"This was Chopin playing that was as good as you can get."
The Post and Courier Charleston, SC
Andrew von Oeyen
"Brilliant technique can be taken for granted among today's concert pianists, but von Oeyen`s playing goes a step further. He leaves you convinced that he can do absolutely anything he likes with a keyboard."
– Chicago Tribune
Before you read another line, go to the phone or Internet and grab a ticket for one of von Oeyen's remaining performances. Friday morning, he delivered one of the most commanding accounts of Rach 2 that I can recall hearing live -- majestic and singing, lucid and dramatic, and technically effortless." (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Detroit Symphony, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy)
– Detroit News
“indisputable gifts [and] an extravagantly thorough and effortless technique...von Oeyen seems incapable of misarticulating a musical sentence."
– Los Angeles Times
"Von Oeyen brought to Beethoven`s elegant "Fourth Piano Concerto" a mature intimacy, a ruminative assurance, that all but belied his technical brilliance."
– Detroit News
"Andrew von Oeyen has a technique remarkable in its fluidity, a precise and balanced way of playing, but most of all a disarming elegance and charisma that allows him to communicate with the greatest of ease."
– Le Monde de la Musique
"Andrew von Oeyen is an American treasure whom we should all recognize, and of whom we should all be proud." (concert with Saint Louis Symphony)
– KDHX Radio Review, Saint Louis, MO
“The Hayes Piano Series concluded triumphantly Saturday afternoon with a smart, varied and altogether engrossing recital by Andrew von Oeyen…In fact, I would go so far as to say that von Oeyen played the finest all-around performance of Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor that I have heard in many years.”
– Tim Page, Washington Post
"As for star quality, von Oeyen is already risen."
– Chicago Tribune
*Andrew von Oeyen Makes Stunning Debut in Schumann Concerto* Jan 2012
"Von Oeyen's interpretive prowess and digital subtlety far exceed those traits demonstrated by the most recent crop of fawned-over Asian virtuosi. From the opening moments of the Schumann Concerto, von Oeyen made it clear that he was more interested in mining the emotional lode of Schumann’s work rather than flaunting his own keyboard calisthenics...Von Oeyen offered the playful, always surprising, youthful A Minor Piano Concerto, which he vividly enlivened with sympathetic assistance from both the orchestra and Music Director Jahja Ling. Von Oeyen’s lithe articulation and sweet but unapologetic sonority brought out the unabashed rhapsodic character of the first movement...Among the performer's other laudable characteristics, von Oeyen was not afraid to give quiet passages an intimate quality in a large hall or to linger over a graceful cadence. I found great satisfaction in Ling and von Oeyen’s charming dialogue of the middle movement, where elegance and exuberance never fought one another...The soloist’s bravura account of the final movement demonstrated that technical muscle can serve the music rather than simply preen in the mirror. From the orchestra...Ling and his unexpected guest pianist fused a vision of this concerto that perfectly balanced its Romantic melodic effusions and Classical structural aspirations. Who could ask for anything more?" (Schumann Piano Concerto with Jahja Ling and San Diego Symphony)
– San Diego Arts Review, Kenneth Herman
"What an ikioi there was in Andrew von Oeyen's piano playing! This masterful playing was highlighted to perfection...Keep an eye out for recordings by this up-and-coming young pianist - they are sure to be of something very special."(Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3 with the Singapore Symphony, conducted by Okko Kamu)
– Singapore Symphony review
"This was Chopin playing that was as good as you can get."
– The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC
"Before intermission, young American pianist Andrew von Oeyen gave a wonderfully clear-eyed reading of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. He employed a muscular technique and sculpted sound that welcomed the music's romanticism without preening."
– Detroit Free Press
Soloist Andrew von Oeyen made a blazing debut with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, brushing aside the considerable technical challenges of Liszt's Concerto No. 1. …He dispatched thundering double octaves and singing lines with ease…"
– Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
"He gave the impression that, technique-wise, he had easily put this concerto in the conquered category, and still had more to spare. He was by turns elegant, agitated and caressing (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Asher Fisch).”
