Concerts with orchestra

The concert featuring works by Vivaldi and Piazzolla (Four Seasons plus Four Seasons) that was held this past week at the Orchestra Verdi concert hall with Natasha Korsakova as violin soloist and Jader Bignamini conducting was a resounding success and perhaps the best concert of this season in Milan.A trifecta of magnificence. Magnificent Vivaldi, magnificent Piazzolla – plus the conductor and soloist: he, with his superb elegant gestures and, above all, the magnificent sound he obtained from the orchestra; and she, the height of elegance in a black gown (which did not escape the notice of Mr Bignamini when he came out for the first piece on the program).Ms Korsakova was simply outstanding, particularly in the Piazzolla, in which she played the sensuality card… Bignamini and Korsakova’s rendition of the Vivaldi was lively, with a velvety sound, but not in the least taciturn: vibrato was in evidence, but was used sparingly.
As for the Piazzolla, the musical quotes were magnificent, as were the lexical citations (but not of the harpsichord, which was “suspended” at the end of the Autumn and Spring movements), and the extraordinary originality of a piece that is at once charming and intriguing.
Two realms, two worlds, and the various seasons look at each other, touch each other, dialogue with each other, and try to melt into each other.
The Piazzolla seemed to “stand out” a bit more, the overall magnificence of the concert notwithstanding. And in the Winter movement from the Four Seasons, the “play” that Bignamini and Korsakova endowed the first movement with was simply unforgettable…
Eight seasons were on the programme of this week’s concert, which was conducted by Jader Bignamini and featured Natasha Korsakova as violin soloist. She is no stranger to the Verdi orchestra (I heard her play Shostakovich two years ago). The audience at Largo Mahler hall went wild over Ms Korsakova’s performance, and she graciously gave two encores.
(…) Natasha Korsakova is a world class violinist. She was in peak form last night and played wonderfully. She played the truly challenging passages in the Vivaldi with great aplomb, without excess baroque improvisation, which she used well in appropriate places. As for the Piazzolla, she played it masterfully, to perfection.
I’m very partial towards Ms Korsakova, whose playing features just the right kind of concentration; but she also clearly enjoys playing – a fact attested to by her frequent smiles while she performs. I also feel that she’s a genuinely nice person, a quality that is pretty rare among today’s musicians, who tend to focus solely on their work and are overly sensitive and narcissistic.
Ms Korsakova played two encores, by Bach and Vivaldi, brilliantly, in response to the thunderous applause with which the audience greeted her performance. In short, her performance was a genuine triumph.
“OperaClick”, Milano

 

Requiem for the Titanic

“… God may be merciful, but not the ocean. The Titanic went down in April a century ago, a tragedy commemorated by the Bayreuth Philharmonic Choir in a Remembrance Sunday requiem to the one and a half thousand lives lost. This was a premiere for the audience with German composer Bernd Wilden’s interpretation of Miserere as an expressive and poetic composition for choir and orchestra above and below the waves, purveying the horror of the disaster from the depths of the sea and the past using today’s methods.
But that was not the end of it – the dual-facetted requiem in the civic centre continued with a lively and solid violin concerto, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Op. 80 that also fell victim to that archetypal shipwreck – the score to premiere on that fatal maiden voyage also went down with the ship.
The symphony orchestra conducted by Arn Goerke boldly played the reconstructed opus, even setting off to a bombastic start. Natasha Korsakova gave the piece a new sense of noblesse in her violin solo with aristocratic demeanour that would almost certainly have been travelling First Class on the Titanic. The much applauded virtuoso gave a soulful performance with cultured sensitivity, great technic and natural expressiveness in her refined, ennobled passion with runs, trills and coloratura in a euphonious yet solid rendition void of tremulousness – the performance of a virtuoso that knows neither fear nor trepidation; on the contrary, a operetta-style performance with the gusto you might expect in the music salon of a luxury liner …”
“Nordbayerischer Kurier”

 

A star in the violinists’ sky

Heavenly sounds from Natasha Korsakova’s violin in Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony Concerto with the Westphalia New Philharmonic

