* Concert Review: Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Opens 69th season with Dazzling Show – 'In Truth'

"The spotlight was also on guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who joined the orchestra in a concerto in 'neo-romantic' style demonstrating his substantial gifts as an accomplished keyboard virtuoso.

Lucas Richman's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra "In Truth" appears to be an autobiographical statement of "self, world, and spirit."" Mr. Latshaw's comment from the stage that the work is a "mash-up of a piano concerto in the style of Rachmaninoff and stylistic characteristics of Leonard Bernstein" certainly reinforced this listener's reaction to the piece, though I would lean more to the allusion to Rachmaninoff... Pianist Jeffrey Biegel demonstrated the capacity for powerful and dynamic energy as well as sensitivity and delicate touch in bringing off a fine performance of this piece...Biegel's encore, Chopin's Waltz in C-sharp Minor, was a beautifully executed example of that delicate touch, rhythmic flexibility and intense feeling reminiscent of the style of the late master pianist Vladimir Horowitz in many of his concert encores.

By Charly Spining - Arizona Daily Sun - Oct. 2, 2018

* Concert review: Roanoke Symphony opens season with Beethoven, Brahms (October 2017):

"The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra opened its Masterworks Series of the 2017-18 season Saturday night under the baton of David Stewart Wiley at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre before a crowd of about 1,000. American pianist Jeffrey Biegel was the soloist in Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, known as the "Emperor.”...From the opening flourishes on the keyboard, he established a grandeur of conception that lasted the entire performance. Maestro Wiley was extremely attentive to the soloist’s subtle use of rubato and had the accompanying orchestra respond in a supportive and effective manner. Biegel demonstrated a tremendous control over a wide range of dynamics, especially in his levels of soft volumes, often verging on the ethereal. The second movement Adagio was beautifully expressive with well-shaped phrases, again featuring the soloist’s exquisite tonal colors. The transition from the gentle slow movement to the triumphant final movement was well-handled. Biegel burst into the dance-like main theme with great gusto and warmth. When the orchestra started the theme in full volume, the effect was quite sensational. In this movement, the soloist demonstrated a great technique with vibrant trills, and absolutely synchronized scales in both hands. At the end of the performance, the audience responded with a generous standing ovation."

Tim Gaylard - Special to The Roanoke Times - 15 Oct 2017

* Here is what Keith Emerson says about Manhattan Intermezzo:

"Classical pianist Jeffrey Biegel along with The Brown University Orchestra conducted by Paul Phillips are truly fantastic here!

Apart from the wonderful performance of my Piano Concerto, I did not know that Neil Sedaka had written a Piano Concerto. It is staggeringly beautiful! I was aware of the early Gershwin "Rhapsody In Blue" of which he had many arrangements - as Stravinsky had about 12 versions of "Rites Of Spring". And let's not forget Duke Ellington here.

Congratulations to Naxos for being brave enough to put such a profound musical statement out. The quality of which is superb.

– Keith Emerson, 30 Jan 2016"

* "Manhattan Intermezzo" album (Naxos - 2016)

"What a delightful project this turns out to be! The main work here is the Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake and Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame) Piano Concerto, an energetic and fun piece that runs the gamut from a twelve-tone opening to a primal, toccata conclusion very much in the spirit of the finale of the Ginastera First Piano Concerto, which Emerson also transcribed and recorded. The other big surprise is Neil Sedaka's (remember him?) Manhattan Intermezzo, a sort of tonal travelogue of New York County for piano and orchestra, full of good tunes in a genuinely popular idiom.

Duke Ellington's New World a-Comin' (in Maurice Peress' arrangement for piano and orchestra) has appeared on disc a couple of times previously, but this version of the inevitable Rhapsody in Blue goes back to Gershwin's (and Grofe's) original score and opens up several traditional cuts. It's great to hear the whole thing, especially the extended solo part. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel sounds entirely at one with Gershwin's style – he knows how to inflect a phrase without turning mannered or self-conscious, and the whole performance full of character.

The Brown University Symphony Orchestra under its Music Director Paul Phillips has every right to be proud of its showing here."

Concertante Works by Sedaka, Emerson, Ellington, and Gershwin–Really! - ClassicsToday.com - David Hurwitz - January 2016

* Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (Wichita - 2016)

"Rhapsody in Blue" finished the program; Jeffrey Biegel went back to Gershwin's recorded performances and manuscripts for his interpretation, using some passages that had been dropped from later versions, resulting in a familiar piece presented in a new light. Biegel's impassioned approach brought out the music's edgier, more modernistic qualities. He was matched by the orchestra, including principal clarinetist Sarunas Jankauskas, whose opening glissando was clean and confident, and just a little saucy."

Gershwin's works star in Wichita Symphony Orchestra concert - The Wichita Eagle / kansas.com - 30 Jan 2016

* Jake Runestad's "Dreams of the Fallen" (Minneapolis - 2015)

"Jake Runestad, a 29-year-old Illinois native who now lives in Minneapolis, composed "Dreams" on a text drawn from the much-acclaimed poetry of Brian Turner, whose work reflects his seven years in the U.S. Army. A third element is the piano soloist, Jeffrey Biegel in this instance.

The piano actually becomes a character in the music, a soldier, perhaps, who suffers through the terrors of combat and emerges finally able to deal with his troubling emotions.

Though none of this is spelled out in literal detail, there is clearly a progression in text and music from extreme violence to a kind of peaceful and well-earned acceptance that is not at all sentimental. Light seems to enter the music in Runestad’s beautifully written — and imaginatively orchestrated — final pages and, for the first time, we hear solo voices singing a gentle upward-climbing melody, suggesting that humanity has finally prevailed and might even survive. Turner's haunting opening words are repeated at the end: “And I keep telling myself that if I walk far enough or long enough, someday I’ll come out the other side."

Philip Brunelle led a powerful performance by this excellent orchestra and his own combined vocal group: the Ensemble Singers and the VocalEssence Chorus. Without trying to, the program made clear how much more visceral and realistic we are today in our depiction of war."

VocalEssence pays tribute to war veterans with 'Dreams of the Fallen' - StarTribune.com - 11 Oct 2015

* Bach On A Steinway - 2010's Best (SomeModestProposals.com)

Bach On A Steinway - Jeffrey Biegel, piano (Steinway & Sons)

Biegel adds his own tasteful and very well-conceived ornamentation to these familiar works. His touch is lithe and phrases sing beautifully throughout.

2010's Best - SomeModestProposals.com - 8 Dec 2010

* Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra – Keith Emerson, Piano Concerto No. 1 (Wisconsin - 2015)

"This concert provided an opportunity to hear a piano concerto by Keith Emerson played by one of his skilled proponents, Jeffrey Biegel. Emerson was a member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer that surfaced in the 1970s. The only hint of anything rocky in Emerson’s concerto is its bursts of energy. Otherwise, it has both feet in the classical music realm, agreeably so. McMahon managed the solid byplay between his orchestra and the often-spirited Biegel, who has both the work's gentleness and electricity in his hands. Overall, Emerson is light of heart in this piece – and in the end full of excited, explosive, dramatic energy. I liked the way Biegel ended: His hands were going at full tilt, producing roaring sounds, and then, suddenly, the piece was over and his hands flashed in opposite directions above the keyboard and essentially saying, “DONE". Biegel added an encore, showing deftness of touch and quickness in the warm realm of Chopin."

By Warren Gerds - WeAreGreenBay.com - Sheboygan, WI - Oct. 4, 2015

* "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: 'The Monkees'" Premiere (Orchestra Kentucky - January 2015)

While Beatlemania was all the rage in the 1960s, the lesser known musical commodity, The Monkees, was striving for duplicate success. Created in 1965, the four-man pop/rock band paved their own way with a niche following that shadowed under the better-known Brits. Grammy Award winning Dick Tunney recently created a three-movement symphonic arrangement with the help of Orchestra Kentucky’s conductor Jeffrey Reed and pianistic skills of Jeffrey Biegel. If someone wants to jump back into time for a quick retro-flashback set against a classical beat, Tunney’s Concerto will surely bring instantaneous happiness.

The music is a condensed virtual run-though featuring some of The Monkees’ most memorable songs for television and screen. Tunney’s modernistic framework, akin to Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, possesses richly developed orchestration and reminds one of Canadian composer, David Foster. Jeffrey Reed instantly commands attention in tutti orchestra with a soon-to-follow Gershwin-like entrance to entrée Jeffrey Biegel's earthy, organic portrayal. The music propels unabashedly with excitement, delight and ebullience.

Seldom do we hear a fluency on the level of Jeffrey Biegel's. Don’t let this diminutive album fool you, for Mr. Biegel can be regarded as one of a handful of pianistes extraordinaires who transitions with pliancy and flexibility as a cross-over artist (see earlier reviews: "Life According to Chopin" and "A Grand Romance".)

Mr. Reed's reading of The Monkees' 'best' is adroit and pleasantly punctuated, featuring such favorites as Hey, hey we're The Monkees, Last Train to Clarkesville, I'm a Believer and Steppin' Stone. Sentimental renditions of Daydream Believer and I Wanna be Free weave their way into the score and a more pensive The Porpoise Song is culled from the band's movie, Head.

The music which Dick Tunney has created is quite emotional with clauses of vivid ornamentation that will harken back to the likes of Korngold and Copeland. A concise interpretation of this pithy little-ditty will make anyone a believer of The Monkees. A beautiful tribute.

By Christine Grimstad - ConcertoNet.com - July 8, 2015

* Rogue Valley Symphony Masterworks Concert Series (Oregon - 2015)

"Jeffrey Biegel is no stranger to the classical music community here, and in the Rogue Valley Symphony's current Masterworks Concert series, his playing is as lucid and passionate as ever. Biegel gave a stunning performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto, handling the familiar piece with a mix of fiery virtuosity and exquisite tenderness.

Biegel rendered the concerto's fire and ice with equal depth of feeling. From the familiar, dramatic, descending theme that opens the piece along with the roaring cacophony of the timpani, his playing was assured and in command.

The concerto mixes bombast with ethereal moods as the allegro movement gives way to the adagio. After the early fireworks and before the latter ones, Biegel endowed the beautiful middle section with particular loveliness.

The crowd demanded an encore, and Biegel returned with a gift to any romantics in the audience: a lovely performance of Chopin's familiar Waltz No.7 in C-sharp minor."

By Bill Varble - Mail Tribune - Medford, OR - Jan. 17, 2015

* Colorado Symphony Orchestra Season Opener (2014)

"Biegel astounded the audience with an interpretation of Beethoven’s wild piano experiment that was both enormously powerful and intricately subtle. And the internationally acclaimed pianist drew the tumultuous blizzard from the piano with jaw-dropping grace. Rather than play over the orchestra, Biegel drew them in with the audience as if everyone in the chamber does this all the time.

By Dave Perry, Staff writer - Aurora Centinal - Sept. 19, 2014

* Life According to Chopin, Courtesy Jeffrey Biegel, February 4, 2014 By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)

Jeffrey Biegel continues to be one of those pianists whose admirers watch the new releases of piano music carefully, leaping at the announcement of a new recording. He never fails to not only satisfy but also to surpass his other achievements. Biegel is a musician's musician, but then that adage tends to put some people off as if stating that means his ability to communicate to all listeners is not possible. Nothing could be further from the truth: Biegel's gifts include not only impeccable technical facility but also the ability to go to the core of whichever composer he is playing and share that inner beauty with his audience.

This new release LIFE ACCORDING TO CHOPIN is a case in point. This is Chopin that accepts the near insurmountable technical challenges of the artist's fingers and Biegel tosses off those hurdles as though they didn't exist. His performing of the fleeting passages is magically clear, assured, and unaffected. But where Jeffrey Biegel rises above other Chopin experts is his tenderness, his ability to bring those quiet melodies into focus so that they seem fresh and made of rarified air. He is completely at one with Chopin, offering these twelve pieces ranging from waltzes to nocturnes to mazurkas, ballads and scherzos to the immensely successful interpretations of the Fantasies Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor and the Grand Polonaise Brillante in E-flat major.

After several listenings to this CD the automatic response is to reach to the shelf and re-visit his Bach, Mozart, Cui, Zwilich, his special survey of the Romantic composers - and yes, Leroy Anderson and the other lighter but equally satisfying recordings in his collection. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

by Grady Harp – on Amazon.com – Febraury 4, 2014

* Every artist appears to love some composer more than others. American pianist, composer, arranger, teacher, and Steinway artist Jeffrey Biegel seems to love Chopin. In this album, he seems absolutely to adore Chopin. According to the album title, he must live Chopin. Not that he can't play other music just as well, as his many previous recordings like the most-recent Bach on a Steinway (2010), A Steinway Christmas Album (2011), and A Grand Romance (2013) attest. It's just that he looks as though he has a special affinity for Chopin and communicates an extra-special joy in communicating the man's tunes. Thus, it's a treat to find some of Mr. Biegel's favorite Chopin in the 2014 release Life According to Chopin.

Interestingly, according to a booklet note, "Until the age of three, Mr. Biegel could neither hear nor speak until corrected by surgery. The 'reverse Beethoven' phenomenon can explain Mr. Biegel's life in music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years." What's more, Mr. Biegel has filled his life with personal innovation. For instance, he "initiated the first live Internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998, and, in 1999, assembled the largest consortium of orchestras (over 25) to celebrate the millennium with a new concerto composed for him."

So, yes, Mr. Biegel is an artist of immense talent, boundless creativity, and high repute. It's hard not to like his Chopin performances, even for someone like me who for years never thought he'd find anyone he'd like as well as the Chopin interpreters he grew up with: Rubinstein first, then Cliburn, Pollini, Ashkenazy, and others. Yet Biegel takes his place alongside them, doing Chopin proud.

Mr. Biegel begins the program with the Waltz in D-flat, Op. 64, No. 1, the "Minute" waltz that he says "every young pianist MUST play." Well, he's not a young pianist anymore, but I'm glad he played it. Even though you may have heard it a hundred times, Biegel makes it come alive, fresh and new, with his lilting manner and gentle phrasing. With him it�s not just another lickety-split, look at how masterly a pianist I am; it�s a surprisingly amiable, lyrical piece that soars. Like all of Biegel's Chopin, it shows us an artist at the service of a composer's music rather than an artist using a composer's music merely to show off his virtuosity.

And so it goes through a dozen selections and over seventy minutes of music. Here, I couldn't help pick favorites among Biegel's favorites. The Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2, for example, is dazzling in both its technical showmanship and its graceful, rhapsodic beauty. The Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 ebbs and flows wonderfully from one tonal region to another. The Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2 is as light, sheer, and gossamer as any reading you'll find as Biegel plays it in this transcription by Theodor Leschitezky. I could go on, and as you can guess, I probably will. I love every track on this disc. Biegel produces music with passion and soul, never distorting the notes but adding an intimate touch of joy and expressiveness to them. One listen to the Andante Spianato, Op. 22 gives you an idea of what I mean; it conveys real inspiration and feeling in every phrase. It's delightful in its smooth, fluent motion and ever-changing line. Then, the familiar Fantasie-Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 ("I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" was the pop-song treatment) is never flashy but glides along rhythmically, effortlessly, stylishly, producing an uncanny sensation of improvisation with precision.

If you like Mr. Biegel's piano playing, if you like Chopin, heck, if you just like music, you cannot go wrong with this album. And it helps that it sounds so good.

Recorded at Patrych Sound Studios, New York, in 2013 by producer Joe Patrych, Biegel�s Chopin album sounds as good as anything he's done. Like most good piano recordings, this one sounds rich, warm, resonant, and very, very clean, with virtually no distortion, brightness, hardness, edginess, dryness, or anything else to distract one from the music. It's quite realistic, with its clear, solid transient impact and natural, lifelike acoustic setting.

John J. Puccio
February 4,2014

by John J. Puccio – Classical Candor – February 4, 2014

* "It takes some courage, I think, to record music that has long resonated in the catalog with thousands of different versions, and to come up with something genuine, thought out, and not forced, and to bring it off with seriousness of purpose and the best of intentions. That's true of a new Chopin release by Jeffrey Biegel." Check out my review here on ClassicsToday.com

"Biegel sustains attention in the rubato-laden E-flat theme by bringing out the left-hand accompaniment as a counterline. Like Claudio Arrau, Biegel takes his time over the scherzando passage at measure 138 so that the inner melodies can truly take shape. [...]

of Chopin's Ballade in g minor: "Biegel sustains attention in the rubato-laden E-flat theme by bringing out the left-hand accompaniment as a counter-line. Like Claudio Arrau, Biegel takes his time over the scherzando passage at measure 138 so that the inner melodies can truly take shape"

of Chopin's Mazurka in A-flat Major: "Biegel plays it beautifully, and he surprises you with his whimsical detached phrasing of the main theme toward the conclusion�or, in the immortal words of Vladimir de Pachmann, 'eh, staccato à la Paganini!'"

"Biegel's Chopin is never generic or cut and dried, and often sheds fresh perspectives on pieces that we think we can strum through in our sleep."

"At first I found his uncommonly literal and textually meticulous phrasing of the C-sharp minor Waltz�s opening section a little stiff and self-aware. Yet after the Trio, Biegel reiterates the same music with lyrical inflection. Biegel�s legato articulation and textural diversity in the Barcarolle especially impress when you consider how sparely he deploys the sustain pedal in the opening section. The D-flat Nocturne boasts gorgeous tracery and delicately supple double notes, while the A minor Mazurka's decorative right-hand writing effortlessly floats over the barlines."