– Peter Dobrin, Philadelphia Inquirer
“Von Oeyen has a flair for this lesser Rachmaninoff opus (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Grant Park Orchestra). Without wallowing in the concerto's romantic schmaltz, he mustered a winning combination of powerful fingers, rhapsodic freedom and emotional involvement that marked him as a pianist to watch.”
– John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
"Here, von Oeyen demonstrated his genius in conducting and playing the solo part in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491. One of Mozart's later and more symphonic concertos, this one in C Minor emerged with fitting gravity and light-textures from von Oeyen and the orchestra. Von Oeyen has the measure of this work from 1786 (while Mozart was working on Figaro), pacing both richly dark and serious sections, as well as those that were graceful and simple. Von Oeyen's piano part characteristically had expert control and fit the orchestral fabric with precision and correctness...Von Oeyen is already a top flight musician of major talent with rare insight."
– The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC
The collaboration between von Oeyen and the musicians resulted in an impressive reading that captured all the work's [Beethoven PIano Concerto No. 5] technical elements without drawing any undue attention. The playing in the opening movement clearly had its heroic elements but never at the expense of sacrificing a beautiful sound...it was refreshing to hear a pianist who seemed content to let the composer's voice be heard without superimposing any unnecessary interpretive quirks.In the lovely central Adagio, von Oeyen's playing always sounded organic in the way it was woven into and out of the orchestral texture. The final Allegro in turn was filled with energetic playing without any false bravado. In short, this was a performance in which the pianist's every move was governed not only by a keen technical facility but by tremendous intelligence as well. His encore, Chopin's “Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor” came across with limpid beauty.
– NewsOK.com
"Delos is lucky to have signed him...this is a very impressive disc" (Liszt Piano Music, Delos Records, 2011).
– Fanfare Magazine
"von Oeyen, Llewellyn, and the orchestra turned in a vivid, white-hot performance of the Ravel Piano Concerto in G Majot with razor-sharp attacks and a whirlwind impetus in the fast movements. Time seemed suspended in the gorgeous low movement... the trumpet solo was just one highlight of remarkable ensemble that held together in the mad dash of the finale."
– CVNC.org
"...a most sensitive and intelligent pianist and musical insights beyond ones wildest imaginings. It doesn’t get any better than this." (recital in Barbican Hall, London)
– Musical Web International
"What matters about his playing is its musicality. Von Oeyen has a touch that lets a melody sing out from a cloudburst of accompanying notes. Most important of all, in this wildly varied program one heard each composer speak in his own voice."
– Chicago Tribune
"Then came the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto, with soloist Andrew von Oeyen. It has never been played better. The lyrical passages contained beauties not heard on a recording, and the brilliant finale, which has both a glorious melody and virtuoso coruscations, such as prestissimo double glissandos, had to be seen to be believed. In spite of a standing ovation and multiple curtain calls, the young pianist did not play an encore. Bravo!"
– The Portland Press Herald
"He plays with a pure and clean approach, remaining true to the music...his song-like and well-balanced approach to Chopin's Fourth Ballade will remain in the memory...his artistry and technique shows off the beauty of Liszt without resorting to sentimentality."
– Musica Viva, Japan
“Now 24, a tall, smiling young man, he plays with a blend of crystalline fire and heartfelt poetry that was ideal for the changeable moods of Rachmaninoff's youthful concerto (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Grant Park Orchestra).”
– Chicago Sun Times
"Pianist Andrew von Oeyen opened the concert with a fiery but finely articulated Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata” by Beethoven, which he played without pause after Berg’s highly chromatic Piano Sonata Op. 1."
– Aspen Times
"Since age 11, Andrew von Oeyen, has channeled Mozart and the "A Major Piano Concerto," honing it to sublime perfection at Monday's concert, evoking three standing ovations. Even the musicians joined in the applause, obviously as mesmerized by the phenomenal dual accomplishment of soloist/conductor as the enraptured sell-out audience. Von Oeyen conducted without a score. A nuance of head, eyes or smile inspiring strings and winds of the 25-member Spoleto Festival Orchestra ensemble; subtle changes of mood, dynamics, rhythm mirrored in their faces, by turn beaming or intense. The result was magical, a synergy of listening and playing. Everyone, musicians and audience alike, seemed to hang on each soulful note as if it were being composed or re-composed on the spot...It was indeed a memorable concert, one of those breathtaking experiences that one always remembers and is grateful for the privilege of having attended."