She left an audience utterly astounded with her skill – “You can’t play it any better than that,” sighed a wistful listener after the last note in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major. The acclaimed violinist’s name is Natasha Korsakova.
The Russian-Greek soloist delivered the sterling performance of a virtuoso together with the Westphalia New Philharmonic in Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony Concerto. This young violinist has mastered her instrument to perfection and with visible ease, effortlessly playing three quarters of an hour of crystal clear, mellow music, her technique rising from her deep understanding of the composition’s musical architecture, her spellbinding solo in the slow movement. Together with the inspired orchestral rendition under the leadership of Music Director Heiko Mathias Förster, the charismatic soloist leaned again and again into the overall performance as she picked up pace at the allegros and eased back into adagios.
Natasha Korsakova responded to cheers of enthusiasm with an encore in her interpretation of the first movement from the Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 5 for solo violin.
WAZ Gelsenkirchen

 

Violinist Natasha Korsakova before an enthralled audience

“… Forget all the shooting stars you’ll find in every area – one-minute wonders posing in water and dressed in their translucent tops, decorating the record sleeves in an attempt to jack up sales – you’ll still find a number of highly skilled violinists.
One of them took the audience by storm at Lippstadt in a symphony concert hosted by the city’s music association. Natasha Korsakova, the soloist in Beethoven’s grandiose Violin Concerto in D major op 61, lives and breathes music; music is what she does naturally, without striking a pose.
The life she breathes into the music, this richness of colour, this artistic sophistication, her contribution to the whole performance – particularly important in Ludwig van Beethoven’s concert – comes to the fore in her intensive, yet unassuming dedication, her excellence in technique, and her encore with a sonata by Eugene Ysaye…
Gushing aside, musical experiences such as these are what we mark our calendars for. Nobody can reduce this natural and charming, thoroughbred musician to outward appearance for the sake of quick marketing. Her attractiveness and charm come as a bonus. But what would have come of her performance if the New Westphalian Philharmonic hadn’t played at this same level of distinction? Musical director Heiko Mathias Förster achieved such a level of harmonious and arousing orchestral sophistication as to produce a multi-faceted chamber music-style performance… ”
“Patriot”

 

Straight No-Frills Beethoven

Natasha Korsakova captivates the audience Strictly speaking, Beethoven’s only violin concerto is a symphony with a solo violin obbligato. Listening to a violinist with the expressive force of Natasha Korsakova, you can easily forget that Beethoven was ahead of his time in composing the equivalent of a modern virtuoso concerto.Solo violinist and orchestra played in perfect harmony with the violin finally leading one of the main movements, which is unusual as it is; it was not only the solo violinist’s finely tailored Laura Biagiotti dress that gave the Ruhr Valley’s great concert hall a glamorous touch, her lively interplay with the Westphalia New Philharmonic under Heiko Mathias Förster’s harmonious leadership was a perfect rendition.Natasha Korsakova’s performance rose to ethereal heights in her exuberant rendition, the much acclaimed violin soloist delicately performing a sound of unearthly beauty without self-indulgent romanticism on her precious Panormo. This was straight Beethoven without the frills – a soft elegy in gorgeous and hauntingly lyrical phrasing that you could see from this phenomenal solo violinist and her dedication and excellence.
Recklinghäuser Zeitung

 

Violin Concerto – a feast for the eyes and ears

Tumultuous applause for Russian-Greek soloist Natasha Korsakova

… A skilled doctor prescribing a symphonic concert for therapy would be well-advised to order an evening of Beethoven performed by the Westphalia New Philharmonic…
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto will fill up any modern concert hall; Kamen’s Konzertaula was no exception in an evening perfected by the orchestra’s excellent choice of soloist, Natasha Korsakova, a style icon in musical and visual terms. In a black evening dress from the Laura Biagiotti Ready-to-Wear collection, she took to the podium and sought eye contact with the conductor and orchestra. What followed was musical bliss, the soloist and orchestra giving each other the space for both to develop into a spectacular performance that the audience gratefully acknowledged with thunderous applause – and the soloist with a Bach encore.
Kamener Zeitung

