A wonderful review from Nadia’s December 13 “Quotations and Homages” concert at Spectrum in New York.

Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet.com

“Pianist Shpachenko brings strength to wide range of living composers”

“The latest example was pianist Nadia Shpachenko, nominated for a Grammy for her CD Woman at the New Piano: American Music of 2013. Coming in from Southern California, she brought a program of nine different pieces, “Quotations and Homages,” all of recent vintage, including six world premieres Sunday night. The works are responses to music of composers of the past. Despite the conceptual framework, the music covered a broad range of styles—almost entirely tonal. Shpachenko herself is a strong player, with a touch that gives weight and solidity even at low dynamics…

[Michael Vincent] Waller consistently makes interesting and unusual work of the tools of minimalism, as in this fine new piece [Visage VII – Inside World]. Over a rising bass ostinato, Shpachenko gracefully played a long-limbed melody that sounded more attractive with each note… More direct, and in a way more personal, was Daniel Felsenfeld’s punchy Down to You is Up… the Velvet [Underground] influence mainly comes through in the meaty passion of the music. It gets wild at times, and Shpachenko played with plenty of power… the highlight of the concert, [was] Tom Flaherty’s Rainbow Tangle… Shpachenko played expertly with and through the electronics, shaping the dynamics into a rich ambient sound… eminently worthwhile concert from Shpachenko and her fellow composers.”