook, is impressive. The orchestras are equally fine, and the overall compilation, is certainly well worth having. This is a very fine set, and one I personally would recommend, especially for the Dvořák. GAPPLEGATE CLASSICAL MUSIC REVIEW, Sept., 2019, G. Edwards, Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote)
"Kim Cook comes across as both Apollonian and Dionysian in equal measure. She is romantically emotive without undue over-statement and she articulates the parts with a kind of stately steadfastness that seems quite convincing to me. The Elgar has a touching sort of bittersweet elegance that Cook and the St. Petersburg Orchestra under Shteinlucht play out for us with thoughtfully painted pastels and shades of grey. There are moments that seem almost lighthearted, notably the Allegro Molto of the Second Movement...there is too the moving Adagio of the following movement which has a wistful remembrance, a Proustian-Madeleine sort of looking backward in the present that in the performers' hands is quite touching... this version of Elgar should be heard by anyone with an interest in such things because it is quite fine indeed." "The Schumann sounds appropriately heroic in Ms. Cook's hands, the Dvorak expressively regal. Kim Cook's cello rings out without a lot of undue clamor. It is sweet without being saccharine, and there is a musically projective force that seems right for the many various emotive and tonal moods contain in the program. And in the end it all makes these four works seem more of our time perhaps than some of the older recordings I have been used to hearing. I recommend this one happily... Bravo, then!" NAXOS Cello and Piano works by Reale, FANFARE, Dec, 2018
Selected as one of the TOP FIVE CD issues in the past year for FANFARE CHERRY GROVE MUSIC REVIEW, August, 2019, J. Thompson, "With Kim Cook performing on cello the Elgar, Dvorak and Schumann concertos and Strauss’ “Don Quixote”, we are treated to superb fingering and bowing on a mellow, resonant instrument. Her playing inspires the accompanying orchestras to bravura heights. For me, her rendering of the Elgar concerto is especially enthralling... She can play her cello for me morning until evening, when I will have to put out the light... I do believe anyone with an open mind will find her playing enchanting, whether they are a classical buff or not."
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE, Dec., 2019 MSR, D. Moore, Concertos by Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote)
"Kim Cook is an experienced and lovely cellist from America. She plays these great works in a way that makes every phrase talk to the listener and to her friends in the orchestras, who talk back good-naturedly to her. The end result is one of the most intimate and impressive recordings of these wonderful concertos that I have heard" "this warmly recorded and excellently played program...is a set of interpretations that will make you love this music." INFODAD.COM, July 18, 2019, MSR Concertos by Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote) by Mark J. Estren
(++++) EXPRESSIVE BREADTH "Performances of great warmth and sensitivity make this two-CD set featuring cellist Kim Cook into an unalloyed pleasure. Cook’s sumptuous tone, adept fingering and unending display of sonic beauty are throughout. The Schumann is a work of considerable intimacy, with an almost chamber-music-like handling of the cello in its slow movement. Cook’s careful pacing and willingness to share the spotlight with the orchestra make this a winning performance. In Dvořák's very beautiful slower section, Cook’s lovely lyricism is on full display. The orchestra-solo balance is well-handled in Don Quixote. Cook, representing the mad knight-errant, communicates the role quite well. It is often the quieter rather than the more-monumental sections that stay with a listener: Don Quixote’s return to a clear mind just before death, a touching moment, is especially well-done." (Elgar) "This is a difficult and subtle piece, and the way Cook works through its many moods is a measure of her very considerable skill. She works equally well with the two orchestras and two conductors" FANFARE, July/August, 2019, Jerry Dubins MSR, Concertos by Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote)
An amazing performance by Cook. (Elgar) She knows how to whisper its intimacies and sigh its laments, but without sentimentality; and she knows equally well how to express its proud nobility and deliver its quicksilver scherzo. Kim Cook ’s role in the performance is quite wonderful, a truly outstanding performance of Don Quixote. The St. Petersburg State Symphony is fantastic, in sheer brilliance of execution, and in capturing and projecting the whimsical, grotesque, phantasmagorical, and surreal sound-imagery of the score. I’d put this performance in the same class as the Szell/Fournier/Cleveland version. Cook’s Dvořák is radiant and ecstatic. This release is a cello lover’s dream. Very strongly recommended." Jerry Dubins FANFARE, July/August, 2019, Henry Fogel, MSR Concertos by Elgar, Schumann, Dvořák, Strauss (Don Quixote)