A taste of infinity – with Natasha Korsakova

“… The second program highlight recalls the tragedies of those times – the Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor by Shostakovich … Young violinist Natasha Korsakova revives the spirit of this musical masterpiece, with full vibrato and sophisticated bowing techniques turning the tragedy into a painful story told from the depth of her soul …”
Corriere della Sera

Four exciting ‘B’s open season of Tupelo Symphony Orchestra

… But the real fireworks began to pop when violinist Natasha Korsakova appeared onstage to solo in Max Bruch’s enchanting Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor.
What an artist! Korsakova, it seems, has everything: intense musicality, stunning beauty, electric charisma, a fabulous 19th-century Pressenda violin, plus aristocratic descent from the great 19th-century Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
And what a concerto! Completed in its present form in 1867, the G Minor was an immediate hit, but contains technical difficulties still capable of daunting any violinist brave or foolish enough to attempt it. Korsakova tossed off these intricate, unruly passages with a blend of mystical meditation and fiery passion that instantly confirmed her reputation as one of Russia’s supremely great contemporary violinists.
The third movement, with its scintillating double stops and ever-accelerating conclusion, can create the kind of musical wonder that leaves an audience breathless with amazement and delight. So it was with Natasha Korsakova and the TSO…“
“Mississippi Daily Journal” 

 

Sounds like heaven – with Natasha Korsakova

A successful debut for Arn Goerke – Beethoven in the superlative – resounding applause for Russian violinist
“… Now an internationally experienced violinist, Natasha Korsakova put Webern into the past as she then performed Beethoven’s Violin Concert in D major op. 61, sounds of paradise emanating from her violin….
Natasha Korsakova showed technique and control to match or even surpass virtuosos such as David Oistrach or Yehudi Menuhin, creating beauty and depth of sound to melt hearts.
Spontaneous applause erupted the moment after the end of the third movement – even from the orchestra. She surpassed herself in a challenging encore after mastering the cadences of the first and third movements to perfection …”
“Vogtland Anzeiger”



Back to the roots of Italian dance – delightfully jazzy, and a little eccentric

Armando Trovaioli’s Puppet performed by the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis at the Teatro Salieri in Legnago, Italy.
“… Natasha Korsakova cast a spell on her precious eighteenth-century Panormo violin with her perfect performance. The excellent acoustics of the theatre hall together with the orchestra, always keeping subdued to a respectful background, provided an excellent stage for Korsakova to deliver the full beauty of her own sound, conveying a great depth of feeling and expression. Natasha’s artistic performance has been ascending into more ambitious realms ever since we had the fortune to see her play in the Milan Auditorium for the first time two years ago. Natasha Korsakova is a musician well worth listening to – at the very next available opportunity…”
“Il Foglio”

 

Annapolis Chamber Orchestra bring “Praise and Majesty” to stage

„… Under music director J. Ernest Green, the Annapolis Chorale and the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra presented a transcendent program of joyous masterpieces titled “Praise and Majesty” to open their 38th season.
Green delivered a pre-concert lecture, introducing extraordinary musical talent in Korsakova. 
Brahms’ “Violin Concerto” presents a number of well-known challenges and demands great technique – which Korsakova has in abundance. She played with a poetic expressiveness that was most notable in the shimmering melody begun by a solo oboe. Korsakova was sensitively accompanied throughout by the orchestra in this powerful lyrical work. Her arms became an artistic visual element when paired with the glowing sound of her instrument. From the opening passage of the first movement, Korsakova played with a lyrical singing approach that was beautiful. Green’s accompaniment was sensitive and well-shaped…
Another musical highlight was provided by Korsakova’s gorgeous “Meditation” from Massenet’s “Thais.” This was given the most moving interpretation I have ever heard…”
“CHICAGO TRIBUNE”

 

Opening Roanoke Symphony concert is rich, heartfelt!