– Post and Courier
"It was hot at Markham Theatre on Wednesday night, when violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Andrew von Oeyen fed a full house of hungry audience with something temperamental, something serene, and something romantic.... Along with von Oeyen’s vibrant and solid playing, the pair produced urgency and drama through the stormy passages....Chang and von Oeyen were a musical union through hushed moments, sweet canons, or sparkling climaxes...Chang delivered her signature big, luscious sound, and it was matched perfectly by von Oeyen’s deep and full-range tone on the piano...this partnership is worth listening to no matter the music."
– La Scena Musicale (Toronto)
"Sarah Chang and Andrew von Oeyen then took the stage for Brahms’ feverish Sonata for violin and piano (“No. 3 in D minor”)... He and Chang are now paired for a worldwide tour. While Chang was appropriately aggressive in her attacks, her tone soon warmed into beautifully articulated phrases, von Oeyen carefully matching her at every juncture...Von Oeyen’s tone was likewise lustrous, his playing forceful yet meaningful. The pair then stormed into Brahms’s tempestuous fourth movement, eventually concluding with a long, sustained hush. It was wonderful."
– Napa Valley Register
"The Allegretto from Schubert's "Three Piano Pieces," D. 946, was a gently rocking barcarolle. Any notes Schubert put on paper turned into a song, and the song was always present here, supported but never swamped by the swirling piano writing....The Brahms' Opus 116 was masterfully played. "Petrushka" made something clear about that masterwork too: It had to be about puppets, not humans. From the famed "Russian Dance" to Petrushka's scurrying flight from the murderous Moor, it was all bright, clattery, nervous, even its violent outbursts on a smaller-than-human scale. Von Oeyen made all that clear with breathtaking panache."
– Chicago Tribune
Andrew von Oeyen proved a fierce, brilliant exponent of the Bartok Piano Concerto No. 2. He played with a gigantic tone, tossing off the composer's clusters and counterpoint as though they were child's play — at times, one could have sworn the piano was amplified — but then proved himself capable of rapt tenderness with an encore of Debussy's "Clair de Lune."
– TIm Page, Post and Courier
"Von Oeyen opened the concert playing Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales for solo piano. The suite of seven waltzes was first performed in 1911, and I’ve often thought them rather bland in comparison with the composers later La Valse, with its lush orchestration. In Von Oeyen’s hands, though, the piano suite glittered and amused and challenged the listener. He quickly showed his talent for plumbing a score to shape phrases and express mood. How satisfying it must be to play a superbly crafted work of music so beautifully! Tall and slim, blond and handsome...von Oeyen was masterful."
– The Saratogian
"The second piece on the program, Franz Liszt’s formidably challenging Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major with Andrew von Oeyen at the piano, was full of musical fireworks, shifts in meters and dynamics, and complex harmonies. To play Liszt’s compositions, a pianist must possess an exceptionally strong technique, of which von Oeyen showed himself to have more than a sufficient amount. Although he entranced the audience with the power of his individual performance, he also showed that he possessed something even more important: a thorough knowledge of the composer’s obvious desire to make the bravura playing of the soloist an integral part of the concerto. Both the soloist and the orchestra understood this, offering a performance that held the audience’s attention as thoroughly as any dramatic music could. All present could clearly recognize von Oeyen’s technical skills, but also recognized in him that greater artistry which goes far beyond individual display."
– Classical Voice of North Carolina
"The pianist Andrew von Oeyen is an exceptional musician...He got ardently involved in the culminations, he lived the pianissimo moments with sensitivity. His touch, the pedal technique, the rhythmical precision, the way in which he “dressed” the sound – everything was placed in the service of the sense of music."