Kim Cook has been very positively reviewed in the pages of Fanfare by a number of critics. I am happy to add to the consensus. To say that Cook’s reading holds its own against the best (Rostropovich, Starker, and Ma, for instance) is to lavish strong praise. (This) recording is competitive with the best ones...What distinguishes her playing is a consistently rich, vibrant tone quality. There is a sense of inner beauty in her playing that communicates emotionally with the listener. The dominant feelings I came away with are of beauty, warmth, and nobility. One quality of her playing that distinguishes it from many others is the wide range of colors, achieved through a sensitive use of vibrato and varying degrees of pressure by the bow. It is beauty of tone and a feeling of spontaneity that distinguish this recording. Cook’s playing is beautiful and at the same time intense. This CD set is recommended with enthusiasm. Henry Fogel San Francisco Noontime Series, PIEDMONT POST, Joseph Gold, April/2019, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff Sonatas
"How beautiful it is to encounter artists who express nature in all its glories. Beethoven was revealed in all his glory in a splendid concert by cellist Kim Cook and pianist Carl Blake. Cook reminds me of the great cellists. Her tone has a silky sheen, and is abetted by a continuous vibrato. The bowing is seamless. Armed with these expressive techniques, she is free to express the highest ideals of music. Hearing Cook, the hands of the clock flew back to the past when I was with those great cellists of old. Similarly, her demeanor has a calm and simple grace. It says: “I am here for the music. Enjoy! “In Dr. Carl Blake, Cook had a pianist of equally expressive stature. The ensemble had a unified purpose-sincere and heartfelt sentiment which often brought tears to the eyes. Outstanding concert artists teach us many things. Perhaps that is why the State Department chose them as international artistic ambassadors. As such, they toured throughout the world, playing concerts and teaching...transcendental." Joseph Gold ATLANTA AUDIO CLUB, January, 2019, BY Phil Muse, Dvořák, Elgar, Schumann: Concertos, Strauss Don Quixote
"Kim Cook does it again! The Nebraska native, Distinguished Professor of Cello at Penn State, and world traveler shows us why each of her new releases is a keenly anticipated event. With the assistance of two outstanding orchestras from Russia and the Czech Republic, she puts across four of the greatest beauties from the repertoire. In these works the inner beauty of her instrument shines forth irresistibly. The sensitive warmth of Cook’s exalted performance on the cello, which is the voice of Don Quixote, is superbly countered by the down-to-earth realism of his squire. Schumann: a twilight beauty in the cello’s intimate discourse in the slow movement. A superb account of Dvořák’s Concerto." AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE Feb. 2019, Naxos Cello and Piano works by Reale, D. Moore
"Cook and Guzman embrace Reale's style with affection and satisfying accuracy." D MOORE FANFARE, Sept/Oct 2018, Naxos Cello and Piano works by Reale, David DeBoor Canfield
"the works are expertly performed by the fine cello-piano duo of Kim Cook and Christopher Guzman." "Cellist Cook and pianist Guzman bring these works to life in spectacular fashion, evincing musicianship of the highest order. I couldn’t ask for better performances of these works, and I would guess that the composer couldn’t either. The sound is bold and beautiful in the recording, giving both instruments presence and personality. Highly recommended all around." David DeBoor Canfield FANFARE, Nov/Dec, 2018, Naxos Cello and Piano works by Reale
Selected as one of the top five CD issues in the past year for FANFARE "excellent music and performances" David DeBoor Canfield KIM COOK’S CD RELEASED BY MSR CLASSICS CONSIDERED “WORLD CLASS”
University Park, PA, April 9, 2015 Kim Cook, Professor of Music in Cello, is the solo cellist on an MSR Classics CD recording released in October of 2014. The recording features Prof. Cook performing concertos by Camille Saint-Saëns and Édouard Lalo and the Elegy by Gabriel Fauré with the Philharmonica Bulgarica. Valeri Vatchev and Grigor Palikarov conducted the orchestra for the recording in Sofia, Bulgaria. James Forrest, critic from Fanfare, the leading publication reviewing classical music recordings, deems the recording to be “world class.” “I spent a lot of time, some two decades ago, reviewing the studio recordings of Harrell (with Chailly) and Ma (with Maazel). My major comparison at that time was Starker (with Skrowaczewski). Cook and her Bulgarian colleagues fully match any recording of the work I know. This newest Lalo has now become my favorite.” Critic Phil Muse from Audio Society of Atlanta concurs. “She cultivates one of the most beautiful singing tones I have ever heard coaxed from a cello.” Fanfare featured the recording on the cover of the March issue with an interview of Cook and reviews of two previous recordings. The first recording includes the Cello Concerto in B minor Concerto by Antonin Dvorak, Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch, and a premiere recording of the Concerto by Zdenek Pololanik in 2003, and the second includes the Solo Sonatas by Kodaly, Crumb, and Hindemith, from 1998. Of the Solo Sonata by Kodaly, Jerry Dubins concluded, “Kim Cook’s performance of the piece may just be the best I’ve heard yet.” Huntley Dent, of Fanfare, says, “I think you’ll find her reading of the Kodály riveting.” Prof. Cook has made solo recordings of eight concertos, two solo concert pieces with orchestra, three solo unaccompanied sonatas, and two piano trios culminating in six CD publications by MSR Classics, Bayer Recordings, Slovak Treasures, and Accademia dell’Arte. The solo concertos are recorded with accompanying orchestras in Russia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. Of her 2009 recording of the Cello Concerto No. 1 of Shostakovich, James Forrest of Fanfare headlined his review “A Splendid American Cellist Plays Russian Classics with Russian Colleagues.” 2014, Solo CD recording, Cello Concertos by Camille Saint-Saëns and Edouard Lalo, Elegy by Gabriel Fauré with the Philharmonica Bulgarica, Valeri Vatchev and Grigor Palikarov, conductors, Sofia, Bulgaria, MSR Classics, Albany Recordings