Biegel sustains attention in the rubato-laden E-flat theme by bringing out the left-hand accompaniment as a counterline. Like Claudio Arrau, Biegel takes his time over the scherzando passage at measure 138 so that the inner melodies can truly take shape.

from Jed Distler post to Facebook and review at – Classics Today – March 2014

Lucas Richman's "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: In Truth"

Debut of Richman's concerto well received, beautifully performed

"Will a composer’s new music hold up for the long term?

If popularity with audiences is one of the criteria, then Knoxville Symphony Orchestra conductor and composer Lucas Richman’s brand new "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: In Truth," which made its world premiere Thursday at the Tennessee Theatre with pianist Jeffrey Biegel as the moral protagonist, certainly qualified.

In today's multimedia world, it may be expected that new music be cinematic — movie music, if you will. Richman's concerto was that, too.

Some might consider that to be a derogatory quality for classical music with a serious motive, but Bernstein, Copland, Glass, Kodaly, Prokofiev and Shostakovich all wrote movie music.

In the jazzy second movement, one could hear more than a few reflections of Bernstein, maybe even Stravinsky. But there was also a lot of Richman, too. The music was a lot more than an homage to the composers who have influenced him.

The first movement had thick, rich textures and pulsating rhythms, offset by an introspective, lovely melody in the piano that had whiffs of Rachmaninoff.

Biegel, who clearly loved playing this piece, played it brilliantly throughout. But nowhere was he better than in the gorgeous piano solo that opened the second movement and dissolved into jazzy syncopations in the orchestra.

In the third movement, Biegel's tender, delicate playing of another solo set up more contrasts with the orchestra.

It was all music that proved to be a good companion to Richman's "Piano Concerto" and Biegel's masterful playing. None of them put Richman's concerto in their shadow.

Will Richman's concerto stand the test of time? Only time will tell. But it was more than worth being able to say you were there when it came to life." - Excerpts © 2013 Scripps Newspaper Group — Online

Excerpts from a review by: Harold Duckett – KnoxNews.com – Oct. 18, 2013 - Full review available to paying subscribers at the link

"The Unassuming Virtuoso: Pianist Jeffrey Biegel"

* "Jeffrey Biegel's "A Grand Romance" (Steinway & Sons/Archiv Music 30017) offers splashy pianism on the lighter side, with a thoroughly enjoyable collection of unabashed crowd-pleasers, mostly in a Romantic vein. Biegel, with amazing technique, makes the most of the showpieces in this purely delightful recording."

by Bryan Miller – St. Louis Post-Dispatch – August 25, 2013

* A GRAND ROMANCE, recorded by Jeffrey Biegel; Steinway & Sons 30017, 65:35 [Distr. by Naxos] ****
"[Moszkowski's] La Jongleuse rivals several of the Chopin etudes for bravura legerdemain. Moszkowski asks of Biegel plenty of double notes, quick shifts of touch and register, and slick glissandos to fly about, dazzlers that Biegel executes or "juggles" with the necessary flair... Adolf von Henselt (1814-1889) became noted in Germany and St. Petersburg as a serious rival to both Chopin and Liszt, and his two characteristic pieces evoke, respectively fluttering lightness (Si oiseau j'etais) and suave metrically intricate elegance (Petite Valse No. 1) from Biegel... Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894), receives homage by way of the ubiquitous, flotation-device Reve Angelique (or Kamennoi-Ostrow) that played a part in Dietrich's performance in Josef von Sternberg's The Scarlet Empress. Biegel's rendition proves as diaphanous as any I've heard... [Sgambati's] Gavotta (1880) casts an aura both antique and martial, played with Biegel's firm but light hand... Finally, the selection of honor of Biegel's "musical grandfather" Josef Lhevinne, the Arabesques on "The Blue Danube," has 'Danube waves' in abundance, huge trills, and slick pearly-play in spades, to make Stanley Kubrick wish that this arrangement had graced his 2001 project. Engineer Daniel Shores has made Biegel's Steinway sound fluent, natural, and luxuriantly smooth."

by Gary Lemco – Audiophile Audition – July 24, 2013

* "A Grand Romance is a perfect recital, a musical confession that launches the imagination and heralds the artist. In every way, A Grand Romance is an up close and personal encounter with Jeffrey Biegel.

As a young pianist he studies with a master teacher — a legend in her own time — whose personal experience and knowledge of repertoire inspires her one day to suggest he learn a handful of works and become acquainted with the artists who performed and recorded them. One of those pianists, Josef Lhévinne, proved to be a heaven-sent connection."

by Sean Martinfield – Huffington Post – May 31, 2013

* "Once in a while amid the glut of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff piano music available on CD, there comes a recording that makes the jaded listener sit up and smile. One such album is Jeffrey Biegel's A Grand Romance, a stunning album devoted to short pieces that have been unduly neglected.

With one stroke, Biegel has resuscitated some of the works that would have been integral to the repertoire of a bygone era's pianists. Biegel is the right pianist for this repertoire. He has the innate musical sense to get to the essence of these pieces. His playing is notable for its wonderfully defined lyricism, beautifully phrased expressiveness and refined virtuosity — all of which allows him to give this music its due."

by Edward Reichel – ReichelRecommends.com – June 5, 2013

* "For me, the most enjoyable pieces were those where Biegel's clarity of tone, silky touch, technical assuredness, and his obvious delight in these works really shine through: Moszkowski's exuberant Étincelles, Henselt's Si oiseau j'étais, and Scholzer's Etudes, Op. 1: no 1.

This is an enjoyable album of favourite encores: Biegel's stylish playing and consistently polished finish remind us of why these pieces continue to enjoy such popularity in piano recitals."

by Frances Wilson – CrossEyedPianist.com – May 31, 2013

* "This is high Romanticism at its more winning and most engaging. To complement the music, Jeffrey Biegel�s pianism is both comfortable and dazzling."

by John J. Puccio – ClassicalCandor blog – June 2, 2013

* "The selection and programming of the works on the album is thoughtful and well-balanced. Obviously virtuosic pieces are followed by works of more depth and sentiment, such as the Lyrica Nova by Samuel Bortkiewicz and Kamennly-Ostrov (Rocky Island) by Rubinstein, both of which are played with sensitivity and warmth by Biegel.

The grandiose Schulz-Evier paraphrase of Strauss's extremely popular 'An der schönen blauen Donau' (The Beautiful Blue Danube) avoids cliché in Biegel's hands with his delicate attention to its frills and furbelows, and tasteful rubato. In every work on this tasteful CD Jeffrey Biegel offers distinct attention to detail and yet embellishes these little works with a flair for showmanship without indulging in over-statement."

by Grady Harp – SearchProductReviews.com – June 4, 2013

* "Each miniature work represents a genre of pianism that allows Biegel to express his unique tonal palette and sensitivity to pedaling, color and phrasing. Overall, his interpretations – which range from short and sweet piano etudes to character pieces and technical dazzlers – are impeccable and will surely have a positive impact on his listeners."

by Paula Edelstein – Examiner.com – May 21, 2013

* "The first of his two concertos of the night was Ellen Taafe Zwilich's "Millennium Fantasy,"... Biegel, a colleague and frequent collaborator with Malina, was actually the driving force behind the commissioning of "Millennium Fantasy," and he delivered the debut performance of the piece. A fascinating combination of styles, "Millennium Fantasy" is perhaps the most interesting piece that I've yet heard the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra perform. There are elements of jazz throughout, including the notable use of a drum set. I am of the opinion that more new classical compositions should make use of the hi-hat. "Millennium Fantasy" was followed by the more traditional "Piano Concerto No. 1" by Franz Liszt. It was during this piece that I found myself particularly drawn to Biegel's style of performance. He was deeply engaged in the music, swaying or bobbing along with not only his own notes, but those of the rest of the orchestra. Watching him, it was easy to believe that he was just extemporizing, playing the notes not because he had to, but because they felt right."

Sean Adams – PennLive.com – May 18, 2013

* "So it's worth taking a moment to savor the final classical music program of this season, which opened with Biegel's well-known pyrotechnics on a piece he co-commissioned with 27 orchestras more than a decade ago, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Millennium Fantasy" for Piano and Orchestra. Zwilich's two-movement work, which Biegel premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000, is thoroughly contemporary and thoroughly American, with hints of jazz and fusion sprinkled throughout. While the 20-minute piece commemorating the dawn of a new millennium feels incomplete in spots, it compensates with several bravura sequences built around its recurring theme. It certainly allows Biegel to show off his velvety touch, ably abetted by Malina and his orchestra. The degree of difficulty actually ramped up for the evening's second piece, Franz Liszt's rambunctious Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major. Non-virtuoso pianists need not apply, as this is one of those teeth-cutting works reserved strictly for top talents. Biegel's superlative work on the piece – he brings a lighter touch to it than many pianists – brought a sustained ovation that drew him back on stage for a brief encore."

David N. Dunkle – The Sentinel – May 19, 2013

* "The Zwilich of Shadows is recognizably the same composer as the one of the Septet in its unashamed reference to popular music styles, and that no doubt helped sell it to the Broward audience, which received it enthusiastically. Pianist Biegel gave the concerto every attention, engaging with it in a passionate manner that added excitement to the performance [...]

Biegel played with great energy and bravura, and the musical language, while reminiscent of Gershwin, had a festive, joyous color that was fun to listen to."

Greg Stepanich – Palm Beach ArtsPaper – April 8, 2014

* "Next came the Boston-area premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s (1939 –) Shadows, with Jeffrey Biegel at the piano. Pro Arte is part of a consortium which helped commissioned this work and Biegel is the dedicatee and sole performer to date. Biegel proposed the title, thinking of the shadows of French heritage which marks New Orleans (site of the work’s first performance in October 2011 with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Carlos Miguel Prieto). Zwilich played off this idea and created a meditation on global migration and ancestral heritage more broadly. Biegel and Rhodes discussed some of this background before performing this concerto-in-all-but-name. The 20-minute work is in three movements. The beginning is subdued, misty, with pizzicato chords over sustained lower strings, building to the piano entrance; this A-section returns at the end of the movement, after a B-section that includes a lovely bassoon dirge. The idiom includes early rag time and New Orleans jazz references, while the harmonic language remains classically that of the 20th-century. The second movement opens with a New Orleans two-step rhythm, recognizable from jazz funeral processions; the brass chorale ushers in the piano with a swinging, syncopated, lilting melody. Here most especially I was reminded of the Shostakovich Jazz Suites; Zwilich captures a similar spirit in her writing. The third and final movement highlights rhythmic propulsion, and expands on usual brass and piano technique. Biegel and Pro Arte gave a captivating, energetic, and approachable reading of Shadows, to the great pleasure of those in the audience. Rhodes announced that this new piece was worked up to such a high level of performance on only one rehearsal, due to the events of last week; I commend all for coming together to give such a wonderful and wide-ranging performance."

Cashman Kerr Prince, trained in Classics and Comparative Literature, is now a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Classical Studies at Wellesley College. He is also a cellist of some accomplishment, currently playing with the Brookline Symphony Orchestra.

Cashman Kerr Prince – Classical-Scene.com – April 22, 2013

Full Spectrum of Christmas Music Beautifully Performed, November 26, 2012

Whether planning your spirit adjustment for the oncoming season or searching for a collection of music that fits every part of the festivities - religious and secular, old and new, classical and popular, music that serves as the perfect ambience for all parties and evenings by the fireplace just enjoying the tree lights and the flames smoldering `neath the stockings - this is definitely the CD to purchase.

The very gifted classical pianist Jeffrey Biegel rolls out the Steinway, King of Pianos, and brings us music from the masters, ancient carols, holiday songs from recent years, familiar carols, and some very clever piano transcriptions and variations on Christmas themes and treats each of these as equals. His pianistic skill is assured, rich, fleet, and soulful - the kind of music that you would be willing to pay a pro like Biegel to come to your home and gift your guests and family with the very best in Christmas music.

Listening to this album is a joy. Best to order a few - for the car, for the room where gifts are wrapped, for the living room, and for stocking stuffers! One of the finest CDs for the season - for all lovers of music. Grady Harp, November 12, 2012.


*VIVALDI: FOUR SEASONS (Transcribed) (AUDIO CD)

Rethinking Vivaldi: A Fresh Four Seasons, December 15, 2012

Jeffrey Biegel takes risks. Others do the same. From Captain Scott's Last Journal, written at the Antarctica, `We took risks, we knew we took them, things have come out against us, therefore we have no cause for complaint.' But for Biegel his `risk', that of transcribing Vivaldi's Four Seasons for the keyboard when Vivaldi himself never wrote for the keyboard (or rather embellishing the Ricordi piano transcription), things have turned out FOR him. These transcriptions - the Vivaldi Four Seasons, and the Mandolin Concerto in C major and Lute Concerto in D major (the latter two transcribed for the piano by Andrew Gentile) - dance off the keyboard in Biegel's talented hands and offer an entirely new sound to music we hear often in the instrumental versions.

In the liner notes, Andrew Gentile quotes Liszt as saying, `in matters of translation there are some exactitudes that are the equivalent of infidelities.' So though there is great controversy about the entire concept of `transcriptions', when they are done with the finesse offered on this recording all bets are off. They work, they simply work in Jeffrey Biegel's hands. He manages to find the `climate' of each of the Seasons just the way the original violin concerto versions do and the manner in which he embellishes and embroiders these works - without having any preconceived guide as to how Vivaldi would have allowed a keyboard to function - is what makes these pieces sail into the atmosphere and transport us.

So if you think you thoroughly understand these old chestnuts of Vivaldi's creation, sit back and be prepared to discover them anew. Biegel is not only an accomplished pianist, he also is a musical wizard who takes in everything around him, processes it, and out come definitive presentations that keep us all on our toes. This is a great CD for the season of Christmas; Winter has never sounded so carved of tinkley ice! Grady Harp, December 15, 2012.


*CUI: 25 PRELUDES (AUDIO CD)

Revisiting some forgotten works for piano, December 15, 2012

Mention the name César Cui among music lovers and such responses can be expected: he was a member of the Russian Five (Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nicholas Rimsy-Korsakoff) and he wrote a piece for piano and violin or piano solo called `Orientale'. And that is about as much as most of us know about this composer. Turn to the encyclopedia and find `César Cui (1835 -1918) was a Russian composer and music critic of French and Lithuanian descent. His profession was as an army officer and a teacher of fortifications, and his avocational life has particular significance in the history of music. In this sideline he is known as a member of The Five, a group of Russian composers under the leadership of Mily Balakirev dedicated to the production of a specifically Russian type of music.'

Thank goodness for Jeffrey Biegel who has taken on the concept of presenting more of this composer's music to the public. Here he has recorded the 25 Preludes, Opus 64 and his performances are intense and revealing. There is much to admire in Biegel's musical approach to these rather obscure works, but the manner in which his sense of romanticism and the facility of his keyboard technique makes these Preludes sound even more important than they are historically. With selfless artists such as Biegel whose heart is in the music he plays and the music he extracts from history the rich heritage of music that otherwise would rest on the shelves is now becoming part of our appreciation for works unknown to us. This is an elegant, beautifully performed set of preludes by Cui, well worth adding to the music library. Grady Harp, December 12, 2012.


*MOZART: THE COMPLETE SONATAS FOR PIANO, VOL.1 (AUDIO CD)

There are many worthy recordings of the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas, some very fine, some very serviceable, and some that become tiresome. Jeffrey Biegel delivers this Volume 1 that contains 3 CDs with the first nine sonatas in manner that makes the listener not only satisfied from the first sonata, but also eagerly anticipatory to sit and absorb the joys of all 9 sonatas!

The magic that Biegel creates is taking us back in time to Mozart's day when pianists (including Mozart0, kept each sonata fresh by embellishing the ritornos and varying the manner in which passages within the framework of a given line (repeated ideas) are gently rethought with either ornamentation or slight tempi changes. This is a practice Biegel brings forward in time and does it as well, if not better, than his better known colleagues.

Another bit of seductive sorcery occurs when Biegel plays a short rapid little line and manages to offer ever so slight a diminuendo and retard at phrase's end that keeps the arc of the piece alive and full of just the right moments of blossoming that makes us feel as though Mozart is sitting before us - in a private salon. Biegel explains it best: `I was respectful of the written music, so it is very close to what Mozart composed. I was careful not to over-embellish because then it becomes something you do for the sake of effect. Balance is key--balance between what is printed and how it might be repeated with an embellishment that enhances the composition. Occasionally, doing very little in embellishment was enough, because too much can become something that is affective and not effective.'

This is a series of performances that are full of play, of joy, of tender slow passages that seemed caressed rather than produced by percussive fingers on a keyboard. In short, this is exquisite, oh-so-right Mozart, an album that should grace the libraries of every lover of Mozart, piano music, and refreshing recollections of musical history. Grady Harp, December 12, 2012.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Jeffrey Biegel Blooms.

Though there are many fine pianists who have elected to record the works selected here by gifted pianist/composer/arranger/recording artists for other composer's debut works, this recording is one of the most satisfying.

...This is Bach performed not on the harpsichord but on a contemporary piano and Biegel takes that into account in the manner in which he embroiders the works with his own sensitive embellishments. Just listen to the Praeludium in the Prelude and Fugue No. 13: his fingers barely touch the keys and yet out comes a depth of sound and an almost sacred clarity of tone. Biegel's ornamentation is as thoughtful and sensitive to the line being decorated as anyone's in the field..."

Grady Harp. Amazon Reviews. December 8, 2012


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"One of the most interesting programs and some of the finest playing of the season marks "A Steinway Christmas Album" from pianist Jeffrey Biegel. There's quite an assortment on this cookie platter - classical works by Tchaikovsky, Reger, Rebikov, Lyapunov, and Liszt; and fresh arrangements of familiar carols, in particular a pair of interesting mergers of classical works with carol (the joining of "In The Bleak Midwinter" with Liszt's "Un Sospiro" is absolutely enchanting). Watch Jeffrey play "Sleigh Ride" by clicking the CD title name."

