Reviews
Concert Review on Ginastera Harp Concerto
Geraldine Freedman | The Daily Gazette
“Elizabeth Hainen, making the virtuosic part sound easy. Tons of technical passages and glissandos flew by.”
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Concert Review on Ginastera Harp Concerto
Peter Dobrin | Philadelphia Inquirer
“it is startling in its freshness. Ginastera still sounds like no one else.”
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“Home”
Album Review
Blair Sanderson | All Music
“a revelation as well as an intimate family album.”
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Album Review
Anna Carlini | Exclusive Magazine
“as each composition plays out you find yourself never wanting them to end.”
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CD of the week!
Chris Voss| Classical WCRB in Boston
“a gorgeous CD of short pieces”
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Album Review
Leon Lewis | Miroirs California’s Classical Music Journal
“this recording provides soothing comfort food”
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Album Review
David Mellor | Daily Mail UK
“After hearing this, I can only hope there’s a lot more snow in Philadelphia come December.”
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Nu Shu
Hong Kong
Composer’s Personal History is his Musical Muse
Joyce Lau | New York Times
“…the star soloist in Nu Shu, her western harp transformed into a clanging, strumming, Eastern-sounding instrument.”
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Tan Dun’s Nu Shu Opens the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s Season
Alexis Alrich | South China Morning Post
“…bold harp playing of harpist Elizabeth Hainen along with clips filmed by Tan – now on the verge of extinction.”
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Spain
The Secret Gardens of the East
Ramon Avello | El Comercio
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English Translation: The composition of Tan Dun, similarly to a concert for harp and orchestra with video, was played by Elizabeth Hainen as solo harpist, is an enchanting work that links the traditional with the modern…A magnificent premiere of a unique creation, that is likely to become part of the musical repertoire of this century. A premiere that begs for repetition.
‘Nu Shu’ The Secret Songs of Women by Tan Dun, Made its Debut in Europe With the Symphony of Asturias
La Revista de Música Clásica | Codalario.com
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English Translation: As a guest harpist of the Symphony of Asturias, the great artist Elizabeth Hainen was not particularly favored by the unusual repertoire she had to face, showing more self confident in the encore that she offered after the applause.
Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, With the Voice of a Woman
Diana Diaz | La Nueva España
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English Translation: The harp of Elizabeth Hainen, elegant and versatile, was the perfect link between the voice and the orchestra for these “secret songs”: the harp as the trusted voice of Chinese women.
More than Chinese Stories
Pablo | La Musica en Siana
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English Translation: Elizabeth Hainen, more than a harpist, was the necessary narrator in the unique and universal language of music, the OSPA (orchestra) speaking the same language, alert, brilliant participants in this well written story told by Tan Dun with conductor Milanov obvious for his passion for these ensembles, risking this experiment before having proved that when there is quality, we all respond accordingly.
Australia
Crouching Tiger composer Tan Dun and US harpist Elizabeth Hainen a perfect fit for Nu Shu
Patrick McDonald | The Advertiser
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INDAILY Review: Nu Shu
Patricia Herreen | INDAILY Review of Adelaide
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United States
Orchestra debuts 3 commissioned concertos
David Patrick Stearns | Philadelphia Inquirer
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Linking the centuries
Tom Purdom | Broad Street Review
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New faces, new sounds (and even new words)
Steve Cohen | Broad Street Review
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Les Amis
“Harp Fantasies”
Jeremy Nicholas | Gramophone
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“Superbly Played Performances”
Bruce Reader | The Classical Reviewer
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“Notes and Editorial Reviews”
Phillip Scott | Fanfare
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“Dancing With Friends”
Alison Young | Harp Column Magazine
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“Utterly Gorgeous”
Michael Dervan | Irish Times
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“A particularly fine example of good programming and sensitive and thoughtful chamber musicianship”
Jonathan Woolf | MusicWeb International
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Phil’s Classical Reviews
Audio Video Club of Atlanta
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Further Reviews
In Debussy’s Danses and Caplet’s Mask of the Red Death with Michael Stern and the Iris Orchestra:
“Hainen’s flawless and moving performance made the Debussy shimmer…”
Jon W. Sparks | The Commercial Appeal
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In Unexplored Horizons recital for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society with the Johannes String Quartet:
“…the harp is emerging – as a new creative frontier for young composers, thanks to the likes of Elizabeth Hainen”
David Patrick Stearns | Philadelphia Inquirer
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In Recital at Skidmore College and Saratoga Harp Colony Festival:
“Hainen showed how it was supposed to be done…”
Geraldine Freedman | The Daily Gazette
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In Turina’s Tema Y Variaciones with Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos and The Philadelphia Orchestra:|
“Played with nuanced expressiveness and a rich palette of colors by Principal Harpist Elizabeth Hainen…”
Peter Dobrin | Philadelphia Inquirer
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In Caplet’s Mask of the Red Death with José-Luis Novo and the Annapolis Symphony:
“…Then there was Hainen, who masterly modulated the sound of her harp to be alternatively seductive, sinister and, finally, horrifying.”