Audio Society of Atlanta, December, 2014, Reviewer: Phil Muse. “In this performance, Kim Cook handles the virtuoso demands of the music, culminating in a fast scale passage and a sensational C-sharp trill at the very end, with an ease that belies all difficulties. She cultivates one of the most beautiful singing tones I have ever heard coaxed from a cello.” Phil Muse Fanfare, March, 2015, Reviewer: Jerry Dubins. (CD featured on the cover of Fanfare, with an interview and reviews) “If anyone can breathe new life into Lalo’s Cello Concerto, it’s Kim Cook. Just listen to her authoritative exchanges with the orchestra in the work’s opening Prelude. She commands your attention and holds it throughout in moments of both arresting declaration and urgent entreaty. And as I said of her Dvořák Concerto with Gerardo Edelstein and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, Cook here in the Lalo inspires the Philharmonica Bulgarica under Grigor Palikarov to play as if bewitched. As for Cook’s performance of the Saint-Saëns Concerto, I can pay her no higher compliment than to say that it reminds me of my very first recording of the piece by Leonard Rose with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Unfortunately, I’ve not had an opportunity to hear Cook’s Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky CD with Eduard Serov and the Volgograd Symphony Orchestra, which she mentions in the interview, but if it’s anything like her three albums I’ve reviewed here, I’m betting it’s a knockout. I can’t wait until her Elgar and Schumann disc comes out. Meanwhile, I’d urge you to acquaint yourself with this very talented and very special artist by acquiring any one, or preferably all three, of the above CDs, which, as of now (December 2014), are all available at Amazon.” Fanfare, March, 2015, Reviewer: James Forrest “Cook and Palikarov have achieved a considerable, world-class, recorded performance of the Lalo. I spent a lot of time, some two decades ago, reviewing the studio recordings of Harrell (with Chailly) and Ma (with Maazel). My major comparison at that time was Starker (with Skrowaczewski). My firm preference for these past two decades has been with Harrell (a cellist not, otherwise, a favorite of mine). To my ear, Cook and her Bulgarian colleagues fully match any recording of the work I know. I always found Ma and Starker failed to take the work seriously enough. I liked Harrell and Chailly because they take the piece seriously and give it the weight it deserves. So, too, Cook and Palikarov. This newest Lalo has now become my favorite. I cannot recommend it too strongly. In acquiring it, you will also get a beautiful Fauré Élégie and an attractive Saint-Saëns. In all of these the cellist’s deep commitment and the beautiful tone of her current cello, a Luigi Galimberti (Milan, 1950) are much in evidence. Strongly recommended.” 2009, Solo CD recording, Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich and Rococo Variations by Peter Tchaikovsky with the Volgograd Symphony, Volgograd, Russia, with Edward Serov, conductor (former assistant to Mravinsky of the Leningrad Symphony where many of Shostakovich’s works were premiered) MSR Classics, Albany Recordings Amazon, February, 2015, (Fanfare Reviewer: James Forrest) A Splendid American Cellist Plays Russian Classics with Russian Colleagues, Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No.1, Op.107; Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations, Op.33 (Audio CD): Shostakovich Concerto, “She, conductor Edward Serov (who has conducted in the U.S.) and the Volgograd Symphony offer a thoughtful, splendidly executed performance of the Shostakovich, more in the somewhat ruminative manner of Schiff than in the lighter, slightly less serious style of Rostropovich and others. To my ear, Cook and Serov find unsuspected depth in the work, and link it more closely to the composer's intense 1st Violin Concerto. The recorded sound is ideal and the tone and timbre of the Russian Orchestra similarly sound just right in this music--the horns are far more idiomatic to Shostakovich's writing than those of the American, London and German orchestras in the other 3 recordings noted. The orchestra is not such a virtuoso band as those 3, but entirely up to this task. So is Cook. Her fingerwork is remarkable--actually she articulates much of the passage work more clearly, even, than Schiff--abetted, perhaps by the splendid sound. Speaking of sound, that which she draws from her instrument could not be more beautiful. Her tone is lovely throughout and most moving in the cadenza.” Amazon, February, 2015, (Fanfare Reviewer: James Forrest) Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations “She offers an interpretation which is sufficiently different to warrant our attention. This is virtuoso playing, but it is not an ostentatious, virtuosic