Gerry Grzyb, for the Post-Crescent, December 16, 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"On this album pianist Jeffrey Biegel offers up a delightful musical trip through some of the best known and most beloved popular and classical holiday music. The arrangements are by a number of different people, including some by Biegel himself. There is also a piece written for Biegel by Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, "Quiet Night," that hauntingly combines "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night;" Biegel plays it with feeling and wonderful expressiveness.

Biegel, in fact, does a fabulous job with these pieces. His playing is radiant and transparent; it's soulful where needed and playful at other times. The arrangements are fresh and imaginative - just listen to the opening track, Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," or Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" to get a sense of the mood this album evokes. This is a captivating addition to anyone's holiday collection."

Edward Reichel at ReichelRecommends.com, December 20, 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Hands down! Pianist Jeffrey Biegel has the finest Christmas recording of 2012. A Steinway Christmas Album is a glamorous collection of traditional classics and standards, along with beautiful arrangements of more recent entries into the Winter canon of musical favorites. Its 21 tracks were recorded in the Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, State University of New York. Biegel plays on the Steinway Model D, with multiple Grammy Award winner Steve Epstein as producer and engineer. The album is Concert Hall worthy, a classy addition to any round of Holiday gatherings, and a warm and friendly companion to cozy up with in the bleak midwinter."

SanFranciscoSentinel.com, December 7. 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Ever since George Winston's landmark versions of Christmas carols on his album "December," piano arrangements of holiday music have moved into the rotation of many homes. This collection of carols by pianist Jeffrey Biegel may be designed to show off Steinway & Sons pianos, but it's a fine album for the music, too. His arrangements are tasteful and rich, and his performance impeccable.

Micharl Druckenbrod, Post-Gazzette.com, December 1, 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Sounding light years different and far less chime-like than Allen's Fazioli, Biegel's Steinway D makes music of joyful reverence. There's a very special tenderness and simplicity to Biegel's quieter moments, which provide beautiful contrast to the exuberance of Leroy Anderson's ubiquitous "Sleigh Ride" and other familiar titles. Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" feels right at home beside excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, with Biegel's sensitive touch utterly captivating in Gregory Sullivan Isaacs' "Quiet Night." It's hard not to fall in love with this wonderful album. Definitely my favorite holiday piano recital amongst the many I've reviewed over the past decade."

Jason Victor Serinus, The Bay Area Reporter, December 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"A Steinway Christmas Album: Piano Music for the Season" (Steinway & Sons 034062300051) features both a keepsake Steinway lyre Christmas ornament and the notable artistry of pianist Jeffrey Biegel on a Steinway Model D. Biegel's always-clear playing ranges from the jazzy to the majestic, in a nicely varied selection of classics and modern tunes.

Sarah Bryan Miller, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 27, 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"A Steinway Christmas is a beautifully composed Christmas album with the music of the album performed on the iconic Steinway piano. The music is pure and unadulterated and allows the tradition of the Steinway piano to be showcased in a truly remarkable way. With an instrumental album, there needs to be a keen focus on ensuring that the music speaks for itself in terms of quality and expertise as you do not have the benefit of vocals or lyrics being able to bail you out. That said, the instrumental skill with the music on this album is able to stand alone and leaves the listener with a exceptionally well produced and performed album. It starts off with a great rendition of Sleigh Ride that has a couple of unique piano twists mixed in from what is typically heard. Other popular Christmas favorites include Ding Dong! Merrily on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Though these are rather traditional Christmas songs that often times do not have much variation, one of the best traits of this album is that the music does branch out from time to time to add a certain individual flavor to each track.

One of the best tracks on the album is the arrangement over three tracks of music from The Nutcracker. Perhaps one of the most widely recognized instrumental Christmas songs of all time, true homage is paid to The Nutcracker on this album with amazing precision and detail paid to each and every note spanning the three tracks. As many Christmas albums close out, A Steinway Christmas ends with the track Auld Lang Syne. A soft yet dynamic way to close out the album and provide the listener with one last glimpse into the music the Steinway piano is capable of, this track is the perfect fit for the final track and winds down the album nicely. The caliber of the performances on each and every track is top notch and the album is a Christmas season must have."

Epinions, November 18, 2011


*A STEINWAY CHRISTMAS ALBUM - JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"A Steinway Christmas Album, from American pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher Jeffrey Biegel is among the most expressive, creative, and delightful of the crop.

A rousing rendition of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" opens the show and demonstrates Mr. Biegel's dexterous, virtuosic, festive approach to the music making, giving the old chestnut a sparkling new setting.

In "Quiet Night" we get a novel arrangement of several perennial favorites, "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night," written especially for Mr. Biegel in a touching and quite fascinating combination. Then we find Mel Torme and Robert Wells's "Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"), a must in any seasonal collection, but this time Biegel does it up more sensitively than we usually hear it.

Reger's delicate treatment of "Silent Night" and Biegel's extraordinarily lovely interpretation of it exhibit the kind of musicianship you find throughout the album. The entire program is a joy from beginning to end, and I say that without reservation.

To its credit, the music on A Steinway Christmas Album is the kind a person can enjoy all year 'round, not just during the weeks in late December. Jeffrey Biegel is an accomplished concert pianist who presents the tunes as he would any serious classical compositions, with much exuberance, emotion, sensitivity, and good cheer as the case demands. The result is an album for all seasons."

John J. Puccio, Classical Candor, November 7, 2011


*REVIEW FOR ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH'S "SHADOWS" (2011)

"This past Saturday, the LPO showcased its raw emotional power and savvy eclecticism in a program that ranged across three centuries: Tchaikovsky, Messiaen and the world premiere of a new work by Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

This aural magic carries over to the Nutcracker selections, with the Miniature Overture sounding more martial than the orchestral version (even though the arrangement confines itself to the middle registers). The program features a number of clever amalgamations, most notably Ding Dong Merrily on High melded into Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing brilliantly re-imagined as a Beethoven sonata movement.

The album offers a handful of folk songs and carols from the British, German, and Russian traditions (we get two versions of Silent Night), as well as American popular classics, including the evergreen A Christmas Song. Toward the end of the program Biegel presents two new Christmas songs, both tuneful and well suited to the occasion, before concluding the disc with a look toward the new year in a tender rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

Overall, it's a marvelous album that will appeal especially to those who prefer to enjoy the music of the season without the glib commercialism that often gets attached to it. Indeed, the intelligence and artistry are such that you can savor it any time of year. Highly recommended."

Victor Carr, Jr. Classics Today, October 24, 2011


*"Franz Liszt's dramatic Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major was a major showcase for pianist and guest artist Jeffrey Biegel.

Biegel, who has performed in the Valley several times over the years, is a wonderful pianist. He's technically on top of his material at all times no matter how fiery it becomes, yet his playing has an emotional transparency that's deeply satisfying.

Keith Emerson is one of the most-respected pianists in rock history. He was known for playing Jimi Hendrix-like jams on keyboards, sometimes upside down and backwards. He was the first keyboardist to tour with a Moog synthesizer, but he also composed serious music.

His Piano Concerto No. 1 originally was recorded by Emerson Lake and Palmer with the London Philharmonic in 1977 for the ELP album "Works." It's a rock-free zone, full of clashing moods and huge climaxes, especially in the first and final movements.

Emerson has performed the concerto widely with symphony orchestras, and even attended performances of it by his pal Biegel, yet more evidence that music is a universal language.

After a generous ovation, Biegel returned for a warmly satisfying performance of Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu."

Bill Varble, Mail Tribune, September 2, 2011.


*"Jeffrey Biegel dazzled the audience with a piece entitled Piano Concerto No. 1, composed by renowned rocker Keith Emerson, of Emerson Lake & Palmer fame."

"...A selection of wonderful Leroy Anderson pieces followed the intermission; including another stunning performance by Biegel playing Anderson's Concerto in C for Piano and Orchestra. Biegel's encore featured Abram Chasin's fast-paced Rush Hour in Hong Kong...."

Mary Schenkel, VeroNews, June 27, 2011.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Multi-Grammy-winning producer Steven Epstein recorded the sessions with results that are extraordinary in their clarity and richness of sound. Now, the legendary sound of a 1980 hand-crafted Steinway Model D piano is coupled with Biegel's sensitive, articulate playing to bring selected Bach works to life in this first release on Steinway & Sons' welcome new recording label. Biegel says that he selected the 1980 Steinway D for its "warmth and wide dynamic range but also the brightness and bite I was after for Bach." It was a felicitous choice — the sound is luscious and rich in all ranges, with clear edges and enough brightness overall to enhance Biegel's incisive interpretations and Baroque-style ornamentation."

Kristine Morris, Spirituality & Health. January/February, 2011.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Here's an easy choice for music fans on your holiday shopping list - assuming they like Bach, piano and Bach played on the piano.

A new CD titled "Bach on a Steinway" offers some nice novelty angles, too. It's the inaugural release of Steinway & Sons own label, which will be devoted to pianists of the past and present who favored this brand of keyboard instrument.

And this recording features Jeffrey Biegel, a musician who doesn't just play Bach with great technical and coloristic flair, but also adds more ornamentation than pianists typically do in this repertoire.

Biegel, you may recall, persuasively embellished Mozart sonatas on recordings for the E1 Entertainment label; that was one of my picks last year at this time. With Bach, Biegel is always tasteful, applying ornaments with an elegant, unfussy touch in a program that includes a couple of toccatas, two preludes and fugues, a partita and the French Suite No. 5.

The sound quality is excellent on the disc and, of course, so is the piano - a 1980 Steinway Model D that Biegel chose for its "warmth and wide dynamic range, but also the brightness and bite I was after for Bach. That pretty much describes the performances. I especially like the bite."

Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun. Clef Notes and Drama Queens, December 14, 2010.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"The recital opens with a magisterial account of the D Minor Toccata that sets the tone for the entire disc. What is nice about Biegel's playing is his willingness to be risky with the music, to double bass pitches at multiple octaves, stretch tempos wildly, blur harmonies with ample pedaling and employ an impressively large dynamic and coloristic range. He is also keen to moments where he needs to omit ornamentation and pedaling. [In the Toccata in d minor], the third (Adagio) section of this work shows off Biegel's smart voicing, with pungent dissonances nicely emphasized and the shifts to the major mode eschewing an almost Schubertian sentimentality. The closing fugue is an intense whirlwind of sound.

In the Well-Tempered Clavier, these are wonderful essays in voicing, contrapuntal clarity and rhythmic and coloristic nuance that show that this pianist can stand comfortably beside Schiff, Brendel and the more 'conservative' interpreters. The F-sharp major prelude is a pure delight, with deliciously clear and even trills, and the ensuing fugue is its simple, pacific balm.

Biegel adopts a lighter overall tone for the French Suite. Perhaps more so than the rest of the recital, this work shows Biegel's intelligence and tastefulness at ornamenting repeats. One wonders up to this point if he can make 'sense' of the music and make it interesting without constantly adding to it, and he does just that. Each first phrase is played faithfully to the score yet doesn't lack in imaginative coloristic playing, dynamic gradations and slight rubato. The ornamented repeats emphasize the origin of these movements in dance, and feature some dizzyingly virtuosic jumps and tumbles around the keyboard. In the Gigue, Biegel is consistent with his ornaments across the three voices, keeping the counterpoint in check. Everything is enlivened by Biegel's snappy trills and mordents.

Just as the upbeat rendition of the D minor Toccata was offset by the darker performance of its E minor sibling, so the spritely performance of the French Suite is balanced by a turgid, unrelenting reading of the C minor Partita. Biegel relishes in some of Bach's close lower spacing, allowing the sound at times to accumulate a little bit of muddy residue and then clearing it away in vain hopes. The entire suite sounds nearly like Brahms at his most tragic. Particularly notable are the slowly lilting rhythmic sway in the Sarabande and the icy, dry articulation in the Rondeau.

The recorded sound is very close, and every detail of articulation can be heard, but it is all beautifully articulated. The instrument used indeed produces a beautiful sound, but even if Biegel played this well on a 'lesser' instrument, the result would still be convincing. The marketing of this disc more as a Steinway 'product' might put some people off, but this hopefully isn't the case. Even though Bach's music and Biegel's interpretation could easily withstand less than an ideal instrument or recording conditions, it seems that the label and producer Steven Epstein have done everything in their powers to flatter the two artists that matter most in this project."

Marcus Karl Maroney, ConcertoNet.com, Dec. 4, 2010.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Many years ago a musician friend of mine -- I wish I could remember if it was the violist or the trombonist -- would ask, when I told him I had gone to a concert, "Did they make music?" The question seems naive but in fact it is the ultimate question about any performance.

I was reminded of him as I listened to "Bach on a Steinway," a new disc by pianist Jeffrey Biegel. He performs a group of Bach pieces -- most familiar, many not -- on a contemporary Steinway piano. Fifty years ago there would have been no reason to single out the instrument. Except for a handful of purists, who performed Bach on the harpsichord, virtually everyone performed his music on a contemporary piano, more than likely a Steinway.

Over the last 50 years a kind of musical Puritanism has grown up, suggesting that performance the early 18th century composer on anything but a period instrument somehow violated the purity of the result. While it is true that hearing these pieces on instruments of their own time has enhanced our understanding of them, I have never felt that Bach himself would take offense to modern instruments.

Interestingly, in the program notes to "Bach on a Steinway," it noes that the foremost piano maker of the time, Silbermann, brought one of his instruments to Bach, who was not happy with it. Decades later he brought him an instrument that incorporated some of the suggestions Bach had made. Bach, who derived some of his income from fixing organs and had an intimate understanding of keyboard technology, now approved.

Even without this knowledge I have never doubted that had Bach been given a choice -- whether to hear his vocal music sung by the little boys who first sang it three centuries ago, students to whom he taught Latin grammar during the week, or a contemporary interpreter, say, Christa Ludwig or Marilyn Horne, I doubt he would have chosen the little boys.

All keyboard instruments are percussive. Unlike the harpsichord, which has a uniform sound, the piano is capable of producing a rainbow of colors and a huge range of dynamics. Cousin Taffy, a profesional harpsichordist, maintains the instrument's tonal limitations have one advantage -- the monochromatic sound makes the structure of Bach's formidable keyboard works as clear as possible.

A master pianist knows how to get the maximum sounds possible out of the piano. If.he plays it in the staccato style of a harpsichord he can convey the same sense of structure but also shape the music with colors that heighten its dramatic qualities. This was demonstrated a decade ago when the Russian pianist Sergey Babayan recorded the sonatas of Bach's contemporary Domenico Scarlatti. I have never heard these too-seldom-heard pieces played as dazzlingly or as movingly as Babayan does.

Similarly, Biegel knows how to control the dynamics to give each Bach piece a drama beyond the intense cerebral unfolding of the themes.

The title of the album suggests a breaking of the rules, which would not have been understood 50 years ago. Biegel's playing is so formidable that - to answer my friend's question - he makes the music music in a revelatory way."

Howard Kissel, NYDailyNews.com, Nov. 26, 2010.


*"Jeffrey Biegel is a pianist with a dazzling technique, superb musicianship and a flair for the unnecessary.

The Pacific Symphony premiered Bolcom's "Prometheus" Thursday night at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, with the Pacific Chorale. Biegel was soloist; Carl St.Clair conducted. Bolcom's score, which is a setting of Lord Byron's "Prometheus," has something to say, and the performance said it brilliantly.

Biegel's ambition here was considerable. Money is tight these days, so he got nine institutions (among them the Detroit Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic and the University of Kentucky) to sign on. Four private donors were approached for the underwriting. It is a miracle that Biegel, who engineered everything himself and is technologically savvy, didn't develop carpal tunnel syndrome from all the e-mailing this project must have entailed.

The piano is Prometheus, and Biegel began rattling his chains with violent attacks at the lower range of the piano. The playing and singing were solid and gripping. Biegel presented himself as a major Beethovenian in his sparkling playing of the "Choral" Fantasy, the score's main highlight."

Mark Swed, Chief Music Critic, Los Angeles Times


*[Beethoven's 'Choral Fantasy']: "Biegel gave the solo part its thundering and playful due. The Chorale sounded magnificent."

[William Bolcom's 'Prometheus']: "In three movements, 23 minutes in length, "Prometheus" is a dark and challenging work, a throwback to the uncompromising avant-garde of the recent past. Its musical materials are gnarled, atonal, jagged. The pianist represents Prometheus, and he is not having a good time. The chorus intones Byron's text, sometimes in eerie, unpitched declamation, at others in thickly-scored clouds of poison gas. The orchestra is frenetic and volcanic, its motives carved out of granite. One senses a "bound" universe of sound and atmosphere.

But Bolcom's operatic sense shines through. He introduces his constituent sounds separately before he begins to combine them. The hesitant beginning gradually becomes more lyrical; from reality we move into the interior dream world of Prometheus. There is hope, it seems, for us and for Prometheus, and it lies in our spirit. Man's "funereal destiny," man's "wretchedness" is not all: "His Spirit may oppose itself" to them.

On those last words, Bolcom has the chorus break apart into imitative counterpoint, a voluptuous wash of color and peace. The music becomes almost hymnal, almost tonal, and euphonious. A dramatic arc has been completed, we have moved beyond mere despair. [Carl] St.Clair, pianist Jeffrey Biegel, the [Pacific Symphony] orchestra and the Pacific Chorale gave the work a rapt performance. The rough places were made plain and clear, the beauteous ending relished."

Timothy Mangan, Orange County Register, Nov. 19, 2010.