„…Violinist Natasha Korsakova helped Maestro David Stewart Wiley and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra inaugurate their shiny new 2010-11 season Monday night at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre.
The soloist, who was a hit in last year’s season opener, played the 1843 Giovanni Francesco Pressenda violin that’s on loan from an Italian collector.
….When she and the orchestra got a few bars into Dmitri Shostakovich’s great Violin Concerto No. 1. Like other Russian violinists before her, Korsakova tapped into the mystery at the core of this haunted work. The eerie first-movement nocturne was weirdly powerful. She was in command during the viciously difficult Halloween dance that is the second movement scherzo. The sad grandeur of the third movement passacaglia was heartbreakingly beautiful. I’ve heard more virtuosic readings, but Korsakova played with the most intense commitment. She and Wiley deserved the standing ovation they got…“
“The Roanoke Times”


Rich romantic Expressions from Cape Cod Symphony

„… Her interpretation of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto Nr. 1 was sensitiv and passionate. Ms. Korsakova has been playing the piece for many years now, but performed it with a freshness and intensity it demands. The Concerto begann softly, slowly, with a solo violin cadenza, drawing the listener in, as the orchestra gathered strenght. Ms. Korsakova was graceful and controlled on stage; her involvement in the music was visible… Adagio featured slow, delicate high melodies, tenderly played, and richly expressive lower notes, bringing out the soulfulness of music. The Finale was intense, accelerated, and fiery, to the enjoyment of all…“
„Falmouth Enterpreis“

 

From I Mostri to Ciao Rudy – the original Trovaioli


Passionate applause in Legnago for the music of a famous Roman composer
“… A skilled musical interpretation by Russian-Greek violinist Natasha Korsakova, pianist Alessandro Cesaro and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto conducted by Maestro Maffeo Scarpis. The Teatro Salieri’s programme included a piece of absolute music by Armando Trovaioli, the “Puppets” Scherzo as well as the Serenata per Giuditta transcription for violin and strings so admired by Salvatore Accardo, performed to excellence by Natasha Korsakova.Crystal-clear, confident sound emanated from Korsakova’s violin with a pleasant hint of pathos unspoiled by any form of exaggeration. Korsakova overwhelmed the audience in every stroke of her bow with complete control of her violin in a precise and lively rendition …”
L’Arena”


Violin soloist wins bravos from audience
Brahms Konzert with Roanoke Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Stewart Wiley
“… A lot of American symphony orchestras would have loved to be in the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra’s collective shoes Monday night.At a time when many big-name orchestras are wondering how to keep the doors open, the RSO had ist biggest opening night ever.A capacity and record crowd of about 1,600 concert-goers showed up at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theater for a programm that spotlighted a beautiful young violin soloist whoes genealogy includes the great Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.…Natasha Korsakova played with authority beyond her years, handing in a performance that was by turns urgent and powerful and rhapsodic. In an era when there is no shortage of young performers with technique to spare but nothing to say, Korsakova played with mature insight and eloquent lyricism.
She played with a warm sumptuous tone and in the difficult passages filled with double stops, she played precisely and with great clarity.
Korsakova got an immediate standing ovation and was returned to the stage several times by an audience that was whilstling and shouting bravos. RSO membres shuffled their feet and stamped their approval, and Korsakova returned the gratitude with an encore of the „Giga“ movement from Bach’s E-Major Partita for Solo Violin…”
„The Roanoke Times“


Beethoven’s Violin Concert with the Zwickau-Plauen Philharmonic Orchestra

“… Is it that aura of enthusiasm that makes her play so well, or does her enthusiasm come from the harmony she shares with her violin? That’s a good question in view of her latest symphony concert performance together with the Plauen-Zwickau Philharmonic Orchestra. Natasha Korsakova, guest soloist at Plauen’s Vogtland Theatre on Thursday and yesterday, soared high above the level of solid but uninspiring mediocrity at Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concert in D major; rising to the challenge in those lengthy passages once thought to be technically unplayable, she delivered every single note to perfection with a quality of performance no longer expected from a soloist, while striking a relaxed but controlled pose throughout. Indeed, this native Muscovite has not just kept her enthusiasm for music, but also that finesse and musical culture she learned in her studies …”
Zwickau, Germany

 

Tchaikovsky Concerto with Aachen Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marcus Bosch

