Press

"Starikov again displayed the incredible depth of emotion … nothing is left on the table, no nuance is wanting."

"His entire performance was raw, deeply felt, and powerful...He understood this music, and gave an impactful, lively, and gripping interpretation on all levels: emotionally, architecturally, and in terms of his sound palette."

“Vitaly Starikov’s warm sound and pliable phrasing shifted the emphasis of Chopin’s Op 25 Études from the realm of technical studies to pure music.”

"In addition to fastidious attention to dynamic and coloristic nuances, he demonstrated the magic that can come of stretching and contracting rhythms, lingering over melodic high points and poignant harmonies."

"The genial atmosphere Starikov had created thus far then changed on a dime with a terse and appropriately grim rendition of Shostakovich’s First Sonata."

“Vitaly Starikov is an exploratory pianist who fully utilizes and understands every corner of the instrument. He successfully engaged the audience with robust Beethoven and Shostakovich, deeply-felt Liszt, and charged Debussy.”

“He views the piano as a laboratory for endless tonal exploration and is never averse to experimenting with sound. He effortlessly blended subtle notes to create an enchanting garden for the audience.”

"It is inventive, brilliant, audacious, resolutely subjective but absolutely fascinating”