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Bach didn't much care for the piano when he first saw an early prototype. He thought that the treble notes were too soft. Even Mozart didn't like the modern piano in his studio. Thus, it is difficult to judge what Bach would have written if he would have had access to the modern Steinway. However, the superb pianist Jeffery Biegel gives us a pretty good idea in his new release Bach on a Steinway.

This Arkiv Music release, which is the first in a new series of releases by Steinway and Sons itself, covers some of Bach's most challenging works. While the purists might tut-tut about his approach, Biegel takes a decidedly modern view of these pieces. By "modern" I don't mean in the sense of the historically accurate movement.

That would be patently ridiculous on a nine-foot concert grand. By "modern," I mean that he plays these works as he imagines Bach would have played them if he was magically transported to the 21st century.

These are not the mechanical and coolly perfect readings of someone like Glenn Gould. They are much more nuanced. Bach's manuscripts have few markings, so it is up to each individual performer to try to enter the mind of the composer and divine how he wanted his music to be performed. Biegel gives us his ideas in no uncertain terms.

Agree or not, this is a deeply personal and unique reading of some of Bach's most beloved compositions for the keyboard. It is beautifully recorded and the piano sounds terrific. This recording is a must for listeners who always found Bach too dry. Any serious student of Bach's music should also get this recording, if only to argue with it or praise it."

Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, TheaterJones.com, November 12, 2010


*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"Biegel, throughout this recital, manages to shed new light on some very well known repertoire - no small job. His playing is clean, articulate, big-boned yet delicate when necessary, spontaneous, and imaginative. He manages to infuse this music with life, perhaps not as a harpsichordist would, but rather as a pianist of the twenty-first century; and we are all the richer for it. The recording features vividly present sound, with almost no sense of echo. As this is the first release on this new label, let us just hope that each successive recording is just as fine an endeavor."

Scott Noriega, Fanfare Magazine


*His (Biegel's) performance featured the blend of complex ornamentation and light improvisation...

"Jeffrey Biegel joined the orchestra as piano soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5. Biegel intensified the rhythmic frictions of the first movement; this gave him room to sound the lyrical writing in stunning contrast. He began the cadenza with a fiery touch but then voiced the passage from the second theme group in whisper music; allowing it to finally resolve with a sense of gentleness. Rhodes chose a fantastic tempo; it is often played much too slowly. Biegel played his triplets at his entrance with a bouncing touch and found the playfulness and smiles in this music.

The rondo was taken in a fast-dancing tempo. The concerto was well-received, and Biegel returned to play the Allemande of the fifth French Suite by Bach as an encore. His performance featured the blend of complex ornamentation and light improvisation that he explored on his recent CD called 'Bach on a Steinway.'

Jeffrey Johnson, Hartford Courant, October 16, 2010


*Biegel was rousingly cheered...

"[Kevin] Rhodes was also allowed to request the soloist for the concerto and he chose a superb musical partner and friend, pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who has collaborated with him on several momentous occasions in Springfield [Mass.] and elsewhere.

Rhodes and Biegel have made musical magic together many times, from brand new repertoire like Lowell Liebermann's Third Piano Concerto, premiered in 2007, to chestnuts like Tchaikovsky's B-flat minor Concerto just last season. Saturday evening was no exception. The duo traversed the Beethoven's sprawling, heroic E-flat concerto with the facility of two minds following a single thought.

Biegel's nimble fingers and ability to mellow a bombastic idea into the most graceful of trailing phrases was matched gesture for gesture by Rhodes' own agility on the podium, steering the excellent musicians in the HSO from pomposity to elegance in a matter of moments.

Biegel was rousingly cheered and returned to the stage for a tender encore of the Allemande from Bach's 5th French Suite, ornamented as it appears on his new CD 'Bach on a Steinway.'

Kevin Noble, MassLive.com, October 17, 2010

*BACH ON A STEINWAY. J.S. BACH. STEINWAY & SONS - 30001 CD. JEFFREY BIEGEL, PIANIST

"The back-cover notes and booklet annotations for the Steinway & Sons label's first CD release make a selling point of pianist Jeffrey Biegel's stylistically informed improvising while playing Bach on a modern concert grand. This is nothing new, as anyone familiar with Bach recordings by Murray Perahia, Andr��s Schiff, and Sergei Schepkin will tell you. What's important is that Biegel is a sensitive and imaginative interpreter, who brings this music to life.

Notice his natural ebb and flow and intelligent coloristic choices in the introductions to both Toccatas, the D major Fugue's vividly sprung and subtly varied dotted rhythms, the F-sharp Fugue's gorgeous dry-point trills, and the incisive yet lilting ��lan Biegel brings to the Fifth French Suite's Gavotte and the Second Partita's Courante. And in contrast to Schepkin's over-elaborate embellishments, Biegel's emendations (mostly during repeats) draw attention to the music rather than to the pianist. In all, this auspicious and superbly engineered debut bodes well for the success of this new label."

Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com, September, 2010

*Biegel is an artist in the grand style

"Delivering one of the most exciting Springfield Symphony performances in recent memory, pianist Jeffrey Biegel, Maestro Kevin Rhodes and the SSO blew the roof off of Symphony Hall Saturday evening with a rip-roaring rendition of the Tchaikovsky B-flat minor Piano Concerto.

Grand gestures, avalanches of tone, and fusillades of piano octaves hammered out at blinding speed were balanced by richly hued orchestral canvasses and elegantly phrased melodies arched above heart-rending harmonies."

The Springfield Republican, April 11, 2010

*Biegel ... performed it solidly

"Mirrors," in five movements, runs about 22 minutes and makes a legitimate claim on the audience's attention. It's a well crafted piece, made up of sections with titles such as "The Trickster" and "The Warrior." It was composed for Jeffrey , reading from the score.

"Mirrors" employs a number of styles, including those of Bart��k and Bernstein, but the piece doesn't feel pretentious or derivative. It is by turns percussive, lyrical, jazzy and percussive again. It is also emotionally direct and high-spirited. Biegel's rounded tone was heard to best effect in the cadenza introducing the fourth movement, "The Poet."

Los Angeles Times, February 26, 2010

*BIEGEL PREMIERES DANIELPOUR'S 'MIRRORS FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA'

"Danielpour's "Mirrors" is an entertaining work, and I don't think the composer would mind my saying so. The movements are given titles - "The Trickster," "The Witness," "The Gambler," "The Poet," "The Warrior." These are "personality archetypes," the composer says, aspects of each of our personalities, and "Mirrors" is a suite of character pieces, painting those traits in musical terms.

This newest piece is fluently written, witty in spots, and the solo pianist (Jeffrey Biegel) has plenty of flattering music, both poetic and virtuosic, to play. "The Trickster" is almost a bit of vaudeville, the pianist kicking up his heels with a fluffy show tune, the rhythmic syncopations faster than the eye, the back and forth between soloist and orchestra like the give and take of a couple of comedians.

"The Gambler" is somewhat similar, but here the syncopations are more in the raucous Bernstein mode, the rhythms jazzy, the pianist zipping through fistfuls of notes as if he were dealing a loaded deck of cards. "The Witness" evokes an Ivesian mode, slow and mysterious, still and watching, as if things are happening in slow motion. "The Poet" comes off like American Rachmaninoff, frankly sweet, nostalgic, Romantic and melodic. "The Warrior" brings it all home with a driving, stomping, Prokofiev-like movement.

Biegel, an old Juilliard classmate of Danielpour's, already had it under his fingers, played it cleanly and clearly, and with style."

Orange County Register, February 26, 2010

*Mr. Biegel has it all

This sounded like an intriguing novelty, and I approached this stranger ��� dogwise ��� warily, but with tail wagging. I'm happy to report that I was immediately won over. Mr. Biegel has it all: his arrangements are tasteful, his grasp of the Vivaldi idiom profound, and all that wedded to a simply stupendous technique. The addition of the two other little concerti rounds out this thoroughly delightful excursion into immediately accessible esoterica. Bravo, bravissimo!

Giv Cornfield, The New Recordings, Cliffs Classics, June 2009

*Don't judge it before you hear it!

Why transcribe Vivaldi's ubiquitous Four Seasons for solo piano when a gazillion recordings of the orchestral original can be had? That's a question pianist and transcriber Jeffrey Biegel eloquently addresses in the booklet notes he provides for his own performance. In essence, Biegel elaborates upon and embellishes the unaccredited solo-piano Four Seasons arrangement published by Ricordi with a keen sense of style and keyboard deployment. His vivacious, gorgeously detailed, thoroughly committed, and beautifully engineered piano playing constantly delights.

The wealth of tone color Biegel squeezes from the endless violin trills in high registers precludes any danger of the music turning percussive or tinkly, while rapid repeated notes and double notes effortlessly fall from his fingers (the G minor's Presto is quite a tour-de-force in this regard). Listen also to how adroitly Biegel weighs the dissonances in the F minor first movement's churning accompaniment.

Andrew Gentile's two concerto transcriptions are no less effective, mainly due to Biegel's ear for detail, such as the varied articulations and dynamic contrasts he brings to echoed passages (the C major mandolin concerto's finale, for example). What easily could have been a gimmick turns out to be no less than one of 2009's most enjoyable piano recordings. Don't judge it before you hear it!

Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com, August 2009

*Familiar music in an unfamiliar guise: Vivaldi's piano-Four-te Seasons

If Spring is my favourite season, I could quite happily pass the remainder of my days without ever hearing again Vivaldi's musical representation of it. But I could not resist investigating this intriguing new disc. After all, there is no solo keyboard music by Vivaldi ��� a strange omission by such an industrious composer ��� and I cannot recall another recording of any of his music played on the piano. Do Vivaldi's bucolic impressions come across on a concert grand? How successfully have the two (American) transcribers translated idiomatic string-writing into the language of the keyboard?

The answer is most effectively, perhaps surprisingly so.

Jeffrey Biegel's hyphenated seasonal cycle is based on the solo piano arrangement published by Ricordi (the transcriber is anonymous) with his own minor additions and broadenings of textures ��� not wholly literal transcriptions (as Liszt commented, "in matters of translation here are some exactitudes that are the equivalent of infidelities") but unadorned adaptations of the originals. At times you might be listening to a Scarlatti sonata (the repeated notes in the athletically executed outer movements of Summer, for instance). Andrew Gentile's arrangements show greater pianistic imagination, exchanging registers, adding new contrapuntal voices and embellishing passagework, while remaining faithful to Vivaldi's style and spirit.

Biegel's performances are right on the money and quite transcend the oddity factor, offering a fresh and original take on these much-loved scores. The recording (produced and engineered by Joseph Patrych) is out of the top drawer.

A disc, dare I say it, that put a spring in my step.

Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone, October 2009

*Dazzling pianist Jeffrey Biegel nearly upstages seamless NHSO

One star's cancellation can become another performer's opportunity, as the audience at Woolsey Hall discovered at Thursday's concert by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

When dishy, photogenic pianist Irena Koblar had to withdraw as soloist, Jeffrey Biegel stepped in on short notice. He may not have the glossy glamour photos that grace Koblar's Web site, but Biegel proved to be an exciting powerhouse pianist with a staggering technique. The young American already has a following in this country. He excels at athletic keyboard challenges like the Etudes by Fr��d��ric Chopin, and his work can be sampled on YouTube in brief takes.

Playing with the NHSO here, Biegel hit one exciting peak after another in a work that demands virtuoso gifts ��� the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major by Johannes Brahms.

A totally contrasting effect was still to come, though, in the wistful opening andante of the third movement, where the pianist's legato phrases positively glowed.

David J. Baker, New Haven Register, November 15, 2009

*... turned out a marvelous set of gently improvised-upon Mozart sonatas

"Antonio Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, arranged for piano by Jeffrey Biegel, Jeffrey Biegel, piano (Naxos). Sometimes, arranging orchestral music for piano can place it in a whole new light. I once heard Beethoven's "Pastorale" as arranged for piano by Glenn Gould, and it sounded startling and New Age. Hearing Vivaldi on piano, you notice the music's flaws. But the occasional repetitiveness and flat-footed rhythms gain a new charm, like Philip Glass. The piano also makes you appreciate Vivaldi's moments of sublimity ��� the slow movement of "Winter," for instance, which shines in its genius and simplicity. Biegel, who just turned out a marvelous set of gently improvised-upon Mozart sonatas, adds the same discreet embellishments to these pieces. He shows you new things in them. As a follow-up to "The Four Seasons," he plays a lute concerto and a mandolin concerto, both arranged by Andrew Gentile. This is a great novelty at a bargain price, and a bright new look at a composer we thought we knew inside out. "

Mary Kunz Goldman, Buffalo News

*... a surprising intimacy

"The scripted program ended with pianist Jeffrey Biegel soloing in "Rhapsody in Blue". Biegel gave the solos a surprising intimacy, a sense of a jazzman's musings late at night in a saloon, and the orchestra played with jazzy freedom in the solos."

The Day, New London, CT, September 28, 2009

*Jeffrey Biegel: Embellished Excellence

"American pianist Jeffrey Biegel is the latest musical artist to undertake a daunting project to record Mozart's complete cycle of piano sonatas. In hands of some less gifted artists, Mozart can sound very dry and boring. But when played well, as in Mr. Biegel's polished performances, the music sparkles with seemingly transparent simplicity while further pulling the listener into deep, profound, and virtuosic beauty. From this first volume of three CD's, Sonata No. 2 in F Major (K. 280) emerges as a quintessential masterpiece of Mozartean charm, and Mr. Biegel performs it to perfection, a definite favorite. Throughout the series, the tempos are well chosen, portraying a variety of dramatic, thrilling, humorous, and touching qualities appropriate to each movement. Mozart's gift of melody is consistently sung with beautiful clarity in Mr. Biegel's interpretations, while the accompaniment figures and development sections are also fully explored, revealing the deeper musical magic beyond the melodic themes. What makes these performances unique also is Mr. Biegel's adventurous spirit of improvisation, with embellishments added to the repeated expositions. Mr. Biegel's embellishments are effective yet subtle enhancements, showcasing an appropriate level of artistic freedom while not straying so far as to alter the composer's intent. I admired the decision to present the sonatas in numerical order, and the recordings are meticulously captured, creating a listening experience that is incredibly enjoyable, and wholly worth owning."

Lee Streby, September, 2009

*... Biegel's ear for detail

"Why transcribe Vivaldi's ubiquitous Four Seasons for solo piano when a gazillion recordings of the orchestral original can be had? That's a question pianist and transcriber Jeffrey Biegel eloquently addresses in the booklet notes he provides for his own performance. In essence, Biegel elaborates upon and embellishes the unaccredited solo-piano Four Seasons arrangement published by Ricordi with a keen sense of style and keyboard deployment. His vivacious, gorgeously detailed, thoroughly committed, and beautifully engineered piano playing constantly delights.

The wealth of tone color Biegel squeezes from the endless violin trills in high registers precludes any danger of the music turning percussive or tinkly, while rapid repeated notes and double notes effortlessly fall from his fingers (the G minor's Presto is quite a tour-de-force in this regard). Listen also to how adroitly Biegel weighs the dissonances in the F minor first movement's churning accompaniment.

Andrew Gentile's two concerto transcriptions are no less effective, mainly due to Biegel's ear for detail, such as the varied articulations and dynamic contrasts he brings to echoed passages (the C major mandolin concerto's finale, for example). What easily could have been a gimmick turns out to be no less than one of 2009's most enjoyable piano recordings. Don't judge it before you hear it!"

Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

*... in total technical control

"After halftime came the evening's main attraction: Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, the most famous of the four he wrote. Solo honors fell to Jeffrey Biegel, who wowed us last season with the same composer's knuckle-busting third concerto. Again, he remained in total technical control during the flashy sections, while milking every drop of emotion out of the composer's sweeping, ultra-romantic melodies. I've only rarely heard such beautiful tone and heartfelt expression in this music."

Charleston City Paper, January 14, 2009

*... an intimate musical experience

"Simply put, I love this guy's playing. His sure-handed and eloquent interpretations give you the feeling that you're eavesdropping on a guy who happened to find a piano onstage, and unabashedly sat down to play a few tunes for his own pleasure���at a remarkable musical level. It was an intimate musical experience, despite the 60 or 70 musicians onstage, and the packed house that gave Mr. Biegel a standing ovation after the first half, and again after the concert was completed. Mr. Biegel joined the orchestra for Leroy Anderson's Piano Concerto in C Major from 1953. It's refreshing to hear works that are outside of the usual concert fare, and Mr. Biegel has championed this relatively unknown work for a couple of years now. It's a work that deserves more play, and Mr. Biegel is a fine champion.

The concert returned to Gershwin for Rhapsody in Blue, again with Mr. Biegel at the 88s. It's a common orchestral phenomenon that, when there is a great soloist in front, the players in the back tend to push the level up a notch. Mr. Biegel set the tone, and the orchestra was tuned right in. After a well-deserved second ovation, he sat down to play an encore, "Rush Hour in Hong Kong" (No. 3 of Three Chinese Pieces) by New York composer Abram Chasins. Simple in construction but devilishly demanding of virtuosity, it couples Chinese melodic idioms to Lisztian velocity to produce a really compelling encore."

The Republic, Columbus, IH, October 2008

*... a true tour de force

"From the opening cascade of chords in the first movement, his technique, was not in doubt. ... His whirlwind playing was a true tour de force"

Star-Tribune, Minneapolis. July 2008

*Familiar concert gets exquisite touch-ups

"In the hands of pianist Jeffrey Biegel ��� and under the spirited leadership of Andrew Litton ��� [the Leroy Anderson 'Concerto in C'] proved a memorable performance, a posthumous opportunity to lend some seriousness to Anderson's legacy.

On Friday, Biegel made a compelling case for Anderson deserving considerably more respect than he's been accorded. For this piano concerto shows him to be more than a master of the pithy musical bon mot. It's lushly cinematic in its first movement, leans upon bouncy Latin rhythms in its second, then allows the soloist some serious piano pyrotechnics in the finale.