performance. Rather, a lyrical approach, a touch of introspection, serve to highlight the melodic content of Tchaikovsky's writing. This is a beautiful record, and one that has given me much pleasure. Highly recommended!” SLOBODNA DALMACIJA, Split, Croatia, May 28, 2014, Reviewer: Marijo Krnic SPLITSKI VIRTUOZI IN THE NATIONAL THEATRE IN SPLIT THE CROWN JEWEL OF STRING PLAYERS “The musicianship of prominent American cellist and pedagogue Kim Cook was truly exemplary (Photo caption) soloist, Kim Cook, renowned American cellist and pedagogue… performed this technically and interpretively demanding solo piece with amazing ease and a regal, well balanced, sumptuous sound. Her musicianship was truly exemplary” 2009-2010 Recording Reviews: Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky Fanfare, Reviewer: Paul Ingram “The main reason for buying this CD is to hear the glorious sound Kim Cook makes with a cello.” Gramophone, Reviewer: Andrew Farach-Colton “Cook has a solid technique and an attractively firm, smooth tone that’s especially effective in lyrical music, Indeed it’s in the slow movement of Shostakovich’s First Concerto that she’s heard at her best…the way Cook makes the solo part sing is eloquent.” Audio/Video Club of Atlanta, Reviewer: Phil Muse “Kim Cook Irresistible in Russian Jewels” “American cellist Kim Cook, with the able assistance of the Volgograd Symphony Orchestra of Russia under Edward Serov, gives performances of two Russian classics that sound simply ravishing.” In the Shostakovich, the Nebraska native shows a strongly characterized mastery.” “Kim Cook's ravishingly beautiful singing tone in the former (slow variations), and the decorations she applies in the latter (embellished variations) while flawlessly effortlessly soaring up to the cello's high register, distinguish her performance.” AudioPhile Audition, Reviewer: Steven Ritter “Another wonderful reading of the Shostakovich, and we can’t have too many” “Kim Cook gives an expressive rendition of the Shostakovich. Her reading finds lyrical elements in the score where I thought none; indeed her whole approach to this seminal work seems to be one of melody. Her bow strokes feel as if they are long and intense, giving a valued and valuable resonance and depth to her reading, trying desperately to assure us that this composer can compete with the best of them in both songful- and soulfulness” Tchaikovsky; “Cook is more expansive than many I have heard in this music, and takes her time in the many intimate passages, while not cheating us on excitement. The sound is excellent and the production values high—and bravo to the Volgograd Orchestra!” Turok’s Choice, “Kim Cook is quite a cellist. Her performances of Shostakovich are very impressive” The Strad, Reviewer: Joanne Talbot, (Shostakovich) "Kim Cook dispatches the solo part with technical finesse, delivering the tricky cascading scales particularly effectively." (Tchaikovsky) "The technical components of the solo part are impressively executed." "accomplished" 2003, Solo CD recording, Concerto for Cello by Antonin Dvorak, Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch Capriccio for Cello and Orchestra by Zdenek Pololanik (concerto) with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, Zlin, Czech Republic, Gerardo Edelstein, conductor, Accademia Dell’Arte Recordings, (Florence, Italy). Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: Jerry Dubins (CD was featured and reviewed in the March 2015 Fanfare Magazine.) Dvorak: “Cook’s tone has a fullness, richness, and presence to it that really makes you sit up and take notice. Her bow strokes on f and sfz entrances have that firmness of contact with the string yet cleanness of attack that I so admire in string playing; and her technique, even in those nasty double-stop octave passages, is flawless. But most of all, her reading of the concerto is radiant and ecstatic, and she seems to inspire conductor Gerardo Edelstein and the musicians of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic to perform as one of the world’s topflight orchestras. I can’t say whether this is the best Dvořák Cello Concerto ever committed to disc because I probably haven’t heard more than 20 or 25 of the 150 out there; but I will say that, of those I have heard, I would easily choose Kim Cook’s if I could only pick one to keep.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: James Forrest, “The Dvořák, a splendid performance technically, is also a splendid interpretation: great warmth and lyricism, sufficient vigor and dramatic contrast. No doubt readers already have more than one or two recordings of this beloved work (and of the Bruch), but this is entirely successful and entirely recommendable. And, it is tonally beautiful. I have played this CD on three different sound systems and in my vehicle. It sounds great on any size and type of reproducing equipment.