– www.liternet.ro (Bucharest, Romania)
"Von Oeyen has the technique -- trills that sparkle, scales that rise and fall, swelling and ebbing as organically as if they were coming form a wind instrument...he also has the ideas, remaining firmly in charge of his performance as he gently coaxed melodic lines out of the Steinway. While von Oeyen delivered on the flashier moments of his first -movement cadenza, they were leavened with grace and beauty." (Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3)
– Grand Rapids Press
"Von Oeyen began Ravel's "Valse Nobles et Sentimentales" in a splashy and vibrant way. Endowed with an easy and effortless technique, he easily navigated the numerous virtuosic demands and paced himself through all the many shifting moods...[In Faure's Piano Quartet No. 1] von Oeyen's sense of ensemble coupled with his forceful playing propelled the group, which needed no encouragement to play with passion and fire. It was one of the most magical performances. The blend of the four instruments was exceptional. Everyone listened passing melodic motifs around, sharing nuances and strong inflections. Tempos were good; everything flowed...Von Oeyen matched [violinist Sarah Chang] note for note, nuance for nuance. He varied his tone and touch to suit the passage and was effortless in the virtuosic part. He was the perfect partner."
– The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Springs, NY
"The Greenville Symphony Orchestra's season got off to a brilliant start Saturday night at the Peace Center with Andrew von Oeyen's poetic, sweeping account of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2....He played the Chopin concerto with grace, fervor and chiseled clarity. Von Oeyen's nuanced reading offered an appealing balance of the strength and delicacy the composer requires. Von Oeyen's solid technique and probing musicianship were evident from the beginning of the work. In the achingly beautiful second movement - the emotional core of the concerto - Von Oeyen's playing was exquisite...Von Oeyen dispatched the dazzling passages of the third movement with panache and fleet virtuosity. The enthusiastic Peace Center audience demanded an encore and they got it: Chopin's lovely Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2, rendered with taste and sensitivity by Von Oeyen. I don't know if I've ever heard a full house at the Peace Center so quiet, seeming to hang on every note."
– Greenville News
Von Oeyen's reputation as a performer of the first caliber is well deserved. Closing the first half with Schumann's Concerto in A minor, he caressed the keys, coaxing the instrument into giving up melodies as if coaxing out a secret, then rattled them teasingly to stir the blood.
– San Antonio Express News
"...totally delicious, was the presentation of then-22-year-old Felix Mendelssohn's charming and somewhat cheeky "Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor" by a similarly young pianist, Andrew von Oeyen. There are a lot of notes in this piece, none of them missed or even smudged by von Oeyen as he calmly executed the flamboyant piano part."
– Herald Tribune (Sarasota, FL)
For Tchaikowsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, guest soloist Andrew von Oeyen took the stage. Tall and lanky, he recalls a young Van Cliburn (who made this work virtually his own in past decades). Von Oeyen, who made his debut at age 17 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, is a brilliant young pianist with all the tools at his command. In this quirky writing which seems to revel in sudden juxtapositions of contrasting dynamics, he tackled both with masterful command. In the Andante semplice he showed a warm, even sensuous playing, while the scherzo-like prestissimo of the same movement was pure quicksilver--effervescent wisps of sound from the keys...Maestro Guillermo Figueroa led the musicians with an obvious passion, as von Oeyen stunned everyone with an emotional power not soon forgotten.
– Albuquerque Journal
To complete the first half of music, Andrew von Oeyen joined the orchestra as soloist in the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. After launching the work with those famous tolling piano chords, von Oeyen quickly revealed a highly concentrated and focused approach, thoughtfully choosing lines to project above the thick, rich and dark orchestral accompaniment. This clarity also permeated the virtuoso passagework, played with a lovely rhythmic feel, very different from the gestural way that these passages are sometimes interpreted. He opened the third movement, Allegro Scherzando, like a mad scientist in front of a collection of smoking beakers: And again, his figuration was white-hot.
– The Advocate (Stamford, CT)
On Saturday, von Oeyen touched the soul of the collective audience with Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466...he showed off his brilliant technical accomplishments in a variety of moods, from the simple, plaintive opening theme to the turbulent finale. The stunning chromatic passages flowed like a purling stream, and the soloist played the lovely melodic Romanze movement, so familiar to many serious piano students, with affectionate elegance.