“… A tribute to Tchaikovsky, Natasha Korsakova – a young, acclaimed virtuoso on the violin gave a brilliant, impassioned and wholehearted rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Op. 35 violin concerto in D major, in the spirit of her father, Andrei Korsakov, at the glittering grand finale of the Kurpark Classix – the first time for a fourth event to be held at the Kurpark musical round.
… Marcus R. Bosch, his soloist and the orchestra were received with well-deserved applause for their excellent performance at the firework display under a star-studded sky – a marvellous end to an electrifying event!”
“Aachener Nachrichten”

 

Lalo “Symphony Espagnol” with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, conducted by Giuseppe Grazioli

“… The young artist and daughter of the muses, Natasha Korsakova, made E. Lalo’s Spanish Symphony, a work which rarely features in the orchestral repertoire, shine brightly – more by her intricate, delicately poised virtuosity than noisy “Ispanidad” style; with pleasing phrasing, supported by pureness of tone, and with the utmost precision in the speed of her left hand … Korsakova undoubtedly belongs to the elite circle of brilliant violinists.”
Milano “Il Sole 24 ore”

 

“… It was a total success and the jewel in the crown, thanks to the infectious enthusiasm that Korsakova learned from Milan’s Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra. The soloist, Natasha Korsakova, simply transported the concert audience into raptures of delight – (and what makes her talent so unique) – by the depth and structure of her animated performance, she showed extraordinary technical skill combined with gentleness of tone, and the intelligent and sophisticated interpretation.”
“Il Cittadino”, Monza

 

Philharmonic State Orchestra of Mainz accompanied by Mainz Ballet

“… Antony Tudor’s choreography for the 1936 ballet classic, “Jardin aux Lilas”, to Ernest Chausson’s “Poème” appears entirely different, more intimate and individual. Donald Mahler, one of Tudor’s former pupils, has created a new version of the “Lilac Garden” and Thomas Ziegler has designed a neo-romantic set with full moon, lush forest foliage and bright costumes.
The violin soloist, Natasha Korsakova, like goddess of destiny Parcae, stands slightly to the left of this intimate scene in this meta-universe between orchestral pit and dance stage, being both observer and string-puller … Korsakova’s violin solo is the fragile thread linking the plot on stage and the ballet’s deep underlying psychological structure. She spins her thread with mastery, reaching top notes with extreme delicacy, and with highly homogeneous alignment to the movements both on stage as well as in the orchestral score…”
“Das Orchester”

 

“… This in itself distinguishes the work from Antony Tudor, whose “Jardin aux Lilas” was chosen by the Mainz Ballet, to commemorate the occasion of his 100th birthday anniversary. Choreographed by Tudor specialist, Donald Mahler, the 1936 piece is even more astonishing. On the one hand, this is because in his work, the 28-year-old choreographer captures his four protagonists’ emotional pain as suggestively as he does sensitively. On the other hand, it is because he listens so precisely and hears his drama in the music. It is as though Ernest Chausson wrote his “Poème” for violin and orchestra exclusively for Tudor, and naturally, too, for Natasha Korsakova, who, with Catherine Rückwardt as conductor, makes her violin sing in the hearts of the audience. Korsakova is visibly positioned on a stage that Thomas Ziegler has designed like a leafy cave …”
“Stuttgarter Nachrichten”

 

Brahms Concerto with Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Neschling

“… The biting cold wind that swept through Reykjavík’s west city on Thursday evening did not deter the above-average influx of visitors to Háskólabíó Concert Hall. This was definitely thanks to the evening’s main attraction and solo artist, Natasha Korsakova. In the end, it is a familiar experience that young top international musicians attract audiences more than any other performers. Besides, there was hardly any reason not to see this virtuoso Russian violinist and descendant of composer, Rimsky-Korsakov, who is an author in her own right. Korsakova was due to perform the Brahms violin concerto… Frenetic applause, at last, spontaneously erupted towards the close of the concert and was still audible when Korsakova performed her encore which was the challenging first movement of Ysaye’s solo violin sonata No. 5. Korsakova conjured up this work off the cuff, playing with supreme elegance, grace and poise. But the main attraction was still Brahms’s popular and well-known Concerto. Given the concert hall’s poor acoustic, Korsakova’s approchement was probably too generous and delicate in touch. In a more appropriate acoustic setting, this style of approach to the orchestra would naturally have been more effective. All in all, however, the solo violin was played with astonishing beauty and the long cadence in the first movement was carried off with almost effortless grace.”
Reykjavik