Biegel proved Anderson's ideal ambassador, guiding listeners through the mood shifts deftly and executing a fast flourish of flying hands that guaranteed a thunderous ovation. If he applies such showmanship to tonight's performance of the Grieg Concerto, it should be quite entertaining."

By Rob Hubbard , Pioneer Press, Minnesota, July 19, 2008

*Leroy Anderson: An American Treasure, Unjustly Neglected

"I rarely use this space to review or report on recordings, but I recently came across one that struck me as important and noteworthy in many ways. It is Naxos's Volume One of the orchestral music of Leroy Anderson. Leonard Slatkin leads energetic, committed performances of a wide range of Anderson works, and Slatkin and pianist Jeffrey Biegel team up to show us that Anderson was capable of writing a fine Piano Concerto, one that deserves to be more widely known than it currently is.

He wrote only one extended-length work, and that is the Piano Concerto heard on this disc (Naxos 8.559313, for those of you who still collect recordings, as I do). The work was premiered by the Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago, under Anderson's baton with Eugene List as soloist, in 1953. It got mixed reviews both there and in a subsequent performance in Cleveland, and Anderson withdrew it. He intended to revise it, but never did, though toward the end of his life he is reported to have found himself coming around to the piece again. After his death, his widow Eleanor Anderson decided to release it in its original form, and Jeffrey Biegel is one of its main proponents now. One wishes that the critics had been more open to this tuneful, colorful piece--perhaps Anderson would have been encouraged to write more music in larger forms."

Henry Fogel,, CEO, League of American Orchestras, July 11, 2008

*New Classical Tracks: Revisiting a master of light music

Volume 1 of Anderson's orchestral music closes out with Anderson's only piano concerto, written in 1953. Mixed reviews caused the composer to remove the concerto from his list of compositions in 1970.

Anderson's widow released the work in 1989. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel immediately became a strong advocate of the concerto. In 1991, he approached the composer's family about performing, and eventually recording it.

The sweeping melodic line and the lush orchestration of the first movement remind me of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto. The first movement flows seamlessly into the slow andante, which shifts between two completely different moods.

The first subject is tender and contemplative, while the second subject sparkles with a driving rhythm, and added highlights from the wind section.

What makes the percussive third movement so appealing is its playful melody. The infectious interplay between pianist Jeffrey Biegel and the BBC Concert Orchestra is absolutely delightful.

Julie Amacher, Minnesota Public Radio, June 30, 2008

*Leroy Anderson's Piano Concerto For Naxos

"It also offers his one and only Piano Concerto, which starts off like cod-Rachmaninov, includes a fistful of the sort of melodies only he could write, and ends in cod-Grieg. It may not be the greatest ever (he couldn't do motivic development to save his life), but it's beautifully crafted and enormous fun."

Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News, January 11, 2008

*"Jeffrey Biegel plays the 'over the top' Concerto with pizzazz!"

"The highlight of this disc is undoubtedly the Piano Concerto. I remember on my first trip to New York coming across a CD of this piece in Tower Records up by the Lincoln Center. I was so enthused by this 'in your face' work as I sat in Central Park with my portable CD player and listened to it at least three times through! It seemed to epitomize that city.

It could be argued that the first movement has all the hallmarks of Rachmaninov and the last nods vigorously to Edvard Grieg. It could also be argued that it does not matter. This is the all-American Piano Concerto unlike Gershwin in that it does not 'do' jazz. It is untypical of Edward McDowell in that it is not romantic in a European style. Yet from the point of view of melody and sheer pleasure it can hold its own against any piano concerto in America or beyond. Look out for that wonderful second subject of the third movement. Anderson at very his best ��� a touch of genius.

This is a CD to buy ��� even if you have tons of Leroy Anderson in your collection already. Leonard Slatkin could not be a better advocate for this music. The BBC Concert Orchestra are manifestly in their element and Jeffrey Biegel plays the 'over the top' Concerto with pizzazz!"

John France, Musicweb International, March 2008

*"..everything here is easy on the ear and beautifully played"

"As for the agreeably warm-hearted and romantic 1953 Piano Concerto, it falls into the category of works that are worth hearing without having hitherto been a major loss to the musical world. One way and another, everything here is easy on the ear and beautifully played. It all leaves a delightful aftertaste and excites anticipation of Naxos's next installment."

Andrew Lamb, Gramophone, March 2008

*... audience erupted with a lengthy standing ovation

"The audience erupted with a lengthy standing ovation, demanding an encore. Graciously, Biegel consented with a short dazzling piece, 'Rush Hour in Hong Kong.'"

Rockford Register Star, Rockford, IL, April 2008

*C-U Symphony, pianist sparkle in season finale

"Leroy Anderson's Piano Concerto is like everything by this great composer of light music, full of glorious tunes and wonderful twists of orchestration. Biegel clearly loves this piece and played its stormy and tender passages from the heart.

"[Keith Emerson's Concerto no. 1] is refreshingly bold and saucy. Emerson is impatient with transitions, and there are many clashes of keys and moods, as well as wild endings to the first and last movements. The ghost of composer Paul Hindemith, of all people, turns up near the beginning, and the propulsive start of the finale owes something to the Khachaturian concerto.

"Biegel played with his usual brilliance, and during curtain calls, Emerson loped onstage to embrace Biegel and [Steve] Larsen."

The News-Gazette, Champaign, IL, April 15, 2008

*SSO puts fire in Beethoven

Pianist Jeffrey Biegel has presented the more recent music of American composers Leroy Anderson and Lowell Liebermann in his two past visits to Springfield and it was a great pleasure to hear him interpret a 200-year-old repertoire chestnut like the "Emperor" Concerto, approaching it with all the fervor of a world premiere.

The facility and apparent ease with which he tossed off fistfuls of arpeggios and fusillades of octaves belied the challenges that face the pianist. Biegel played the dual role of soloist and chamber musician, engaging in an eloquent and animated conversation with the orchestra. He addressed the opening Allegro with sure-fingered command, delivering the big-boned music with a glorious depth of piano tone that eludes the aggressive hammering of lesser musicians. The melody of the slow movement, under Biegel's exquisite touch tinged with the hope and joy that would burst into consuming flame in the ebullient rondo finale. Pianist, conductor, and orchestra earned and enjoyed an emphatic standing ovation.

Clifton J. Noble, The Republican, March 10, 2008

*"Biegel is one of the most exciting young pianists ..."

This was an action-packed weekend for the New Mexico Symphony Classics series. Jeffrey Biegel has been touring with Lowell Liebermann's Piano Concerto No. 3 since its premiere in Milwaukee in 2006. With its ferocious pianism and orchestral color, the opening movement, Risoluto, takes the Prokofiev concertos as its clear antecedent. The slow passages as well as the Largo struck me as so much wandering, while the Burlesque, the last of three movements seemed most effective, returning to the extroverted playing, spiced with some exotic percussion, and splicing in a section of quasi-ragtime. Clearly the work serves its purpose as an excellent showpiece for a virtuoso, and Biegel is one of the most exciting young pianists. He makes as persuasive an argument for the work as one could ask.

D.S. Crafts, Albuquerque Journal, March 3, 2008

*"Excellent pianism highlights premiere"

Lowell Liebermann ranks among the few living composers whom I will go out of my way to hear. On Saturday night, the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra presented his new Third Piano Concerto, Op. 95, billed as the Pacific Northwest Premiere. Liebermann's style is neo-romantic with furiously difficult -- but often riveting -- passages for the pianist. The battering of the keys reminds one of Prokofiev; the thick, often contrapuntal texture teeters between tonality and studied dissonance reminiscent of Max Reger. I will recall the big, clean triad chords that are used at key climactic points in the first two movements with excellent effect. The slow movement, in which a poignant line in the strings is juxtaposed with a tick-tock accompaniment from the piano, is probably the most ingratiating and thoughtful section. Biegel is a generous musician, busily promoting new music and rarities. About his accuracy, energy and prowess with trills, scales, cascading chords and the rest of the munitions in the pianistic armory, there can be no doubt.

Mike Dunham, Anchorage Daily News, Feb. 26, 2008

*"[San Diego] Symphony Gives West Coast Premiere of Liebermann Third Piano Concerto "

""To my ears, Liebermann has attempted to write a serious contemporary piano concerto that does not send audiences running for the exits. And to a great extent, he has succeeded: certainly Friday evening's audience responded with unalloyed bravos, although this fervor may have been equally stirred by Biegel's extroverted keyboard virtuosity. At the concerto's outset, the piano announces its primary motive in a bravura flourish that runs up the keyboard, a theme that returns in various permutations over the course of the work. This movement alternates between athletic, cleanly delineated counterpoint involving both piano and orchestra and a dreamy nocturne for solo piano. These Romantic interludes combine Brahmsian wide voicing (each hand at either extreme of the keyboard) and an ornamented Chopinesque melody.

"The piano dominated the middle movement, weaving a sinuous cantabile line over complex chords, made less acerbic by their soft dynamic and diffuse orchestration. In the latter category, Liebermann is most inventive, especially in unusual instrumental combinations, for example, a mysterious trio for muted trumpet, piano and murmuring violas.

"By naming the final movement Burlesque, Liebermann gave himself permission to indulge in whatever humorous mood swings tickled his fancy. Once we left the busy opening motor rhythms���a tip of the hat to Prokofiev���the movement bounced from one idea to the next like a pinball machine on a lucky streak: first a crazed march, then a road-house piano rag, then a perky two-step and another revisit to the first movement's nocturne. I thought that I heard a line from a Latin Gregorian hymn, but that triadic theme could have come straight from Liebermann's fertile imagination.

"Biegel displayed immense confidence as he subdued the composer's myriad technical challenges. His lustrous legato technique bathed the nocturne episodes in just the right amount of perfumed lyricism."

- Kenneth Herman, SanDiego.com, February 10, 2008

*"Star of the evening ..."

"Star of the evening was Jeffrey Biegel. The Lowell Liebermann [Concerto no. 3] now filled the clarified air, as interpreted by Jeffrey Biegel. Liebermann's music can be tremulant, it can be meditative. It is quite otherworldly.The middle section extraordinarily so. There are liquid notes, literally the sound of drops falling. The third part began at a gallop, percussing the air and shaking the ground, and then a ragtime interlude, a palimpsest of Gershwin with sentimental strings. Throughout, conductor Sebrina Alfonso kept a solicitous eye on her soloist as she always does. The musicians were all in thrall to Biegel. A tremendous gift to the audience that ended with Biegel leaping to his feet on the final note."

KeysNews.com/, February 8, 2008

*"Biegel's keyboard work dazzled ..."

"Piano Concerto No. 3" is a quintessentially American composition solidly anchored in Classical tradition. Jeffrey Biegel's keyboard work dazzled. Sprinkled throughout are quicksilver threads of jazz and ragtime and the genius of the man who synthesized the two--George Gershwin. And what a sound--sweeping, soaring passages that fade to atmospheric melancholy. Mr. Biegel's technique was formidable at fast tempos, and in slow legato passages his touch could yield real beauty. Sebrina Alfonso ket the two nicely together."

ConchColor.com, February 8, 2008

*"Biegel give(s) the piece the royal treatment"

Leonard Slatkin recorded a marvelous Leroy Anderson collection for RCA with the St. Louis Symphony, and of course Anderson's own recordings for Decca/MCA remain special, but this new series promises to offer several recording premieres, and Jeffrey Biegel's rendition of the terrific Piano Concerto is the best yet. So all in all, it's hard to deny this release the strongest possible recommendation. The music may be light, but the craftsmanship and standard of quality are second to none.

It's a special mystery that Anderson was dissatisfied with the concerto, his only large-scale orchestral work, withholding its publication during his lifetime. We could use a top-notch "Gershwin alternative", and this piece is just the ticket. From the "Rachmaninov without the gloom" opening, to the Latin interludes in the Andante, to the finale's hoe-down reel of a main melody, this piece is a winner. Both Slatkin and Biegel give the piece the royal treatment, playing with both passion and humor. You'll love it.

David Hurwitz,ClassicalToday,com

*"Biegel is the consummate piano soloist ..."

"Leroy Anderson's music is unfailingly tuneful, full of variety, and superbly orchestrated. Anderson's scores are humorous, easeful and endearing; all here are attended to by the quick-witted and versatile members of the BBC Concert Orchestra under Anderson devotee Leonard Slatkin. His return to this music finds enthusiasm and style undiminished. Anderson's Piano Concerto ��� from 1953 ��� might be termed 'sub-Rachmaninov'. The concerto glows, has at least one 'big' tune, the mid-point of the first movement is a jazzy fugue, the slow movement is nocturnal, before being interrupted by a trip down Mexico way, and the finale is a fireworks display. Jeffrey Biegel is the consummate piano soloist and the trumpeters and clarinettists of the BBCCO join in the fun, the whole band relishing the sheer invention and colours of Anderson's imagination. The recording is fine, and should prove to be both an enjoyable and illuminating series."

Colin Anderson,ClassicalSource,com

*"...howling standing O even got us an encore"

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra gave its first Masterworks concert of the new year last night. Lindsay Koob checked it out and sent us this review.

After intermission, pianist Jeffrey Biegel joined the orchestra for a spectacular go at Rachmaninoff's finger-twisting Piano Concerto No. 3, alleged to be the most difficult and exhausting work of its kind. Part of its surrounding legend is the tale of Australian pianist David Helfgott (as told in the movie Shine), who was supposedly driven insane by its fearful demands.

But Biegel ��� with sensitive and considerate support from [David] Stahl and company ��� rose to the piece's every challenge, with playing of mind-boggling dexterity, lyrical intensity, and commanding power. Pianists had better count superhuman technique and endurance among their strengths before they even think about tackling this number. His hands were flashing blurs much of the time as they negotiated more notes than our ears could possibly keep track of.

Our howling standing O even got us an encore: I couldn't hear him from the balcony as he announced its composer; all I got was something like "Rush hour in Hong Kong" ��� a funny little solo piece, skittering all over the keyboard. I wondered how he could still move his fingers, after the sublime workout he had just given them.

Charleston City Paper, January 20, 2008

*"Biegel interprets with the gentlest and most loving of touches"

What a magical surprise! Just as you wonder why a disc of Christmas carols begins with Debussy's Clair de Lune, the sounds of "Silent Night" begin to emerge from the moonlight. Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Saint-Saens, Chopin, Brahms, Mozart ��� they're all here, dancing along with Christmas carols.

Arranger Carolyne M. Taylor has done a marvelous job with this music, which Jeffrey Biegel interprets with the gentlest and most loving of touches. Sometimes humor abounds, as in the melding of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" with a sonata by Clementi. Wonderfully recorded, this CD earns a most enthusiastic two thumbs up.

Jason Victor Serinus,Home Theater and High Fidelity, December 17, 2007

*"Biegel delivered a piano colossus"

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra's Masterworks concert Saturday night proved again that they are a committed and virtuoso group under music director David Stahl.

American pianist Jeffrey Biegel delivered a piano colossus ��� Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30. Biegel demonstrated his extraordinary dexterity, with fingers flying in a blur during the more thrilling passages, and his musical sensitivity to Rachmaninoff's poetic state of mind in the more nostalgic sections. Stahl and the orchestra provided Rachmaninoff's wonderfully colorful orchestral backdrop with enthusiasm and dash. A standing ovation explained it all, with Biegel offering a brief encore by American composer and pianist Abram Chasins.

WILLIAM FURTWANGLER,Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina, January 20, 2008

*"... dazzling in a brilliant encore"

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra offered an interesting, well-balanced concert last weekend ... [British guest conductor Edward] Gardner's energy worked well in leading Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, which was premiered down the road in Chicago in 1921. To his great credit, soloist Jeffrey Biegel approached this difficult piece with elegance and grace, its enormous technical demands organically incorporated into a satisfying musical statement. Biegel is an unassuming presence on stage, an understated virtuoso who found every bit of lyricism possible in what is usually considered a percussive piece. He was dazzling in a brilliant encore, Rush Hour in Hong Kong by Abram Chasins.

RICK WALTERS,Shepherd-Express, Milwaukee, January 10, 2008

*"Biegel, a fiery, intelligent player ..."

The old Royal typewriter positioned between the violin, woodwind and percussion sections offered the most obvious cue that the Alabama Symphony Orchestra would honor a composer known for musical curiosities. Anderson had a Harvard pedigree, studying harmony and counterpoint with Walter Piston and George Enescu, or that he composed a respectable piano concerto. Who knew that [Leroy] Anderson composed a piano concerto, and that a player of Jeffrey Biegel's ability has actually committed it to memory? Anderson, while offering nods to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, did not sway too far in his piano concerto from what makes his lighter pieces so appealing. While Anderson may have only graduated from cream puff to a three-layer cake, Biegel, a fiery, intelligent player, took him seriously.

PHILLIP RATLIFF, For the Birmingham News, January 12, 2008

*Excitement spills over for pianist, orchestra

Explosive dynamics, taut rhythm, percussive but not clanking piano sound - Jeffrey Biegel got them all right Friday evening, in playing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Biegel and guest conductor Edward Gardner also conveyed the sharply contrasting moods of this concerto. Throughout, Prokofiev shifts abruptly among blunt, folkish innocence; grim satire; virtuoso exhilaration; and demonic dance. Pianist, conductor and orchestra jump nimbly and neatly into Prokofiev's grooves.