– Daily Breeze (Los Angeles)
"Von Oeyen consistently has wowed with technical maturity and feeling far beyond his 25 years. The Rach Three, which pianists can spend their lives mastering, was no different.”
– The State, Columbia, SC
"Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto was the right vehicle for the extremely gifted Andrew von Oeyen. Only 26, he has a substantial repertoire that he performs with great success around the world. The piece displayed his clear finger-work at great speed, as well as his ability to spin out long, slow melodies with beautiful tone. Although brilliant technique is a significant part of this piece, the slow movement's journey through the depths of the Russian soul is its emotional foundation. It began as a dream that unfolded slowly on the way to a powerful climax, all so naturally paced in this excellent performance."
– The Virginian Pilot
Andrew von Oeyen, superstar in the making, then appeared for Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto. The impression he gave was of overwhelming, concentrated energy at the keyboard. Sinuous, smooth legato lines alternately sparkled and sang. Filigree patterns of notes took flight. The refurbished Steinway he played on never sounded so good.
– Peoria Journal Star
At 28, von Oeyen has achieved superstar status as an international concert pianist. His approach to the “Emperor” is elegant without being effete, powerful without being overdone, rhapsodic – a hauntingly beautiful second movement – without any hint of schmaltz. Here is Beethoven’s marvel of a concerto (aren’t they all) with every note in place, every emotion explored, marinated (if you will) with the love for freedom which is at the soul of everything Beethoven wrote. The performance is sheer exhilaration.
– Nevada Events and Reviews
One of the highlights was the evening’s guest artist, pianist Andrew von Oeyen, whose rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 57, was remarkable for its air of quiet authority. Von Oeyen's playing combined a light, fluid touch with an almost dry tone that gave the music a conversational tone, so that the interplay with the now-subdued orchestra became a true conversation. His work in the slow second movement — a series of prayer-like melodies that slowly grew into a final orchestral chord that sounded like a sigh of relief — was elegiac without being maudlin, much as his first movement cadenza managed to dazzle without being ostentatious. And his playing in the vigorous third movement was buoyant and joyful, almost jaunty.
– Tulsa World
With emphatic, expert support from Villaume and Co., von Oeyen nailed this one down tight. He dealt brilliantly with Bartok's knuckle-busting fingerwork, imposssibly fast octaves, and precarious hand...the crowd screamed and shouted until von Oeyen gave us an encore: an exquisitely nuanced rendition of Debussy's ever popular Claire de Lune.
– Charleston City Paper
"Andrew von Oeyen was a ball of fire in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. Teeming with exuberance and armed with fluid, muscular technique, the lanky 26-year-old American tore through the concerto with mercurial insight."
– Birmingham News
American pianist Andrew von Oeyen made a memorable debut with the orchestra in Mendelssohn's "Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor.” Despite his youthful appearance, von Oeyen proved to be a commanding keyboard presence, his fine technique put to the test by the considerable demands of this popular concerto. While the Mendelssohn certainly has its bravura moments, von Oeyen achieved them without resorting to keyboard theatrics or a clangorous tone. And in the slow movement's delicate manner, the pianist's filigree passages were exquisitely conveyed. The finale was suitably rhythmic with balances between soloist and orchestra always carefully gauged. Von Oeyen's performance was further distinguished by an intelligent approach that found an ideal match between the concerto's classical and romantic influences. Von Oeyen's encore, Debussy's ubiquitous "Clair de Lune,” turned out to be an ideal choice given the concert's theme. The pianist's subtle approach drew the audience into Debussy's moonlit sound world, and in doing so, accomplished what all concert artists set out to do: leave an audience wanting to hear more.
– The Oklahoman
"Andrew von Oeyen played with surpassing clarity and a light touch that illuminated the familiar work [Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto]. From the opening cadenzas of the first movement through the spirited third movement, a true musical conversation evolved among soloist, conductor and orchestra."
– Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Andrew von Oeyen, a virtuoso pianist full of brilliant energy and style, performed George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with great verve and brilliance. The audience was truly moved by the performance, and gave von Oeyen a well-earned standing ovation.