Rousing musical performance

Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt at “Wiener Klassik” BREMEN, Grosser Saal der Glocke
“… When playing the two romances for violin and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven, Natasha Korsakova convinced with an incredibly vivid, sensuous and intelligent interpretation which was able to give a gestural character to even the most trivial musical phrase. Refreshingly tight tempi were being chosen. What was convincing was the unsentimental approach, neither orchestra nor soloist were bathing in shallow beauties of melodic characteristics…”
Weser Kurier 

 

Karol Szymanowskis violin concerto with Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles Olivieri-Munroe

With a passion for tonal brightness
“… With Natasha Korsakova one could see a soloist whose charisma was directly communicated. The russian-greek violinist delivered an interpretation of Karol Szymanowski’s 2nd violin concerto op. 61 to her audience which was touching at every moment. It was fascinating how she gave different contours to the tone of her instrument, changing from roughness to delicacy, from delicacy to lavishness. The singing character of her play remained as constantly as the attraction of her interpretation. Often the soloist herself seemed to be astonished by the content of the score…Great applause for exciting twenty minutes – and the violinist thanked it with a polished sample of Johann Sebastian Bach’s E-Major partita BWV 1006.”
Kieler Nachrichten 

 

Schostakowitsch Concerto No. 1 with Thüringen Philharmonie, conductor Alun Francis.

A soloist who is brilliant on her instrument and a successful journey into the East – what more do you expect from a concert
“… Natasha Korsakova fired the audience with D.Schostakowitsch’s 1st violin concerto – not an easy piece of work, but played on this evening by the soloist with technical refinement without losing any of its expressional force. Already at the beginning when playing the g-string she felt a truly mystical atmosphere, and slowly she proceeded into the higher tonal space. Extensive melodic phrases, an enormous pressure on the strings – Korsakova’s play was powerful and animated. She knew how to show the dark music in dark tone colours on her instrument (1st movement) or to excite with fast runs (2nd movement). The cadence was technically impressive.  …”
Freies Wort

“… For the two Mozart works the virtuoso found this delicate mixture of an unpretentiously slender tone, musical warmth and an absolute precision of intonation only which makes Mozart’s music become a true delight …”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

 

What a bit of luck – here plays a happy violinist!

Natasha Korsakova plays A. Dvorak’s violin concerto with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, conducted by Heribert Beissel, at the Musikhalle Hamburg.
“… The born Muscovite, girlishly dainty, does not play with a pained frown on her face, she does not show signs of hard work like a number of her violin playing colleagues, she plays with concentrated, almost serene cheerfulness. Eagerly she listens to the voices of the orchestra, she even smiles. An artist who obviously feels her profession to be a gratifying experience …”
DIE WELT

“… The internationally celebrated “Mozart-specialist” Natasha Korsakova played both Concertos with superb technic, tonal colorings and captivating interpretation …” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 2004

“… Natasha Korsakova played both works with technical brilliance, sure instinct for style and musical sensitivity, accompanied by the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Ulf Klausenitzer, the ideal choice for Mozart, as the orchestra has demonstrated on earlier occasions …”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

.
Young Virtuoso Violinist is inspirational at 4th Symphony Concert

“The young violin virtuoso, Natasha Korsakova, is now no longer a newcomer on the music scene. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s violin concerto was played to perfection, with the violinist finding the piece’s true aesthetic quality. Mendelssohn’s violin concerto is justifiably regarded as the finest among his compositions. As elfin and light as the violin’s main theme sounds, so, too, the accompanying orchestration seems overpowering. And out of this apparent paradox, flowing melodies emerge in perfectly structured form.”
Kronen Zeitung

“… Whoever believed to know Mozart and to have categorised him, following the collector’s passion, had to realise that from time to time one has to reopen such pigeon-holes when people like Natasha Korsakova come and open completely new perspectives, who besides the serene cheerfulness of the surface sound the depths of the music which in everyday concert business easily fall into bad ways!”
Wertheimer Zeitung

 