David Lindauer | The Capital
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In Boieldieu’s Harp Concerto and Debussy’s Danses with Jérémie Rhorer and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia:
“Hainen’s accuracy was only the starting point of a vividly characterized interpretation…in short the performance had everything”
David Patrick Stearns | Philadelphia Inquirer
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In Parish Alvars’ Concerto in G minor, Op. 81 with Wolfgang Sawallisch and The Philadelphia Orchestra:
“…what is most satisfying about Hainen is that she is inherently musical – shaping phrases with interesting contours, while careful to maintain momentum.”
Peter Dobrin | Philadelphia Inquirer
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In Smetana’s Ma Vlast with Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony:
“The bardic opening harp solo was gloriously played by Elizabeth Hainen.”
Derrick Henry | The Atlanta Constitution and Journal
In Debussy’s Danses and Handel’s Concerto in B flat with Randall Craig Fleisher and the Anchorage Symphony:
“…heroic…it sounded like crystals were pouring out of her harp”
Kristen Hurst and Mike Rock | Anchorage Daily News
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In Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concertino, Op. 93 with Kenneth Jean and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago:
“…airy arpeggios so evocative of the Spanish guitar…a persuasive reading by Elizabeth Hainen, a fine young harpist, made it seem like a very agreeable diversion indeed.”
John von Rhein | The Chicago Tribune
In Debussy’s Danses with Charles Dutoit and The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center:
“…brilliant performance of the charming work”
Bill Rice | The Daily Gazette
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In recital at Indiana University:
“I remain entranced…harp involves the listener in its warm expression”
Peter Jacobi | The Herald-Times
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In Debussy’s Danses and Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro with Joseph Swensen and the New World Symphony:
“She is a complete harpist who knows and uses her instrument’s strength and brilliance and strikes its fire”
James Roos | The Miami Herald
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In Smetana’s Ma Vlast with Wolfgang Sawallisch and The Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium:
“…the image was like a museum painting in a gold frame: a solid image, firmly in place, worthy of regard, overlayed with warm varnish. It was also steeped in tradition…the harp was not delicate but invested with an essential, earthy solidity.”
Anne Midgette | The New York Times
In a solo recital at the Cleveland Museum of Art for the Musart Recital Series:
“…technical brilliance and a flair for exploiting her instrument’s range of coloristic effects”
Robert Finn | The Plain Dealer
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In Britten’s Ceremony of Carols with the Vienna Choir Boys:
“…finely focused, eloquent playing…”
Daniel Webster | The Philadelphia Inquirer
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In Recital at the Saxon-Bohemia Music Festival, Meissen, Germany:
“The guest appearance by Elizabeth Hainen could certainly be counted among the high points of this year. What weightless dabs she gave the bright melody of a Chopin Etude over the accompanying figures, in whose density the surrounding church space played a part as well. In summation, what she offered the packed house was technical delicacy and interpretive refinement.” Karsten Bluthgen on the Saxon-Bohemia Music Festival”
Karsten Bluthgen | The Saxon Times
In Debussy’s Sonata and Tan Dun’s Circle with Four Trios, Conductor and Audience with Tan Dun and the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival:
“…delicate and shimmering with fleeting harmonies casting a spell”
Judith White | The Saratogian
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In Debussy’s Sonata and Tan Dun’s “Circle with Four Trios, Conductor and Audience:
“…riveting performance…obvious affection”
Ron Emery | Times Union
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