Mood counts, but rhythmic vitality is the most important thing in this music. This performance crackled with it, particularly in the galloping principal theme of the first movement, and got the crowd juking a little in the seats. When the music stopped, the excitement spilled into a big ovation for Biegel. He acknowledged it with a wonderfully nutty bit of jazzy Chinoiserie, Abram Chasin's 1924 "Rush Hour in Hong Kong," as an encore.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, January 5, 2008

*"Biegel clearly enjoys fierce and energetic playing the work demands"

Clearly, it [Liebermann's Third Concerto] met with the universal approval of the audience. The concerto is very entertaining and listenable. I can imagine it becoming a favorite for other piano soloists at every level. Hopefully a recording will be forthcoming soon, and I hope Jeffrey Biegel will be doing it.

Jeffrey Biegel clearly enjoys fierce and energetic playing the work demands and exhibits an authoritative presence at the keyboard ��� not flashy or showman-like, but always in control. In several of his solo sections, he displayed incredible speed and dexterity, and did so with effortless ease. He and Kevin Rhodes were certainly of the same mind and focus.

Joe Rice, Traverse Record-Eagle, October 2007

*"... a tempestuous build-up leading to two-fisted rumbling"

"The movement "Burlesque" ranges from heart-racing runs, kettle-drum crashes and surprise horn blasts, to a "Bullwinkle Show"-type theme music and even some frisky ragtime to boot. It was exciting to experience the new work [Lowell Liebermann's Concerto no. 3] during the Saturday night South Dakota Symphony Orchestra concert.

The first two movements, "Risoluto" and "Largo," were captivating...The work begins with an almost shocking blast, a tempestuous build-up leading to two-fisted rumbling on the piano's low notes, emphasized by the kettle drums. But the piece soon gives way to a softer, more brooding theme with more melodic piano work in a minor key. It's that range from quiet and introspective, back to tempestuous and racing, that kept me interested.

The crowd apparently loved it, standing at the end to extended applause, which brought Gier and Biegel back out on stage for a second round of bows."

Jay Kirschenmann, Argus Leader, October 14, 2007

*"Pianist skillfully performs newest concerto by gifted composer"

"Biegel is the hardest-working classical musician in show business. He has a long history of developing innovative performance venues and creative commissioning formats. This new Liebermann concerto was made possible largely through his efforts.

"The Liebermann concerto [no. 3] itself is a lengthy work packed full of wonderful surprises. It has been described as "accessible." Perhaps. But it is not simple; and a good part of the apparent accessibility comes from construction with a divine pacing.

This is a work with a defined musical personality and the substance to have a shot at making a regular presence in this competitive repertory. At any rate, Biegel will show pianists of the future how this work is played."

Jeffrey Johnson, Hartford Courant, October 7, 2007

*"Pianist skillfully performs newest concerto by gifted composer"

"Thursday night, at the opening of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's 72nd season, pianist Jeffrey Biegel assiduously laid out American composer Lowell Liebermann's newest 'Concerto No. 3 for Piano and Orchestra,' Op. 95. [There are] flashes of Debussy, Shostakovich, Barber and even a little Joplin and Glass, all of which pop up like images on a shooting range.

Biegel, who first played here 21 years ago, has by now mastered the nuances of direction, the drifts in and out of melody fragments and the sudden mood shifts. It was a consummate performance by a gifted pianist/entrepreneur."
Harold Duckett, Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sept. 28, 2007

*"New concerto highlight of concert"

"It takes a special piece of music to make Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor the secondary piece on a concert's program, but the South Bend Symphony Orchestra presented one Saturday night at the Morris Performing Arts Center.

"The symphony and guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel's vigorous and exciting performance of Lowell Liebermann's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 introduced concertgoers to an intense but also entertaining new work.

"Consider the orchestra's contribution to Liebermann's fee money well spent.

"Throughout the concerto, Biegel presented fierce playing and a commanding presence at the keyboard. In several of his solo sections, he displayed incredible speed and dexterity. His playing in the second movement was delicate but not weak; instead, it defined the movement's sense of dread.

"As an encore, Biegel gave a captivating solo performance of Abram Chasins' "Rush Hour in Hong Kong," which also displayed his speed and dexterity.

"For its freshness in both its newness and its writing, however, the Liebermann concerto continues to reverberate well after the end of the concert."

South Bend Tribune, April 25. 2007

*"A composition of master achievement, realized by soloist and orchestra"

"Critics have already compared it (Lowell Liebermann's Concerto no. 3) with Franz Liszt or Sergej Rachmaninow--the master creators of virtuoso piano concerti. It is simply really good music, which was indeed heard here. A grandiose virtuosic piano part, which Jeffrey Biegel played convincingly with nobility. Highly dramatic motives alternated calm passages with introverted ones, of dreamy and despairing moments. The orchestra expressed colorful instrumentation quite organically with the soloist. A composition of master achievement, realized by soloist and orchestra. The public in Flensburg's Deutsches Haus was immensely inspired."

Flensburger Tagbladet, Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 9,2007

*"surely the best piece of new music the SSO has presented in the last 20 years"

Liebermann's Concerto [no. 3] was first and foremost superb piano music written by a superb pianist in the tradition of Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev...his Op. 95 crackled with Beethovenian economy of means. Liebermann's ingenious manipulation of his material and clear-eyed-and-eared sense of form, drama, and orchestration produced a unified masterpiece of American composition, a worthy descendant of the Barber Violin Concerto and the Copland Third Symphony. Technically flawless and intimately familiar with every twist and turn of character after four previous performances with other ensembles, Biegel obviously owned this Concerto. His eclectic musical interests, imagination, and the fact that he is himself a composer assured Biegel's ability to bring each scene and act in the drama to life. The elegiac "Largo" with its scintillations of harp and bells was deeply moving, buoyed by a melancholy warmth in the strings and stroked with infinite tenderness by the pianist. The outer movements balanced cataclysmic explosions of passagework and percussion with introspective tips of the hat to Liebermann's compositional ancestors from Bach to Brahms to Jelly Roll Morton!

Audience and orchestra alike enjoyed Liebermann's foray into ragtime (reminiscent of the entire tradition from Joplin's early masterworks to Bolcom's "Graceful Ghost") in the "Burlesque" finale. Biegel inflected this excursion with just the right blend of waggishness and reverence, integrating it seamlessly into Liebermann's whirlwind American musical journey. Maestro Rhodes and the SSO forged a brilliant partnership with Biegel in the presentation of Liebermann's Concerto. Once heard, Liebermann's music begs to be heard again. Thanks to Biegel's dedication in creating the 18-orchestra consortium for the commissioning process, the Third Concerto should have a long life, and a chance at eternity. It is surely the best piece of new music the SSO has presented in the last 20 years.

The Republican, Springfield, MA, January 20, 2007

*"With Biegel giving it his all"

Centerpiece of the agenda was the Colorado premiere of the Third Piano Concerto by the American composer Lowell Liebermann. Commissioned by the evening's soloist, Jeffrey Biegel, and a consortium of 18 orchestras, this entertaining and not overly threatening work may very well stick around for a while.
With Biegel giving it his all - and clearly having great fun doing so - this three-movement work nimbly juggles modern aton-alities and clashing harmonies with unblushingly charming throw-back melodies. Liebermann calls up memories of the 20th century's concerto masters: Ravel, Shostakovich, Bartok, Prokofiev. But the Third is clearly a work of this century, an era of playful eclecticism.

Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News, Jan. 6, 2007

*"A first-rate pianist, he poured himself into work ..."

Jeffrey Biegel enterprisingly brought together 18 orchestras, including the CSO, to co-commission the piece [Lowell Liebermann's Third Concerto]. A first-rate pianist, he poured himself into work, deftly handling the concerto's challenging passagework and making the most of what the piece does have to offer.

Kyle MacMillan, Denver Post, Jan. 8, 2007

*"Orchestra showcases great American music"

The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, with Robert Franz at the podium, played a program of music entirely by American composers. Composer Lowell Liebermann was commissioned by a consortium of 18 orchestras to write his "Piano Concerto No. 3." The first of three movements, marked "Risoluto," began with virtuosic flourishes for the piano, accompanied by orchestral punctuations. Subsequent melodies were vaguely reminiscent of the eastern European traditions, and the harmonic vocabulary was largely chordal (but not often traditional), with only mild dissonance. An ethereal effect with strings and bells began the second movement, marked Largo. The finale, "Burlesque," began somewhat like a jig, but became serious all too soon. Certainly there were moments of dance-like lightness, including ragtime and soft-shoe style quotations, but it was mostly, like the entire piece, a glorious showpiece for the soloist. Jeffrey Biegel, the piano soloist, was amazing -- confident, musical and easily collaborative. He knew this piece inside out, one in which the pianist almost never stops playing. But most impressive, his technique had no perceptible limitations. He was literally all over the keyboard. An artist of the highest caliber, Biegel's performance of this brand-new concerto elicited a standing ovation.

Rowland Blackley, Mansfield News-Journal, Nov. 14, 2006

*"Composer Liebermann's Treat Gives Pleasure To Audience, Too"

... the East Coast premiere of [Lowell Liebermann's] Third Piano Concerto played by the gifted pianist Jeffrey Biegel ...

Although (Liebermann) said the work was very difficult and virtuosic with many notes, Biegel played them and the double-fisted octave runs effortlessly. He sang the haunting melodies that permeated the work with much feeling. The concerto has a lot of vigor, color and some dark harmonies with dissonance, but always Liebermann came back to the lyricism, which he created with a master's hand.

He doesn't develop his material in predictable ways. The first movement moved right along with tons of chords and scales and then suddenly under the fire was delicacy, rhythms and hints of Scriabin, Bartok and Poulenc.

The very slow second movement was haunting and magical and showed off Liebermann's skills at pacing and keeping the interest.

The third was a blustering rhythmic giant's dance in which he inserted a bit of melodic ragtime and an echo of the first movement before finishing with a splash.

The [Glens Falls] orchestra did well with the composer's language and gave Biegel strong support and partnership. Biegel will perform the work about 17 times more over the next year as part of the national and European consortium that is sponsoring the concerto.

Geraldine Freedman The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY), Sept. 18, 2006

*"Melody's Not Dead, New Gf Symphony Piece Proved"

An appreciative audience was treated to the east coast premier of [Lowell Liebermann's] Piano Concerto No. 3, Opus 95. This is a work that exudes melody from its very pores. It is filled with melodic riffs that lead the listener into dark chase scenes, followed by ascending harmonies that lift us ever upward, only to drop before reaching their goal, and then start again.

He spoke generously of influential composers he loves-especially Bach, Dmitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten, and those influences can also be heard in his music.

This piece, with its piano/trumpet duets and percussion section introductions, pays tribute to the concertos of Shostakovich and Ravel, while other composers are given a tip-of-the-hat throughout.

Bartok, Bernstein and Gershwin show up; a great soft-shoe dance sneaks up into the third movement ("Burlesque"): there are laugh-out-loud moments that made me think of Francis Poulenc and Charles Ives; and one particular ascending section even made me think of Japanese music.

But, despite these various influences, the sound finally comes out sounding like Lowell Liebermann-all except for the wonderfully crazy ending which was pure Ives. (It could also have been played a little "wilder" by the orchestra, for greater effect.)

Guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel's performance was solid, lyrical and swinging when it had to be. Much credit has to be given for Mr. Biegel's efforts to gather 18 orchestras into the consortium that commissioned this work.

William Martin Chronicle Freelance (Glens Falls, NY), Sept. 21, 2006

*"Central to the success of the concert was guest artist Jeffrey Biegel, a pianist of uncommon talent."

"Biegel and the [Muncie Symphony] orchestra combined in an entrancing interpretation of Duke Ellington's New World A-comin', a jazzy piece that showed why Biegel (like Ellington) is at home with most any kind of music. "Returning to the stage, Biegel provided the evening's high point with his elegant rendition of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Although heard often in Muncie and all over the globe since its debut in 1923, "Rhapsody" never gets tiresome, especially in the hands of a masterful technician like Biegel. His execution of the music's jazzy contrasts was perfect, and the orchestra responded to the challenge during its own moments."

Star Press (Muncie, Indiana) Sept. 19, 2005

*"... carried the impressive weight of Russian Romanticism with a clarity and nuance"

"The passionate closing chords of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 2 brought members of the audience to their feet with shouts of "Bravo" and waves of clapping. The music itself is a crowd-pleaser, with exquisite melodies, superb orchestration and a virtuoso piano score but that wasn't the whole picture. Jeffrey Biegel, the soloist, carried the impressive weight of Russian Romanticism with a clarity and nuance that brought an ineffable tenderness to the overplayed themes. His monumental technique, even as it glowed in the cadenzas, never overshadowed the musical line and the tonal quality he achieved can only be described as fluid gold. He seemed to know the orchestral score as well as his own and made a marvelous pas de deux out of the entire performance. Biegel accepted his tumultuous ovation graciously, acknowledging Maestro Li and the [Bangor Symphony]orchestra and finally consenting to play an encore. His version of Chopin's "Military" Polonaise, a keyboard battle for any but the best, was executed with precision, polish and breathtaking speed. That was the second half of the program."

Ellsworth American Bangor, Maine. May 2005

*"... darting precision, deadly grace of a fencer"

"Biegel provided a passion-drenched performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 18 in C minor with finesse, elegance and fluidity. This piece contains at least two of the world's most recognized melodies, and if played with anything less than total abandonment to emotion, it can seem like a caricature. Not this time. Biegel played with the darting precision and deadly grace of a fencer, serving up delicious combinations of pathos, passion and transcendence.

After an enthusiastic standing ovation and at least four calls to the stage, Biegel, who had just played an exhausting piano concerto lasting more than a half-hour, somehow had the energy to grace the audience with a wonderfully fiery Chopin "Polonaise."

Bangor Daily News Bangor, Maine, May 16, 2005

*A totally convincing advocate

"If you enjoy Chopin, this disc will be on your 'must have' list. During his lifetime Cesar Cui was an influential newspaper critic, his vitriolic writings including a description of Rachmaninov's First Symphony as "a programme symphony on the Seven Plagues of Egypt". As a musician he could be described as a 'gifted amateur', whose education in the art of composition was of a basic nature. That did not lessen his desire to compose, the large catalogue of works, including several operas, containing twenty-eight published works for piano. Though an advocate of a nationalist school of creativity, his keyboard works principally reflect his fascination with Chopin. That influence brought about the Twenty-five Preludes, an extensive score composed in 1903 when Cui was 68. There are some clumsy twists and turns in the music, though he always compensates by bold and attractive melodies that stand favourable comparison with Chopin's work of the same title. In Jeffrey Biegel it has certainly found a totally convincing advocate. He gently pushes the music around, finding beauty in the slow Preludes, and sufficient panache in the more dynamic passages to display his technical prowess."

David's Review Corner February 1, 2002. Naxos.com

*Musicianship of High Quality

"Biegel played extremely well, as his musicianship was of high quality ��� not only during jazz-blues sections, but also within the more 'classically' oriented passages. He gave every note a purpose within the musical structure, and it was apparent that he fully understood this structure."

New and Record Greensboro, NC Feb. 26, 2005
George Gershwin's "Concerto in F"

*Jeffrey Biegel with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra

"Piano soloist Jeffrey Biegel related how encountering the critical editions of Gershwin's works led him to an entirely different approach to the composer. Gershwin's effervescent scores had had their originality overlaid by editors from the European Romantic tradition. In addition, anachronisms had crept into the playing tradition, such as playing the Piano Concerto [in F] with a 1930s swing rhythm instead of using 1920s ragtime style. Biegel abandoned his Chopin-style arpeggios and went back to the composer's unvarnished first thoughts. All of this was evident in a "white hot" performance with unbroken intensity and clear focus. The piece can sound at cross-purposes or diffuse, but this was the finest live performance I have yet heard. The highlight was the wonderful nocturne-like slow movement, a gorgeous piece of blues played as chamber music with the dialogue shared among the soloist, the woodwinds, and Cirba's brilliant and sensitive extended trumpet solo."

William Thomas Walker, Classical Voice of North Carolina February 24/26, 2005

*Faithfully delivered

"Biegel faithfully delivered Rachmaninoff's (Concerto no. 3 in d minor) melodic variations and bold chords, turning thousands of notes from the Steinway into music with the consistency of liquid glass."

Jim Braden, El Paso Times January 22, 2005

*Biegel finds more than a beautiful mixture of sound and color

"In Schleswig, Grieg's 'Concerto in a minor, Opus 16' with Jeffrey Biegel again guest soloist of the [Schleswig Holstein] symphony concerts, not as a second time, but what might as well have been a third or fourth time, [he] does not try to find more than a beautiful mixture of sound and color, with much pedal and strong virtuosity. The American pianist can easily take in his audience and yet, the corresponding support from [Gerard] Oskamp and the Schleswig Holstein Symphony Orchestra acted in a very fresh manner."

Oliver Stenzel, Kiel Nachrichten Sept. 23, 2004

*Biegel played Grieg's 'Concerto with a powerful grip full of temperament

"Impressing in quite a different way is what the pianist Jeffrey Biegel presented with the [Schleswig Holstein] orchestra. He played Grieg's 'Concerto [in a minor]' with a powerful grip full of temperament. Steadily emphasizing the melodic content, with an enormous range of sound, he played with very high Romantic feeling in the first movement. In the second movement, he performed nearly with an unearthly, ethereal spiritual sense. In the third movement, he literally made the Norwegian trolls dance! The orchestra followed him step by step and allowed themselves to soar to the climax of the third movement. As an encore, he served a brilliant rendition of Chopin's 'Polonaise in A-flat Major'. It was real fun!"

Christoph Kalies, Flensburger Tageblatt Sept. 23, 2004

*Macon Symphony Orchestra stays on top with stunning performance

"As I reviewed the 2003-2004 Macon Symphony Orchestra opening concert in Sept., I remarked that, in my opinion, the symphony this year had achieved the status and performance caliber of a top tier orchestra. It was with much anticipation, therefore, that I awaited the first notes of this weekend's performance. My anticipation was well rewarded, with musical tension, bravado and panache in abundance."