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: James Forrest “The Pololánik is an attractive composition, a bit over a quarter-hour in length. There is not a great deal of contrast within the framework of the piece; it does seem to be extremely well played. For these recordings, the concerted works, and also the solo sonatas, Cook used a cello made in 1981 by David Wiebe, at that time a Nebraska resident.” DNES Journal, Czech Republic, 2003, Reviewer: Pavel Smutny “Outstanding artist” “she emphasized the singing quality of the solos and stresses the lyrical character of the work. This concept enriches the listener…The Capriccio reflected a richness of color, strong melodic expressiveness, projecting a joie de vivre and optimism and a great artistic imagination (premiere of the Capriccio)…inspired understanding of the artist” 1999, Solo CD Recording, Solo Sonatas for Cello by Zoltan Kodaly, George Crumb,Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) recorded at Auer Hall at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Oasis Recordings Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: Jerry Dubins (This CD was featured and reviewed in the March 2015 Fanfare Magazine.) KODÁLY Solo Cello Sonata, op. 8. CRUMB Solo Cello Sonata. HINDEMITH Solo Cello Sonata, op. 25/3 • Kim Cook (vc) • “Kim Cook’s performance of the piece may just be the best I’ve heard yet. Her technical sureness and ease are remarkable enough in themselves, but she plays with a flair—almost a flamboyance where it’s called for—and an emotional intensity that are really gripping. Add to that her truly capacious tone and her way of modulating and controlling it for expressive effect, and you have a performance of Kodály’s Solo Cello Sonata that easily vies, in my opinion, for top billing.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: James Forrest “I grew up believing the Kodály was all but unplayable. The few cellists who performed it surely promoted that notion. The distinguished cellist George Neikrug played it in concert to great acclaim around 1942. He told me that was the first successful outing of the work in New York City, the British cellist Beatrice Harrison having supposedly failed in an appearance back in the 1930s. “Of course,” Neikrug went on, “no woman could play the piece”! Right; good thing no one told Kim Cook. I first heard the work in János Starker’s earliest recording, a Period LP taped, I think, in 1949. The great Hungarian cellist went on to record it at least four more times. And many cellists took it up—many with great success. Difficult? Surely. Unplayable? No. Cook’s performance has the technical difficulties well in hand, and impresses not simply for virtuosity, but for the deep feeling conveyed. It is a thoughtful, at times deliberate (particularly in the last movement), reading of the piece, notable for the warmth, which seems to characterize Cook’s playing.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: Huntley Dent “Kim Cook rises to the challenge of Kodály’s constant inventiveness with a reading that’s as impressive musically as it is technically. Cook wants to interpret the music’s passion and mood first. This leads to a very personal and intriguing reading. I think you’ll find her reading of the Kodály riveting.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: Jerry Dubins “Hindemith’s Sonata is well represented on disc by Wendy Warner, Pieter Wispelwey, and a number of others, including a historical recording by Emanuel Feuermann. But once again, Kim Cook proves herself competitive with the best, offering a truly attention-grabbing performance.” Fanfare, 2015, Reviewer: James Forrest “The Crumb is not pretentious but is a lyrical work, and played affectionately by Cook. The Hindemith which follows (about the same length) is, by contrast, a serious, impressive work. I am partial to Hindemith but recognize some find him unapproachable. Not here. This short work, I guarantee, will appeal. I cannot imagine a better performance.” KBAQ Radio, September 2007, CD of the Week, Phoenix, Arizona, Reviewer: Sterling Beeaff “Kim Cook is a fine player, and from what I have learned in the past week or so, a great pedagogue at her studio at Penn State. We do deserve to hear her out here and everywhere. Her recording of the Dvorak Cello Concerto will be heard on KBAQ from now on, but to get a chance to know her facile playing it would be best through hearing her play Zoltan Kodaly’s Sonata for cello. All three pieces are beautifully played, but the Kodaly really is a remarkable piece, and Kim Cook has, I think, made a definitive recording of it. Silence is as much a part of music as the notes are, and Ms. Cook leads us to those silences, those places to take a breath, amid some real pyro-technics in playing, in the melancholy phrases, that as you listen, you realize, this really does demand something of the player…It really is a tremendous piece and she plays it beautifully.” |
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Reviews prior to 2000
Wigmore Hall, Solo Recital, July 24, 2000
"truly glorious tone" "She tackled Kodaly's daunting Solo Sonata with a deal of technical skill" "She plays with a natural lyrical feeling" "Barber proved to be the best performance of the evening, eloquent, urgent and structurally sound. Kim Cook is certainly a talent to watch." Geoffrey Crankshaw, Musical Opinion (London)
"Folk music-most notably from the Americas-was central to this recital by Kim Cook and Carl Blake, their programme both enterprising and varied." "In a work renowned for its demanding technical hurdles (Kodaly Sonata for Solo Cello Op. 8) Cook's sense of impetus and perception of the assimilated Eastern European folk music was vividly demonstrated." "The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Barber's Cello Sonata... a strong performance of a work which is ironically difficult to bring off--the lyricism of the music suited her style of playing and both artists demonstrated a keen awareness of line and colour."
