Photo copyright Lincoln Center – Lawrence Sumulong
August proved a month of highlights. Simone received stunning reviews for her concerts at Mostly Mozart Festival New York with Jonathon Heyward, as well as with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom with Fabien Gabel and Antwerp Symphony with Elim Chan at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Mostly Mozart Festival
Barber – Violin Concerto
“…..exquisite rendition of Simone Lamsma. With her beautiful tone and attention given to even minor variations in rhythmic patterns, she transformed the apparent lack of dramatism of the concerto’s first two movements into a quality. The way Lamsma and Heyward approached the Andante was especially remarkable, infusing the music with additional intensity in order to build a connection between the first movement’s lyrical character and the full-of-energy Presto…..”
Bachtrack – Edward Sava-Segal – 06 August 2023
The Cleveland Orchestra
Fabien Gabel, conductor
Blossom Festival
Saint-Saëns – Violin Concerto no.3
“Fabien Gabel and Simone Lamsma excel in a perfect summer program at Cleveland’s Blossom Festival”
“…..Lamsma gave suitable vigor to the dramatic opening, but her focus was on the lyrical parts, making the concerto speak more than in the many performances that try to pretend it is a work of tortured depths. It isn’t, and Lamsma’s lyrical playing did it greater justice…..”
Seen and Heard International – Mark Sebastian Jordan – 28 August 2023
“…..Fabien Gabel captivated in works of Ravel, de Falla, and Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, with which soloist Simone Lamsma won everyone’s heart…..”
“…..played on Saturday by the gracious and commanding Simone Lamsma. She has the technical rigor that makes this concerto sound easy, and a warmth of tone that causes babies to stop crying (which a couple of them did on Saturday night).
She also met the style of the piece without dragging it down with bluster. There was lightness of touch and lyrical fantasy, too, to elevate the flights of bravura…..”
“…..Her Finale was music that sang, danced, and sprinted…..”
Cleveland Classical – Kevin McLaughlin – 30 August 2023
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Elim Chan, conductor
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Saint-Saëns – Violin Concerto no.3
“…..Door de verfijning van haar vrije en persoonlijke fraseringen, deed het spel van Lamsma denken aan de grote violisten van weleer, terwijl alles wat ze deed om Saint-Saëns tot leven te brengen tegelijkertijd ook heel eigen klonk. Lamsma vertaalde haar loepzuivere virtuositeit in een zangerig verhaal vol verrassingen en contrasten (accenten, rubati, dynamische schakeringen enz.)…..”
De Nieuwe Muze – Wenneke Savenije – 20 August 2023