"Pianist Jeffrey Biegel then assumed center stage for the Piano Concerto of Leroy Anderson. Anyone who can recall some of the many melodies penned by this composer such as "The Blue Tango," "The Syncopated Clock," "The Waltzing Cat" or the "Trumpeter's Lullaby" would be able to instantly ascribe this concerto to Anderson just as surely as one can ally "Summertime" with George Gershwin's Concerto in F, even though it is quite far removed from the composer's usual milieu. Anderson called on his classical compositional training with famed composer Walter Piston in creating a delightful four-voiced fugue near the end of the first movement. Pianist Biegel played the work confidently, with superb unerring technique and a range of pianistic dynamics not heard in this hall for a long time. Congratulations to this fine pianist for bringing this imminently listenable work from the modern repertoire to the symphony audience. "

"After intermission, pianist Beigel and the orchestra treated the audience to another unfamiliar work for piano and orchestra: unfamiliar because it is usually performed by solo piano, and is universally known as one of the most difficult works from the entire piano literature - the "Islamey" of Mily Balakirev. Modified by Biegel from an earlier transcription, the piano was certainly still the focus of this work with alternating fireworks and sumptuous soaring melodies reminding the audience of something straight out of the "Tales of the Arabian Nights." Near the end of the work, difficult off-beat entrances were executed with precision by the orchestra, somewhat of a feat of magic considering these players had never seen this work previous to this week. Wonderful fare, and again superbly performed to the delight of the audience, resulting in a standing ovation for this dynamic performer."

David Kocsis, Macon Telegraph (Macon, GA), Nov. 3, 2003

*Pianist Jeffrey Biegel, in his second appearance in Harrisburg, was again a model of skill and artistry in equal proportion, this time as the soloist in Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto.

"Thundering through at times fiercely difficult material -- huge leaps, darting jabs here then there, hands crossing in percussive rolls, rushes of violent chords -- Biegel forgot neither the larger dimensions of the score nor the music's more delicate, intimate effects."

"He seemed to delight in the sudden, impetuous turns of Prokofiev's mind, taking care to make each one a surprise. Similarly, the variations in the second movement often had a smoky quality, his phrases connected by masterful pedaling."

"Yet Biegel and music director Stuart Malina, working in close accord, allowed the broader structure of the final movement to develop clearly and, on its own, spacious terms. The orchestra, an active, vibrant participant in all this, followed Malina through even the most subtle gradations."

"Following the performance, Biegel gratified the audience with an encore: Chopin's "Heroic" Polonaise in A flat."

Zachary Lewis, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA), Oct. 19, 2003

*ECSO Delivers Powerful, Versatile Performance At The Garde

"(Biegel's) technique and passion in rendering the Saint-Saens piece was a marvel to both eyes and ears, arousing an enthusiastic response from the audience, who demanded an encore."

Paul LehmanThe Day (New London, CT), Oct. 6, 2003

*The soloist duties for the evening were put in the hands of an unexpected star, the American pianist Jeffrey Biegel

"With the 10th and last symphony concert of this season in Rendsburg last Friday the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra celebrated in grand style the last concert they would perform with Gerard Oskamp. Gerard Oskamp and the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra retired from the leading figure Franz Liszt and started in the direction France, where will be settled the crucial point of the next concert season.

The soloist duties for the evening were put in the hands of an unexpected star, the American pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who presented two highly virtuosic concertos.

Technically superb, Biegel made the Camille Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 2 in g minor op. 22 a joy for the audience and himself, performing with the greatest ease ingenious melodic variations and phrases in the middle of remarkable runs. He gave his interpretation in a transparent, pointed manner and demonstrated the music's extremely sharp rhythmic contours and fine structure, where in most cases the listener is given only the surface dazzle.

The thought that whoever plays Saint-Saens like that will not disappoint with Liszt occurred to me during the intermission, and it was proven right.

In Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 E-flat major the brilliance of the virtuoso seemed to the soloist the most unimportant thing of the world. With ease, Biegel brought to life endless details and emotions of the score, driving with furious dramatic impact and creating a tone picture that glittered in many colors and shadings.

Claudia Mueller, Kieler Nachrichten, May 26, 2003

*Who is afraid of Var��se?

"... Duke Ellington's "New World A-Comin'" brought lightness between the two rigidly symphonic monuments, Var��se's "America" and Dvorak's "Symphony of the New World." The pianist, Jeffrey Biegel, gave us his undefiable solid rhythm. If his first encore surprised us ��� a cavalry attack on Chopin's "Polonaise h��ro��que" ��� we cannot help but to be taken over by the charm of "Rush Hour in Hong Kong," by Abram Chasins, a race of pentatonic shifts. ..."

Tribune de Geneve, Geneva Switzerland

*The explosive cocktail of Var��se strikes the Genevans

"The pianist Jeffrey Biegel's clearness and preciseness was soft music to the ears as he played the card of seduction in the suite for piano and orchestra "New World A-Comin'"

Le Temps, Geneva Switzerland

*Gershwin's endearing melodies draw hundreds of fans

"Biegel was impressive in his clear-cut, but colorfully-nuanced interpretations of the three preludes for solo piano Gershwin wrote in 1926 ... Biegel's playing of the piano part in "Rhapsody on Blue" was, like Gershwin's own, briskly and expertly delivered, with strong-charged, precise rhythms and catchy, unsentimentalized melodic motifs that seem to be part of American life itself."

Anna Crebo, Cape Cod Times

*Concert highlights symphony changes

"The most remarkable was also the newest, "Concerto America" by Charles Strouse, composed for second guest soloist, pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who contributed his own cadenza ... The concerto required facility with at least three styles besides classical: jazz, popular and musical theater, Biegel shone in every one. But he did not receive the applause he deserved. Imagine being upstaged by music composed for you."

Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

*Northern music calls out snow

"... guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel gave them an evening that they will not soon forget ... The clear audience favorite was the Rachmaninoff Concerto [No. 2], a familiar work that Biegel joined as a piano soloist ... Biegel performed the entire piece with a stirring style that showed why the Long Island resident is considered in the front of today's classical pianists."

Tom Dillon, Burlington (NC) Times-News

*Sitkovetsky's leadership virtuoso

"... pianist Jeffrey Biegel gave an outstanding reading of one of the great war horses in the literature, Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto ... Biegel gave the impression of birthing each phrase for the first time, so that even the well-known tunes came across as fresh."

Tim Lindeman, Greensboro News & Record

*Pianist sets right tone in XU recital

"... In a day when many pianists are simply digital machines, Mr. Biegel, who has technique to burn, always keeps his fabulous facility subservient to his artistic goals and a beautiful tone ... Mr Biegel was able to draw a wide variety of tonal colors and a very sweet sound."

John K. Toedtman, The Cincinnati Enquirer

*"Through the recital, Biegel maintains a rounded, full piano tone, the very essance of the music he champions. This is a rising virtuoso of color and intelligent discretion. "

"Given Mr. Biegel's relative youth (b. 1961), this disc is an anomaly for "historic recordings," though that is precisely what it is. A graduate of the Juilliard School and Adele Marcus, Biegel had prior studied with supreme colorist Morton Estrin. Mr. Biegel likes to pay homage to the great romantic pianists, like Hofmann and Lhevinne; and his recitals from July 8 and July 25, 1997 played directly for the Internet, capture his feeling for the "Golden Age" of pianism. Add to the mix that Steinway donated its 500,000th piano, and you have something of a legendary, musical alchemy."

Biegel sports some long, fleet fingers, as witnessed by the ease with which he glosses through the octaves and glissandi in Liszt, a personal favorite. He keeps a high hand for the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11, imitating much of the phrasing William Kapell managed in his awesome rendition. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 will remind many of Levitzky's famous inascription, and that is exalted company indeed. Biegel begins with Beethoven's stormy Pathetique Sonata, where Beethoven's chromatic agony is offset by the diatonism of his will. We can hear passing allegiance to Tristan, since Wagner well knew his Beethoven. For the final Rondo, Biegel adds two cadenzas that do not break the tension of the whole. I found the Brahms introspective Intermezzo and the two Chopin pieces quite stylish, although I found the Scherzo more compelling than the Polonaise, which to my taste came off a bit precious and mannered. The Rachmaninov Prelude in G seems a deliberate copy of Moiseiwitsch, lovely. And then on to Schulz-Evler's Strauss arrangement, the province of both Moiseiwitsch and Lhevinne. Through the recital, Biegel maintains a rounded, full piano tone, the very essance of the music he champions. This is a rising virtuoso of color and intelligent discretion.

Gary Lemco, www.audaud.com, March 2003

*On "25 Preludes" by Cesar Cui, "If you enjoy Chopin, this disc will be on your 'must have' list...

"... There are some clumsy twists and turns in the music, though he always compensates by bold and attractive melodies that stand favourable comparison with Chopin's work of the same title. In Jeffrey Biegel it has certainly found a totally convincing advocate. He gently pushes the music around, finding beauty in the slow Preludes, and sufficient panache in the more dynamic passages to display his technical prowess. Previously available on Marco Polo, the sound is not in today's Naxos quality status, but is more than acceptable."

Courtesy of http://www.naxos.com

* In "25 Preludes" by Cesar Cui, "Biegel brings a lush sound and elastic sense of rhythm to his interpretations.

"Architectural shaping of the pieces comes easy to him (Biegel). His unself-conscious and seemingly effortless expression has a broad and appealing range, without resorting to the maudlin. His balancing of textures brings out the many melodic strands and harmonic treasures. The technical demands do not hinder him, do not call attention to themselves or him. This release rewards the listener on many levels."

Barela, American Record Guide July/August 2002

* "Charles Strouse's "Concerto America" is a strange and rather wonderful beast...It presents an extraordinary kaleidoscopic salute to dozens of styles of American music, with a poignant central section rewritten in response to the events of Sept. 11."

The piano part was played with superb rhythmic incisiveness by Jeffrey Biegel. Keith Lockhart, Biegel, and the (Boston Pops) Esplanade Orchestra assembled it with spirit and expertise.

The Boston Globe

* "Millennium Fantasy is a fine addition to the piano concertante canon."

Biegel's nervy pianism and virtuosic edge gave this work sterling advocacy, with refined full-tilt support by Christie and the orchestra.

The Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)

* "Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Millennium Fantasy" and Franck's Symphonic Variations, both with Jeffrey Biegel as fluent and eloquent piano soloist."

Franck's Symphonic Variations was give noble breadth by Biegel and Christie, Biegel's breezy encore for fleet fingers depicted Hong Kong at rush hour and was by his late teacher.

The Miami Herald

* "It's a good vehicle for Biegel ..."

Biegel is well equipped for clarity in the fantasy's percussive outbursts as well as more restrained elements ��� harp-like glissando and poignant reflections on the melancholy love song.

Palm Beach (Fla.) Post

* "Biegel played with pearly brilliance - here is a pianist who knows how to produce tone ..."

It's (Liszt's Piano Concerto No.1) a signature concerto for Biegel, and with good reason: He conveys Liszt as if it were Mozart, with transparently beautiful voicing and an unerring sense of grace.

The Arizona Republic

* "Biegel's performance showed the depth of his experienced and professionalism ..."

Biegel's performance showed the depth of his experienced and professionalism. It (Zwilich's "Millennium Fantasy") struck me as worth listening to time and again to catch all the missed nuances.

The Lawton Constitution (OK)

* "Jeffrey Biegel is a truly gifted pianist, worthy of any major orchestra. ..."

"Jeffrey Biegel is a truly gifted pianist, worthy of any major orchestra. Kenosha's Reuther audience was quite privileged to hear such virtuosity."

Kenosha News (WI)

* "(Jeffrey) Biegel's performance was beautifully nuanced in both rubato elements and dynamics ..."

"Biegel's performance was beautifully nuanced in both rubato elements and dynamics, and in general removed from the usual blockbuster approach. He and the orchestra (a ragged opening clarinet glissando notwithstanding) received rousing applause from the near-capacity audience."

The Ellsworth American

*"Jeffrey Biegel had brilliance to spare"

"Jeffrey Biegel had brilliance to spare, and a very elegant playing style, which subsumes the fireworks into the overall structure of the work. (Chopin's Concerto no. 2 in F minor) Biegel came back with a virtually weightless account of his giddy encore, Rush Hour in Hong Kong by Abram Chasins."

Ithaca Times

* "... technical brilliance and thoughtful analyses of classical works by George Gershwin"

"Jeffrey Biegel brought a different sort of evening to those gathered in the make-believe tent of the John Drew Theater of Guild Hall. His celebration of the works of George Gershwin was entertaining, funny, educational, and profoundly musical."

The East Hampton Star

* "Jeffrey Biegel gives 'explosive' performance"

"Epic" too was Biegel's first class interpretation of [Rachmaninoff's] 'Concerto No. 2'. He made the melodies float over the keyboard and weave around the orchestra in a perfect partnership. The soloist's fluidity and dexterity were marvels to watch, yet he raised them miles above flawless technique with his heartfelt interpretation.
He had a fascinating blend of force and delicacy. Biegel moved with effortles s grace from the extended reveries to the showy runs that could be likened to Astaire-like feats on the ivories. It's a rare performance quality he made it seem so spontaneously effortless. But that's the mark of a rarified artist."

CONNECTICUT POST

* "A memorable recital by a growing pianist"

"Jeffrey Biegel, returned to play a memorable recital displayed his enormous growth as a thinking man's pianist. Biegel possesses encompassing technique that he places fully at the service of music, and his interpretations demonstrated a thorough understanding of the background of each score. Liszt's 'Petrarch's 104th Sonnet' was unfurled in gleaming tone with spacious, deeply poetic lyricism, and the dazzling Schulz-Evler transcription of Strauss' 'Blue Danube' sparkled with glittering facility that evoked ghostly virtuosos like Josef Lhevinne. Biegel's discussion of seven Gershwin "Preludes" and the 1924 original-manuscript version of 'Rhapsody in Blue' was especially enjoyable for his detective-like identification of the influences of Debussy, Chopin and Prokofiev. But his Gershwin playing was also optimal - unaffected, unsentimentalized, rhythmically freewheeling, and tangy. It was fascinating, too, to hear a few of the bridge passages Gershwin originally composed for Rhapsody that are usually cut."

Miami Herald

* "RADIO CITY DIRECTOR AND PIANIST BIEGEL ADD SPARK TO POPS LINEUP"

"Their performance of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' takes the masterpiece and makes it greater. It was the greatest and most exciting performance of the rhapsody I have heard, right up there in quality with Frank [Sinatra] or Ella [Fitzgerald] singing 'I've Got A Crush On You' and even better than Gershwin's own piano rolls. Will somebody with connections please get Biegel into a recording studio so we can have a copy of this treasure?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Seattle Times

"His formidable technique places him at the top of his peers, but his interpretive depth places him higher. What's most interesting about him is his striking individualism. And he plays with a mature artistry that must unnerve his senior colleagues."

The Los Angeles Times

"With fleet, authoratative and appropriately lyrical playing, it was an engaging performance that drew cheers from the large audience."

The Times Union (Albany, NY)

"Biegel is a major talent, who made the piano sing, even in passages of pounding chords and quick runs. His Prokofiev Third brought back to mind the standard-setting recording with Leon Fleischer and the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell."

Le Figaro (Paris)

"With impeccable technique and strong command of structure, a remarkable [Chopin] 'Sonate Funebre' and Prokofiev 'Third Concerto' exactly reflected the composers intentions."

The Knoxville Journal

"His performance of Beethoven's 'Concerto no.5' was magnificent. It was everything one could demand from great pianists."

The New York Times

"Mr. Biegel plays with remarkable assurance and maturity, and a deep musicality is always at the heart of his pyrotechnics."

The Washington Post

"The grand style, with its prerequisite wide range of colors and wildly virtuosic effects, now seems second nature to him"

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Jeffrey Biegel gave the Beethoven ['Concerto no. 3'] an unusually thoughtful and serious reading. [There were] spectacular doses of suave articulation and enough emotional wallop for even more than the three curtain calls he received."

Los Angeles Times

"Jeffrey Biegel is a pianist who clearly knows what he is about. Mozart's 'C minor Sonata, K. 457' emerged with both clarity and coherence, The young pianist's decisive articulation and keen sense of the work's dramatic underpinnings elegantly revealed the sonata's exquisite architecture. And he imbued the major mode Adagio with a profound serenity. In 'Islamey,' the keyboard wizard seemed to have technique to spare and gleefully dispatched its chordal fury with total aplomb."

Los Angeles Times

"Pianist Jeffrey Biegel plunged into Tchaikovsky's 'Concerto no.1' with proper gusto, displaying seamless dexterity and expressive clarity."

The Lima News (OH)

"...the standing ovation was immediate. He dove into the keys with a fervor demonstrated by the combination of powerful chords and dancing runs [in Beethoven's 'Choral Fantasy' and 'Piano Concerto no. 4']. Biegel steadily strode through the music, sounding neither strained nor challenged. Most importantly, he played with feeling."

Rockford Register Star (IL)

"Pianist [Jeffrey] Biegel, who next teamed with [Steven] Larsen and the RSO for the 'Concerto no. 1 in b-flat minor ' [by Tchaikowsky], clearly stands out from other young soloists on the concert circuit. His phenomenal accuracy, strength on the challenging forte passages and velvety touch on the softer sections are hallmarks of a fine virtuoso. After the opening orchestral chords, Biegel began his solo passage with an amazing fluidity. As he played, it was as though he had no wrist or elbow joints. The result was pure magic: a sound as smooth as silk drawn out of the keyboard. Biegel's hands were a blur as he drummed out the fierce octave runs. Biegel encored, following a thunderous standing ovation, with a marvellous shimmering rendition of 'On the Beautiful Blue Danube' earning yet a second 'standing O'."

