Reviews

 

“Susan Chan plays with tremendous musicianship and technical mastery throughout the recording. Her commitment to this music, to which she alludes in her program note, is audible in every phrase she plays. The disc’s sound quality is impeccable.”

Fanfare

“Chan…plays all of this music with assurance and sympathy. …this CD provides an ideal introduction to a rich realm of mostly unknown music.”

Fanfare

 

“An energetic advocate for contemporary music.”

The New Yorker

“Chan played the piece eloquently, especially the slower second movement (of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2)… The audience wholeheartedly responded to the piece with cheering and a standing ovation.”

Northwest Reverb

 

“A brilliant pianist. She has a great sense of communication with the audience as a performer, both through the music and in verbal comments. She possesses a finished technique capable of communicating the most difficult works of our repertoire; in addition she speaks with long lines and beautifully conceived phrasing. She uses a full tonal palate, dynamic range and understanding of texture to support the considerable repertoire she plays. I especially appreciate the distinct differences she brings to the various style periods of our repertoire… It is also important to recognize her commitment to new music. Dr. Chan embraces not only the central repertoire but also explores contemporary literature, especially works by women composers and artists from several Pacific Rim countries.”

Harold Gray
Former Artistic Director, Portland Piano International

 

“In all, this all makes for an unusual program, made compelling by a uniquely charming musician.”

— Fanfare

“Pianist Susan Chan … shows remarkable clarity of vision and purpose.”

Phil’s Classical Reviews

 

“A gripping performance.”

“She enveloped her audience with the simple eloquence and love with which she so lavishly interpreted this music.”

“A thoughtful and interesting musician. A sensitive player.”

“…Brought revelations. Ms. Chan performed the invaluable service of opening up new musical worlds to her audience.”

“Brilliantly performed. She showed consummate control and concentration throughout.”

New York Concert Review

 

“Her committed advocacy of contemporary Asian sounds makes Chan a real asset to Oregon music.”

— Brett Campbell Oregon Arts Watch

“Excellent and thought-provoking, this is a necessary purchase for anyone even remotely interested in Chinese composers.”

Fanfare

 

“It was a pleasure to work with such a gifted and highly dedicated musician whose serious and deep human qualities match her fine talent.”

György Sebök
Former Distinguished Professor of Music, Indiana University

“… a disc brilliantly played by Susan Chan.”

Ritmo

 

“Chan's performance throughout the evening featured precise, sensitive, and delicately nuanced playing… just super-fine pianism. Her playing was mesmerizing; she held the audience entranced.”

The Classical Voice of North Carolina

“Her piano recital was a revelation of controlled yet poetic playing. Her playing demonstrated a lack of egotism which is rare nowadays, and allowed the pieces to unfold themselves with her as an inconspicuous mediator who was however every moment in control.”

Nicholas Routley
Former Professor of Music, University of Sydney

 

“Played with conspicuous refinement.”

BBC Music Magazine

“High class playing.”

Janos Starker
Former Professor of Music, Indiana University

 

“Susan Chan’s performances are nicely expressive, pianistic and dramatic or contemplative, depending on the mood of the work.”

Applegate Classical-Modern Music Review

“Chan gives a fine reading of the Chopin Sonata, with great technical finesse and shapely phrasing.”

Fanfare

 

“This is beautiful playing, … well crafted and awash with subtle tonal shading.”

Fanfare

“I would like to hear Chan playing Debussy, a composer that would surely appeal to the sensitivity she generates through her fingers.”

David’s Review Corner

 

“ Chan’s dynamic pianism is poetic, highly intense, and expressive, and her grand portrayal effectively captures the distinctive Oriental atmosphere.”

Clavier Companion

“Chan found lovely moments and realized them. She played with proficiency… Pep, yes. Sweetness, yes.”

Sunday Herald-Times
Bloomington, Indiana

 

“There are three World Premiere recordings in this survey of contemporary Chinese piano music by Hong Kong-born pianist Susan Chan… Pianist Chan is a persuasive colourist who brings a wide range of nuances from the keyboard, and this anthology deserves to be heard for its variety.”

The Straits Times Singapore

“Through her brilliant technique, precise interpretation and wonderful control of tone, Susan Chan fully revealed the unique character of each piece of music and transmitted it straight to the hearts and souls of the audience. This was especially so in the Asian pieces she performed”.

Portland Chinese Times

 

“Chan performed with a remarkably keen sensitivity to every nuance of the music. The music was brought to life through her crystal clear touch, fluid technique, captivating passion, multi-layered shadings, and vivid contrasts in colour and dynamics.”

Ming Pao
Hong Kong