Joanne Talbot, The Strad
Carnegie Hall, Solo Recital, 1996
"she brought to the fore a wide assortment of ravishing colors and textures"
"This interpretation put a thoughtful new light on Kodaly's challenging, nay, daunting score"
"songfully and sensitively conveyed" (Brahms, Adagio affettuoso)
"sympathetically and elegantly rendered" (Faure, Ravel)
Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review
Cleveland Museum of Art, Solo Recital, premiere of Cello Suite by Dennis Eberhard, composer in residence (Cleveland Orchestra) 1992
"Dramatic cello suite earns standing ovation" (headline), "won a spontaneous standing ovation...the piece made a powerful impact....glissandos up and down the strings, pizzicatos that snap, and timbres that exploit the tone qualities of the cello...created an expressive palette of sonorities" "Cook's warm tone and singing line suited the music...gifted with an affinity for contemporary music, Cook rose to another level in her inspired performance of the Eberhard Suite" Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tour of China; Beijing, Nanjing, Jinan, and Shanghai, 1998
"dazzling...triumphant...the performance captured our hearts." Daily Xinhua (Nanjing)
"the performance awakened our senses" Nanjing Daily Journal
Artistic Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, Latin American Tours, 1996
"extraordinary" El Occidental (Guadalajara, Mexico)
"splendid" Ocho Columnas (Guadalajara)
"A 'Wow' was heard from the audienceas they gave their applause to the Piazzolla Tango." "presented a flawless performance, proving why they are this year's artistic ambassadors." El Norte (Monterrey, Mexico)
"Excellent interpretations of sonatas by Cesar Franck and Samuel Barber"..."full and passionate dramatic touch....executed the piece with authenticity and musicality" "the excellent performance made the Monterrey audience hungry for knowledge of Barber" El Diario de Monterrey
"exquisite performance" "The concert carried the senses...I was suspended in a gentle but deep feeling atmosphere" "performance was simple but 'sharp', like a brand new blade in its movements and techniques, and like a caring butterfly in its deep feelings" La Informacion (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
"Flawless performance" Criação (Manaus, Brazil)
Carnegie Hall, Castalia Trio Recital, 1998
"upbeat program, excellently played...cello solos sang with sweetness and light"
New York Concert Review
Stuttgart, Beethoven Triple Concerto, 1993
"trio of virtuosos, outstanding interpretation...melodic, colorful tone quality in the Largo, stimulating rhythmic impulse in the fiery final movement" Stuttgart Journal
Frankfurt, Haydn Concerto in C Major with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, 1995
"superb" "clearly defined, energetic line. The cello virtuoso solved all musical and technical challenges of the three movements with bravura and musical temperament." Die Rheinpfalz (Frankfurt)
Review of CD of Solo Sonatas by Kodaly, Crumb, and Hindemith, 2000
"a performance of great merit, one that will bear repeated hearings" "The music is offered with emotion and technical virtuosity". "an accomplished and emotional performer." Voices (PA)
Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major, Lincoln Symphony, 1997
“decisive and clean....difficult double and triple stops in the high register seemed to flow from Cook’s masterful technique. Patrons immersed themselves in Cook’s playing, judging by the lack of coughs, sighs or footshuffling even between movements...alluring slow movement...she flew through triple stops...exact placement of pitch in high registers...an exciting performance. The evening was a success, capped by Cook’s outstanding performance” Lincoln Journal Star
Boccherini Cello Concerto, Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra, 1997