Ocen City Sentinel(NJ)

"The Gershwin 'Rhapsody in Blue' has been played to the point where it has become so familiar that it has bred contempt. Jeffrey Biegel's playing of it along with some newly rediscovered piano cadenzas was a revelation which told us just how imaginative Gershwin could be... He did something almost unheard of at the Pops. He played a marvelous piano transcription of Strauss' 'Blue Danube Waltz' that elicited a standing ovation from the orchestra. That also had never happened before. When I complimented Biegel for playing the most accurate and rapid arpeggios since those played by the celebrated Emil Gilels, he said he hoped I'd include it in the review. I'm delighted to do so."

The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)

"At the conclusion of the Mozart 'Concerto in C Major' [K. 467] the near capacity audience erupted. The audience brought him back to the stage so many times that he decided to provide an encore. The result was shaking heads and dropped jaws in both the audience and the orchestra."

The Washington Post

"Biegel's solo [Mendelssohn's 'Concerto no. 1'] deserved spotlighting, not only in the first movement, to which he brought a fine sense of dramatic interaction, and the finale, where he gave an appropriate demonstration of technical skill, but especially in the slow movement, where his phrasing was a delight, particularly in his subtle use of agogic accents."

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Guest artist Jeffrey Biegel gave notice that his credentials as an accomplished artist are accurate. He displayed a secure technique and a high degree of musicianship. The audience responded with enthusiasm, resulting in a solo encore of a transcription of the 'Blue Danube Waltz'"

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Biegel, returning for the second time in recent years, gave a performance of Franck's 'Symphonic Variations' and Liszt's 'Concerto no. 1' that was nothing less than outstanding." "Biegel brings excellent musical intelligence to his performance, choosing to view the piano as his partner in musical collaboration rather than as an enemy to be conquered. His playing was secure and often appeared to be effortless - the sign of a true artist and an indication of his prodigious technical skills. Biegel's most sensitive playing came in the more sedate Franck work. The audience's enthusiastic response to Biegel's stirring performance resulted in a short solo encore."

The Boston Globe

American Premiere of the first printed edition of the original manuscript of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' in its entirety: "Far from the usual ham-fisted treatment, his made a closer approach to the swing of '20s jazz than many in recent memory. In general, his playing was light and transparent, more on top of the keys like actual improvisation."

Albuquerque Journal

"DASHING PROKOFIEV CONCERTO STEALS SHOW"
"Biegel showed that he is one of the important interpreters of this work [Prokofiev's 'Concerto no. 3'], and the near capacity crowd knew it: shouting broke out at the end, and led to a standing ovation."

Bergens Tidende (Norway)

"The temperature rose quite high when Jeffrey Biegel began the first measures of Saint-Saens 'Piano Concerto no. 2'. He possesses a pianistic ability far beyond the ordinary, and the sensitive melodies were beautifully executed, coupled with powerful intensity and a wide expressive range."

Savannah Morning News

"Jeffrey Biegel, winner of many honors, awards and competition prizes, joined with the orchestra in an impressive performance of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'. This was one of the most beautifully realized performances of the rhapsody I have ever heard. Biegel not only played it with admirable technical control, he expressed every phrase and musical idea with utmost sensitivity. The climactic ending had the audience on its feet as the last chord sounded."

Sun-Sentinel (Miami)

". . .From the strength and clarity he demonstrated in the work's opening cascade down the keyboard, it was obvious that the pianist has a formidable technique. There was considerable flourish in his handling of [Grieg's 'Concerto in a minor']throughout, a 19th century style, crowd pleasing virtuosity. . . His understanding of tone yielded rewards too; his playing has considerable color. Biegel acknowledged the vociferous ovation , with an encore - and no trifling one, either He offered nothing less than the once much played 10 minute 'Arabesques On the Beautiful Blue Danube' by Andrei Schulz-Evler."

Long Beach Press-Telegram

"There was comfort and something more in the performance of Brahms' 'Second Piano Concerto[in B-flat Major]' that followed the intermission. Pianist Jeffrey Biegel has a warm, singing tone and the ability to maintain it in passages of virtuoso display."

Belfast Telegraph

"The soloist in Liszt's 'Piano Concerto no. 1 in E-flat' was Jeffrey Biegel, and from the outset, it was clear that this young man had the answers to practically every problem inherent in this demanding work."

Journal American (Bellevue, WA)

"The high point of the concert was the ever popular 'Concerto no. 2 in g [minor], Op. 22' by Saint-Saens, with pianist Jeffrey Biegel as soloist. A work of great charm and vitality, the concerto seemed ready made for Biegel's highly coloristic and dramatically romantic brand of pianism. Biegel has technique to burn and revealed a big, handsome tone, fleet fingers, impressive articulation, a lovely lyric quality and a fine sense of line. Unlike most of his peers, he was able to communicate an involved emotional commitment to the music."

Star-Bulletin (Honolulu)

"Guest artist Jeffrey Biegel thrilled Honolulu Symphony subscribers. [Lalo Schifrin's] 'Concerto no. 2' (The Americas), was the vehicle for this gifted pianist as he demonstrated power, technical wizardry and insightful sensitivity, holding the audience's attention throughout."

The Honolulu Advertiser

"MASTERFUL PIANO ARTISTRY"
"Honolulu Symphony audiences were treated to a masterful rendition of Lalo Schifrin's 'Concerto no. 2'. Biegel invests his passages with an effervescent passion that hurtles the piece forward with dizzying momentum."

The Repository (Canton, OH)

"Biegel seems completely at ease and conveys his obvious love of playing. From the fast and fiery passages to those of a simple, subdued nature, his touch, control and interpretations are superb. In fact, after this intriguing work [Beethoven's 'Concerto no. 2'] was completed, Biegel performed an encore- an unprecedented treat. After his whirling rendition of 'The Blue Danube Waltz', the crowd showed its hearty approval with a much deserved standing ovation."

Courier-News (Elgin, IL)

"He branded the music [of Grieg's 'Concerto in a minor'] with his intelligence and sensitivity, offering an interpretation that was introspective -and intimate, rather than the more usual extroverted and public one. His trill would be the envy of any vocalist."

Bergens Tidende (Norway)

"In the hands of Jeffrey Biegel, Franz Liszt's 'Concerto no. 1 in E-flat' becomes the perfect example of the Romantic Period's sparkling, virtuosic bravura. Armed with all the technical aids, Mr. Biegel masters with excellence the difficult, needle-sharp octave passages between the delicate movements that are assembled in broad, powerful lines. The [small details] shone in a warm glow under his soft touch. Twenty minutes of the extraordinary bravura style was obviously not enough. He continued with an encore- 'By the Beautiful Blue Danube' The popular 'Viennese Waltz' was performed with purebred artistry. Magnificent !"

El Paso Herald-Post

"AGILE PIANIST DAZZLES AUDIENCE WITH TALENT"
"[Mr. Biegel] dazzled the audience with his virtuosic technique and elegant articulation. His remarkable interpretation of the well known Tchaikowsky 'Concerto no.1' is obvious testament to the validity of his reputation. Biegel took over the demanding work with a stunning display of octave runs and delicate pianissimos. After the strenuous 40 minute concerto drew a standing ovation, Biegel gave an almost unheard of response. He played a ten-minute encore that required as much skill and keyboard artistry as the main piece a transcription of the 'Beautiful Blue Danube' Even some orchestra musicians couldn't resist commenting to each other during its performances."

Providence Journal-Bulletin

"Jeffrey Biegel tossed in an unexpected solo encore, a dazzling account of the 'Blue Danube Waltz'. Who would have suspected there was a Horowitz lurking in the soul of this staid looking Long Islander?"

San Antonio Express-News

"Jeffrey Biegel brought unexpected delicacy and introspection to Franz Liszt's 'Piano Concerto no.1 [in E-flat]'. Biegel also offered a rarity, Leroy Anderson's 'Concerto in C'. Biegel easily mastered the pyrotechnical demands of both concertos. He dashed off the runs in the Liszt allegro with astonishing fluidity, gossamer clarity and shapely musicality. Better yet was the searching deeply personal quality he brought to the slow movement."

The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)

"Biegel's softest moments were breathtakingly eloquent, some of the best piano playing heard around here in some time."

San Antonio Express-News

"Biegel's astonishing facility, bell-like tone, elegant touch and utter tirelessness easily compassed Lalo Schifrin's demanding 'Concerto of the Americas'. Each of the three movements is virtually a concerto in itself, and each essays a different national style - African-American blues, jazz and gospel in the opening 'Blues', Argentine in 'Tango' and Brazilian in 'Carnaval' Biegel made the best of it, especially in his authentic stride style and searching slow blues in the first movement. He tossed off the pyrotechnics with jaw-dropping agility and clarity."

Traverse City Record-Eagle

"[The concert] also produced an auditorium of instant fans for Jeffrey Biegel, a pianist whose impressive technique and inspired interpretation of the Grieg ['Concerto in a minor'] will remain one of Traverse Symphony Orchestra's true highlights from this season."

The Hartford Courant

"Playing the adagio [Beethoven's 'Concerto no, 5'] with a limpidity of tone and sense of early 19th-century style Biegel made one want to hear the entire concerto. The clarity and evenness of his ascending trills were technical wonders. Biegel returned to play the diabolically difficult piano part [Rachmaninoff's 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'] with a poet's sensitivity. The performance provided an exhilarating conclusion to the series."

Chautauqua Daily (New York)

"Biegel gave the jazzy work [Gershwin's 'Concerto in F'] a winning performance."

Bergens Avis (Norway)

"In the hands of pianist Jeffrey Biegel, the concert was a great success. He employed his impeccable technique [in Prokofiev's 'Concerto no. 3'] to achieve persistent virtuosity and was also able to manage beautiful lyrical sections in between. The public was wild with his abilities and he provided an encore, a wildly virtuosic arrangement of 'By the Beautiful Blue Danube'. It was performed with utmost elegance and humor."

The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Canada)

"Jeffrey Biegel helped the Saskatoon Symphony to a fine start with his elegant and exciting version of Grieg's 'Concerto in a minor'."

The Times (Shreveport, LA)

"He has a wonderful touch on the keyboard. The pianist's sound is clean and precise, and he covers a great deal of the keyboard with seeming ease and comfort. [Beethoven's 'Concerto no. 2']."

Augsburger Allgemeine (Germany)

"George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' didn't only demand the brilliant technical abilities of the American pianist Jeffrey Biegel. He and [conductor Peter] Leonard together with the marvelous Philharmonic Orchestra [of Augsburg] unfolded an amazingly fresh sounding version of this concert hit. He highly earned the roaring applause, which he rewarded with a refined powerful and unbelievable virtuosic version of 'The Blue Danube Waltz'".

Landshuter Zeitung (Augsburg, Germany)

"In Gottschalk's 'L'Union,' Jeffrey Biegel showed both brilliant technique and empathizing interpretation. He [also] proved his fantastic virtuosity in Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'."

Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)

"His octave passages, polished to a flashy brilliance, are reminiscent of [Van] Cliburn in his best years. [Leroy Anderson's Concerto in C and Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto]."

Union-News (Springfield, MA)

"Biegel brought stunning technical skill together with polished finesse and a rich palette of tone color. In both the [Leroy] Anderson 'Concerto' and Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue', Biegel pushed the tempo of the showy passages to the exciting limits of playability with miraculously tapered cadences, stylish gestures and intensely committed interpretations."

Mobile Press Register

"Biegel seemed well suited to the work [Beethoven's 'Concerto no. 5']; he has strength, but knows how to temper it. He commanded with a minimum of touch-typist pounding so often found in pianists trying to impress rather than share music. Biegel's handling of the variations on the main theme was done with quicksilver elegance. The audience awarded Biegel a lengthy ovation, prompting a humorous - hopefully, intentionally - encore: an arrangement of Johann Strauss' 'By the Beautiful Blue Danube', by Artur Schulz-Evler."

The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

"Arguably the most majestic piece in the piano repertoire, [Beethoven's 'Concerto no. 5'] was played with distinction by soloist Jeffrey Biegel. With its outbursts of sweeping cadenzas, the young pianist certainly attacked the concerto with decisive drive."

Lake Forester (Pioneer Press, Il.)

"Biegel is a powerful musician and the piano sang under his hands. He entered into the deep romanticism of the work [Rachmaninoff's 'Piano Concerto no. 3 in d minor'] and gave it back to us without excessive sentimentality. His technique is a marvel, hands leapfrogging about the keyboard with dead-on accuracy.

Sunday News (Lancaster, PA)

"Pianist Jeffrey Biegel stole the hearts of his adoring audience, first in Leroy Anderson's virtually-unknown 'Piano Concerto in C', a work he has championed. Biegel put a personal, and wonderfully convincing stamp on his Gershwin ['Rhapsody in Blue'] interpretation that may be hard to beat anywhere! It seems his absolute-best cup of tea, and it brought the night to a super-fine close and the audience to their feet."

Lancaster New Era (PA)

"A sparkling rendition of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue', with soloist Jeffrey Biegel, brought the audience to its feet, as the concert ended. Biegel also performed the piano solo for [Leroy] Anderson's 'Concerto [in C]'. His playing is amazingly clear and bright, his dexterity at times breathtaking. As terrific as he was with the concerto, Biegel really outdid himself during the Gershwin piece. His hands flew across the keys, producing the sleek, unique Gershwin sound in dazzling ways."

Pioneer Press (Chicago, IL)

"After intermission New York pianist Jeffrey Biegel gave the Chicago premiere of Lalo Schifrin's 'Piano Concerto no. 2', titled 'Concerto of the Americas', and written to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. It was a splendid performance one of the most memorable of the season, and it's been quite a season."

Cumhuriyet (Istanbul, Turkey)

"American pianist Jeffrey Biegel, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra together in Rachmaninoff's 'Third Piano Concerto' was splendid. With his piano dominating with deep, profound musicianship, Rachmaninoff's sure-fired passion excited Biegel in his display for us that we look forward tremendously to his return for many years in the future."

Milliyet (Ankara, Turkey)

"The American pianist Jeffrey Biegel, whom we know from his last appearance when he played Rachmaninoff's 'Third Concerto' which we loved very much, returned this time with the unique 'Concerto in C' by Leroy Anderson, composed in 1953. Biegel possesses an extraordinary technique and due to this, he plays everything beautifully. For this concerto, you need a pianist of Biegel's caliber to make it effective. In Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue', which we all know, Biegel gave it a very sensitive, serious and detailed performance. Due to his conception of the work, he delivered a true and openly honest interpretation."

The Buffalo News (NY)

"Pianist Jeffrey Biegel gave a commanding performance of 'Rhapsody in Blue' that captured the rhythmic vitality of New York at the height of the Roaring Twenties and infused that same Jazz Age spirit into his playing. It snapped, crackled and popped with shifting dynamics, dramatic swoops and a sure touch."

Hickory Daily Record

"Biegel captured the audience's attention right from the start with his technical brilliance, and went on to win its unrestrained admiration and affection. The intricate Prokofiev 'Concerto [no.3]' proved a fine showcase for the internationally renowned pianist's excellence. He was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation, and then with another, even more resounding show of approval, after an encore."

News and Record (Greensboro, NC)

"You will not get many chances to experience a performance (of Rachmanonff's 'Concerto no.3') like the one Biegel and the [Greensboro] orchestra gave Saturday night."

Press and Guide Newspapers (Dearborn, MI)

"Biegel's tremendous range of musical shadings were marvelous to hear and a delight to witness. Immediately following his wonderful performance [of Grieg's 'Concerto in a minor'], Biegel rewarded the appreciative audience at Fordson with a rousing presentation of Strauss' "On the Banks of the Beautiful Blue Danube" Waltz arranged by Schulz-Evler. Both the Grieg and the Strauss demonstrated Biegel's masterful technique, tremendous color and great artistic style."

The Dispatch (Moline, Il)

"Mr. Biegel's runs are phenomenal-pureed sound. Mr. Biegel deserved the standing ovation he got, and one only wishes we could hear him play something from the classical repertoire to show off his exquisite Romantic style. Maybe he'll be back."

Quad-City Times (Davenport, IA)

"Biegel demonstrated his considerable gift as a pianist, while drawing out the blues and jazz idiom around which the piece [Gershwin's 'Concerto in F'] is based."

Greeley Tribune (CO)

"Jeffrey Biegel, a young virtuoso from New York, performed the evening's centerpiece, Rachmaninoff's 'Piano Concerto no. 3'. We were fortunate that Biegel graciously agreed to substitute on very short notice. From the first pulsing bars to the final crashing chords, Biegel was a fiery and subtle interpreter, and Greeley repaid the privilege of hearing him with a standing ovation."

Sunday News (Lancaster, PA)

"We've heard Biegel before, and our admiration for his artistry continues undaunted. Recalling Biegel's success with the Leroy Anderson Concerto in an earlier season and now with the Gershwin 'Concerto' as well, we'd like a chance to hear him in a different style, whether a Mozart or Brahms Concerto or something like the Franck 'Symphonic Variations'. Perhaps he should return yet again to share with us another side of his pianism."

Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA)

"A musician who played with sensitivity and fluidity, Biegel was powerful, dynamic when the music called for it, his chords strong, but his arpeggios flowed as his fingers danced over the keys rhythmically and with expression. He immersed himself in the music even as he sat awaiting his entrances, his body and head moving with the notes of the orchestra which performed the jazzy syncopation, the blues and the melodic lines superbly [in Gershwin's 'Concerto in F']."