A Phenomenon

“… Now and then, there are such things as magical moments in the concert world, times when one scarcely believes one’s ears. … Her Mozart interpretations – the D Major Violin Concerto, KV 218 and also in D Major, KV 271a, quite obviously reworked in the 19th century – were (and one hardly dares use the idea) – sheer perfection …”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

 

A soloist who is brilliant on her instrument and a successful journey into the East – what more do you expect from a concert

“… Natasha Korsakova fired the audience with D.Schostakowitsch’s 1st violin concerto – not an easy piece of work, but played on this evening by the soloist with technical refinement without losing any of its expressional force. Already at the beginning when playing the g-string she felt a truly mystical atmosphere, and slowly she proceeded into the higher tonal space.Extensive melodic phrases, an enormous pressure on the strings – Korsakova’s play was powerful and animated. She knew how to show the dark music in dark tone colours on her instrument (1st movement) or to excite with fast runs (2nd movement). The cadence was technically impressing…”
FW, April 2005

 

Pure joy of play

Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with Bavarian Chamber Orchestera
“… Natasha Korsakova impresses with a colourful tone and a virtuosity that is always in service of the music. The audience was spellbound by the bow with which the violinist controlled her instrument as if she was at one with it. Vivaldi’s work sparkled and hissed through the auditorium like a firework. The interpretation created was very colourful and allowed a deeper insight into the beauty of this score…”
Brückenauer Anzeiger, May 2004

 

A violinistic Phenomenon….

Korsakovas interpretation of Mozart-Concertos was – no risk using the word – simply perfect”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“… For the two Mozart works the virtuoso found this delicate mixture of an unpretentiously slender tone, musical warmth and an absolute precision of intonation only which makes Mozart’s music become a true delight…”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 2004

“… After this followed Mozart’s violin concerto in G-major which was being carried by the charming personality of Natasha Korsakova who delivered one of the first highlights with her subtly nuanced and precisely intoned play. The warmth of her gestures and facial expressions let all the hearts surrender to her charms…. Her perfection in play and musicality were captivating especially in the two cadences which she expressed wonderfully…” Mainpost, March 2006

 

“… Particularly since with Natasha Korsakova there was not only a technically experienced virtuoso at work, but rather appeared a mature musical personality who avoids well-trodden paths and who lends her concerts a new quality through individual expression. The soloist, whose gestures and facial expressions were at one with the music, seemed transported into another world. As if she wanted to tell stories on her violin…” Schweinfurter Tagblatt, 22nd June 2003

 

Committed and colourful Lalo

“Symphonie Espagnole” with Nuremberg Symphonic Orchestra

“… With Natasha Korsakova the Nurembergers won an exceptional soloist. The young, stunningly beautiful violinist has a stupendous technique and – even more importantly – a great, wide, radiant tone.
Edouard Lalo’s murderous “Symphonie Espagnole” was mastered by the violinist technically in highest perfection, meeting the Iberian folkloristic elements always with elegance. Mellifluousness without kitsch, sentiment without sentimentality made this work a fine musical appetizer. The solo encore was unavoidable…”
Nürnberger Zeitung, November 2000

“… If we didn’t know that Natasha Korsakova’s father was the violin virtuoso Andrej Korsakov, we would have believed that she is a direct descendant of the famous  “Devil’s violinist” Paganini, such was the virtuoso and artistic manner with which she knew how to play her instrument…”
Nürnberger Nachrichten

Fargesprakende Tchaikovsky Concerto in Kristiansand, Norway “….Konsertens hovedverk var Tsjajkovskijs eneste fiolinkonsert, og solisten den unge, men musikalsk modne og selvstendige russerinne Natasha Korsakova. Et herlig valg, både kunstneren og hennes fiolin! Her fantes alt det skulle til, og teknikken var koblet med åpenbar spilleglede i svimlende hurtige passasjer, dristige sprang, vanskelige dobbeltgrep, flageoletter og glissandi, kort sagt alle mulige fiolinistiske spesialiteter, og dertil riterdandi og cantilener der tonen kunne gløde. For det gjorde tonen, den glødet i alle sjatteringer og uttryk!” Faedrelandsvenn