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PRESS KITS
"[Qian] reminded me of performers from the turn of the last century before the tonal intensity and rapid, tight vibrato of the Russian School exemplified by Mischa Elman, Jascha Heifetz, and Toscha Seidel became the international standard... Her calm intimacy invites the listener’s attention rather than commands it."
Magil, American Record Guide [July/August 2023]
"... Yin's playing in the Brahms has a mellow sweetness of timbre that is truly special... It is a special joy to hear how seemingly effortlessly she navigates its more challenging aspects, because even in these days of technical firebrands, many players still have squawks and screeches here and there in such a piece. Nothing can ruin a Brahmsian spell like such sounds of strain, but there was no such issue here...Qian is superb."
Rorianne Schrade, New York Concert Review [April 2023]
"...First and foremost is the marvelous sense of collaboration. Throughout, Qian Yin and Po-Chuan Chiang perform with remarkable synchronicity. Indeed, their confluence of phrasing, dynamics, and instrumental colors often suggests the work of a single artist. And this unanimity of purpose is always at the service of the music. In general, this duo favors an introspective approach, both in terms of volume and instrumental color. Nonetheless, they are successful at realizing the variety of emotions conveyed throughout. The artists phrase with great care and compelling expression..."
Ken Meltzer, Fanfare [July/August 2023]
"[in the third movement that Franck] where Qian plays a slowly ascending line over the piano’s arpeggiated part, almost always [stealing] in with breathtaking beauty no matter who is playing it, but Qian Yin’s utterance over the next 35 bars puts beauty to shame. I find myself at quite a loss for words to describe it. Her F-sharp at the beginning of bar 70 is whispered so softly and with such intimacy that a shiver went up my spine. It’s as if in that one note, Yin unlocks the secret to the sensuality of Franck’s music that so enflamed the passions of his audiences. I’ve heard more performances of Franck’s sonata than I can count or remember, but I’ve never heard it played with the exquisiteness of expression that Yin and Chiang aspire to and achieve in it here. If you never believed in the power of music to evoke the act of lovemaking in all of its heated frenzy and caressing tenderness, this performance should change your mind... Not to take away one of the radiance of Yin’s playing—you have only to hear the combination of aching hope and intense longing that suffuses her shaping and shading of the first movement’s second subject [Franck] to understand her deep emotional involvement with the music—but I want to give a shoutout here to Po-Chuan Chiang, who matches Yin’s expressive nuances to the extent possible on a piano. This is extraordinary playing one doesn’t encounter all that often in duet partnering... These two artists make every note of every bar of every moment of this music count, and I can honestly say I was swept up by their performances of these two works in ways I never have quite been before. An absolutely urgent recommendation."
Jerry Dubins, Fanfare [July/August 2023]
"...there is a real reason to obtain Qian Yin and Po-Chuan Chiang’s readings: They are more personal than most, more internalized, and as such offer a new spin on these familiar scores... The central Adagio is unsurprisingly successful, with Yin’s stopping spot-on and performed with a real legato line... The choice of the Franck as a coupling is an interesting one. Inevitably, the expansiveness of the first movement suits Yin and Chiang perfectly. Yin’s sinewy tone works well here, as does her sweeter upper register... Po-Chuan Chiang conjures up some miraculously clear yet beautiful textures."
Colin Clarke, Fanfare [July/August 2023]
"This is such a close, intimate recording and both performers gives a performance with such warmth and complexity. This is really delicate performance work, and as I listened, I could feel the depth of meaning and the amount of work that these performers put into each note, or each space between these notes, as well as the spaces between their instruments. There is such a closeness to this finely detailed performance."
Jacqueline Kharouf, Fanfare [July/August 2023]
"Yin and Chiang embrace the warmth and lyricism of these works completely and play them with sensitivity and a srong sense of engagement... Yin and Chiang are technically proficient and emotionally open to the material"
Mark. J. Estren, InfoDad [June 2023]
"Two young artists bathe the listener in attractive, insightful interpretations."
Amber Wingler, SAI Pan Pipes [Summer 2023]
"Two Chinese musical artists treat us to attractive and insightful interpretations of sonatas by Johannes Brahms and Cesar Franck... In the present performance, where intimate warmth and symphonic-like grandeur co-exist, both partners are required to work closely together to make it convincing. With a partnership such as Qian Yin and Po-Chuan Chiang show here, it’s a cinch!"
Phil Muse, Atlanta Audio Club [February 2023]
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