"Breathtaking... a virtuoso display of cello technique...poised and elegant...outstanding"
Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
Reviews prior to 1994
September, 1994, Castalia Trio Recital
"Castalia Trio presents strong, sensitive, satisfying concert" (headline) "The performances were vigorous, yet sensitive and satisfying...The charmed audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation." "expressive....the trio seemed to revel in building a beautiful and elegant performance. The finale was exciting." "The third movement, (Arensky Trio), an elegy, gave Cook the opportunity to display at length her beautiful tone" Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
June, 1993, Dvorak Concerto, Penn's Woods Orchestra
"On Saturday night, Cook played one of the most beautiful concerts a Schwab Auditorium audience has ever heard. It was clear that she was master of the instrument. she played from within,...a rich, effulgent tone...an ethnic and feeling interpretation worthy of comparison with Casals and Rostropovich. Her gorgeous tone and superb technique dominated the concerto. This was an evening to remember""rich, effulgent tone...an ethnic and feeling interpretation worthy of comparison with Casals and Rostropovich. Her gorgeous tone and superb technique dominated the concerto. This was an evening to remember"
Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
May, 1993, Beethoven Triple Concerto, Stuttgart, Germany
"trio of virtuosos, outstanding interpretation....melodic, colorful tone quality in the Largo, stimulating rhythmic impulse in the fiery final movement" Stuttgart Journal
October, 1992, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, Nittany Valley Symphony
"remarkable tone and virtuosity...breathtaking...clear, sweet tone" Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
July, 1992, Solo Recital at the Cleveland Museum of Art, premiere of Cello Suite by Dennis Eberhard
"Dramatic cello suite earns standing ovation" (headline), "won a spontaneous standing ovation...the piece made a powerful impact....glissandos up and down the strings, pizzicatos that snap, and timbres that exploit the tone qualities of the cello...created an expressive palette of sonorities" "Cook’s warm tone and singing line suited the music....gifted with an affinity for contemporary music, Cook rose to another level in her inspired performance of the Eberhard Suite" Cleveland Plain Dealer
June, 1992, Beethoven Triple Concerto, Penn’s Woods Orchestra
"first theme beautifully played by cellist Cook. Cook established the mood of the composition positively and definitely. This was virtuoso performing at the highest level." Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
Cleveland Museum of Art, premiere of Episodes for Horn and Cello by Jonathan McNair, April, 1991
"beautiful performance from cellist Kim Cook." Cleveland Plain Dealer
Wigmore Hall, Solo Recital, July 24, 2000
"truly glorious tone" "She tackled Kodaly's daunting Solo Sonata with a deal of technical skill" "She plays with a natural lyrical feeling" "Barber proved to be the best performance of the evening, eloquent, urgent and structurally sound. Kim Cook is certainly a talent to watch." Geoffrey Crankshaw, Musical Opinion (London)
"Folk music-most notably from the Americas-was central to this recital by Kim Cook and Carl Blake, their programme both enterprising and varied." "In a work renowned for its demanding technical hurdles (Kodaly Sonata for Solo Cello Op. 8) Cook's sense of impetus and perception of the assimilated Eastern European folk music was vividly demonstrated." "The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Barber's Cello Sonata... a strong performance of a work which is ironically difficult to bring off--the lyricism of the music suited her style of playing and both artists demonstrated a keen awareness of line and colour."
Joanne Talbot, The Strad
Carnegie Hall, Solo Recital, 1996
"she brought to the fore a wide assortment of ravishing colors and textures"
"This interpretation put a thoughtful new light on Kodaly's challenging, nay, daunting score"
"songfully and sensitively conveyed" (Brahms, Adagio affettuoso)
"sympathetically and elegantly rendered" (Faure, Ravel)
Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review
Cleveland Museum of Art, Solo Recital, premiere of Cello Suite by Dennis Eberhard, composer in residence (Cleveland Orchestra) 1992
"Dramatic cello suite earns standing ovation" (headline), "won a spontaneous standing ovation...the piece made a powerful impact....glissandos up and down the strings, pizzicatos that snap, and timbres that exploit the tone qualities of the cello...created an expressive palette of sonorities" "Cook's warm tone and singing line suited the music...gifted with an affinity for contemporary music, Cook rose to another level in her inspired performance of the Eberhard Suite" Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tour of China; Beijing, Nanjing, Jinan, and Shanghai, 1998
"dazzling...triumphant...the performance captured our hearts." Daily Xinhua (Nanjing)
"the performance awakened our senses" Nanjing Daily Journal
Artistic Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, Latin American Tours, 1996
"extraordinary" El Occidental (Guadalajara, Mexico)
"splendid" Ocho Columnas (Guadalajara)
"A 'Wow' was heard from the audienceas they gave their applause to the Piazzolla Tango." "presented a flawless performance, proving why they are this year's artistic ambassadors." El Norte (Monterrey, Mexico)
"Excellent interpretations of sonatas by Cesar Franck and Samuel Barber"..."full and passionate dramatic touch....executed the piece with authenticity and musicality" "the excellent performance made the Monterrey audience hungry for knowledge of Barber" El Diario de Monterrey
"exquisite performance" "The concert carried the senses...I was suspended in a gentle but deep feeling atmosphere" "performance was simple but 'sharp', like a brand new blade in its movements and techniques, and like a caring butterfly in its deep feelings" La Informacion (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
"Flawless performance" Criação (Manaus, Brazil)
Carnegie Hall, Castalia Trio Recital, 1998
"upbeat program, excellently played...cello solos sang with sweetness and light"
New York Concert Review
Stuttgart, Beethoven Triple Concerto, 1993
"trio of virtuosos, outstanding interpretation...melodic, colorful tone quality in the Largo, stimulating rhythmic impulse in the fiery final movement" Stuttgart Journal
Frankfurt, Haydn Concerto in C Major with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, 1995
"superb" "clearly defined, energetic line. The cello virtuoso solved all musical and technical challenges of the three movements with bravura and musical temperament." Die Rheinpfalz (Frankfurt)
Review of CD of Solo Sonatas by Kodaly, Crumb, and Hindemith, 2000
"a performance of great merit, one that will bear repeated hearings" "The music is offered with emotion and technical virtuosity". "an accomplished and emotional performer." Voices (PA)
Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major, Lincoln Symphony, 1997
“decisive and clean....difficult double and triple stops in the high register seemed to flow from Cook’s masterful technique. Patrons immersed themselves in Cook’s playing, judging by the lack of coughs, sighs or footshuffling even between movements...alluring slow movement...she flew through triple stops...exact placement of pitch in high registers...an exciting performance. The evening was a success, capped by Cook’s outstanding performance” Lincoln Journal Star
Boccherini Cello Concerto, Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra, 1997
"Breathtaking... a virtuoso display of cello technique...poised and elegant...outstanding"
Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
Reviews prior to 1994
September, 1994, Castalia Trio Recital
"Castalia Trio presents strong, sensitive, satisfying concert" (headline) "The performances were vigorous, yet sensitive and satisfying...The charmed audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation." "expressive....the trio seemed to revel in building a beautiful and elegant performance. The finale was exciting." "The third movement, (Arensky Trio), an elegy, gave Cook the opportunity to display at length her beautiful tone" Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
June, 1993, Dvorak Concerto, Penn's Woods Orchestra
"On Saturday night, Cook played one of the most beautiful concerts a Schwab Auditorium audience has ever heard. It was clear that she was master of the instrument. she played from within,...a rich, effulgent tone...an ethnic and feeling interpretation worthy of comparison with Casals and Rostropovich. Her gorgeous tone and superb technique dominated the concerto. This was an evening to remember""rich, effulgent tone...an ethnic and feeling interpretation worthy of comparison with Casals and Rostropovich. Her gorgeous tone and superb technique dominated the concerto. This was an evening to remember"
Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
May, 1993, Beethoven Triple Concerto, Stuttgart, Germany
"trio of virtuosos, outstanding interpretation....melodic, colorful tone quality in the Largo, stimulating rhythmic impulse in the fiery final movement" Stuttgart Journal
October, 1992, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, Nittany Valley Symphony
"remarkable tone and virtuosity...breathtaking...clear, sweet tone" Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
July, 1992, Solo Recital at the Cleveland Museum of Art, premiere of Cello Suite by Dennis Eberhard
"Dramatic cello suite earns standing ovation" (headline), "won a spontaneous standing ovation...the piece made a powerful impact....glissandos up and down the strings, pizzicatos that snap, and timbres that exploit the tone qualities of the cello...created an expressive palette of sonorities" "Cook’s warm tone and singing line suited the music....gifted with an affinity for contemporary music, Cook rose to another level in her inspired performance of the Eberhard Suite" Cleveland Plain Dealer
June, 1992, Beethoven Triple Concerto, Penn’s Woods Orchestra
"first theme beautifully played by cellist Cook. Cook established the mood of the composition positively and definitely. This was virtuoso performing at the highest level." Centre Daily Times, University Park, PA
Cleveland Museum of Art, premiere of Episodes for Horn and Cello by Jonathan McNair, April, 1991
"beautiful performance from cellist Kim Cook." Cleveland Plain Dealer