Chamber music has always been a priority for me. I have performed hundreds of chamber music concerts internationally, in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Japan and throughout the U.S., participating in more than fifteen international music festivals. In recent seasons, I appeared at New York’s Merkin Hall, at Music Mountain Festival in Connecticut, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, as well as in concerts in Detroit, Las Vegas, Omaha, Naples, Tampa, Miami, and tours in California, Mexico, Taiwan, and Israel. These concerts received enthusiastic reviews in the Strad and the Washington Post, among many other publications.
In the Pacific Northwest, I was also honored to collaborate with and to perform for some of the most prestigious classical music organizations such as Chamber Music Northwest, Friends of Chamber Music, Fear No Music, and Third Angle New Music.
As a former member of the acclaimed Amernet String Quartet in residence at Florida International University, I toured extensively throughout the US and Israel. Prior to this, I was a member of the Delray String Quartet, with whom we commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by Richard Danielpour and Kenneth Fuchs for three Naxos albums. Previously, I was the first violinist of the Harrington String Quartet, with which we recorded the Mendelssohn viola quintets with renowned violist James Dunham. Further chamber music collaborations include concerts with Joseph Kalichstein, Franklin Cohen, Alexander Fiterstein, as well as some members from the Cleveland, Miami, Pro Arte and Vogler string quartets, among others.
While placing an emphasis on the music of the first Viennese school and romantic music, I have also performed, recorded, and premiered dozens of chamber music works by contemporary composers and worked with musicians such us Augusta Read Thomas, Dimitri Tymoczko, Chinary Ung, John Luther Adams, Joan Tower, Juan Pablo Contreras, Gabriella Smith, and Gabriela Lena Frank, just to name a few.
“laudable level of technical accuracy…tenderness and warmth”
“It is the result of many years of experience, full attention, research and decision-making....it is a recording of incontestable beauty...an adventure that displays a journey of absolute love for the music of J.S. Bach”
“Editor's Picks”
“clarity and tonal opulence rare in recordings of violin music”
“perfectly conceived”
“outstanding from the very beginning”
“A neglected stash of unrecorded Schubert”
“His pure sound, perfect intonation and fast tempos mean that Bach’s fiendishly difficult challenges become more exposed, yet he never misses a beat. The recording….captures the golden glow of his violin… in sound that is honest and clean”
“Cotik scales Bach’s solo mountain with skill. His intricate yet soulful take is assured without ever being showy.”
“absolutely impeccable, with intonation in the centre of every note, and his left hand flying around the fingerboard with remarkable agility”
“a musician who prepares thoroughly and has great respect for the music he performs”
“Everyone who plays these works should hear these exemplary performances...you will never hear these Telemann Fantasias played so well ”
“Un disco revelador de la maestría de los jóvenes intérpretes que lo firman: Tomas Cotik y Tao Lin.”
“His amazing technical skill and artistic know-how...create an indelible interpretation of Bach’s music...Cotik’s combines impeccable technique and an intuitive artistry to fashion a mesmerizing interpretation of these pieces.”
“I find the Cotik and Lin performances most interesting and the sound on their disc is excellent”
“the secret here...always let curiosity be a constant inspiration. If Tomas Cotik ever revisits these works on record it will be fascinating to hear the results, but it's hard to see how they could be better that this”
“I was immediately impressed by their virtuosity and also their understanding of Piazzolla’s music. I was anxious to see them perform in person”
“NOMINATED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARDS 2018”
“Overall, these two discs featuring Cotik must be regarded as among the finest performances for their consistent artistry and idiomatic grasp”
“uplifting quality”
“un violinista excelente... que recoge una forma rigurosa, natural y fuera de lo común de entender e interpretar la música”
“The joyful virtuosity and stylish musicianship that Tomas Cotik and Tao Lin brought to their superb cycle of Schubert’s violin-and-piano works for the Centaur label happily permeate their cycle of Mozart’s sonatas”
“This album...immediately stands out as a recording of excellent quality. Equipped with a refined technique, Cotik interprets these masterpieces of Bach's genius with a deep sense of style thanks to an attention to phrasing ”
“His interpretation of Bach’s sonatas and partitas his newest album in should add a notch to his reputation as a stellar violinist”
“None of these pieces has ever sounded quite like this before.”
“Las versiones son óptimas por la compenetración estilística del dúo y la prestancia instrumental del admirable violinista”
“a treat from start to finish”
“Un disco ideal”
“Cotik and Tao Lin have…honored not only their professions as musicians, but the memory and work of Franz Schubert”
“Cotik vanta un violinismo costantemente brillante e un colore di suono caldo e avvolgente”
“Argentinean violinist Tomás Cotik... is not just another violinist. He is a passionate musician who always seems to get under the skin of the music he performs”
“unusual depth and broad compass...absolutely brilliant... unmistakable vitality...optimally recorded”
“Cotik makes Kreisler seem almost smarmy, Isabelle Faust almost mannered, and Julia Fischer as though she's filed down the detail”
“excellent style, which is not frequently found”
“Anche nell’interpretazione delle sonate di Mozart si evidenziano l’ottima cavata e la perfetta tecnica di Cotik negli staccati particolarmente brillanti.”
“an extraordinary performance that can stand up against any other”
“an exemplary presentation of some marvelous music”
“there is no question but that this is the most exciting rendition of these works I’ve ever hear... this is now my benchmark performance of these works”
“their lofty musicianship dwarfs their profound scholarship”
“Hace muy poco descubrí esta maravilla...dos extraordinarios instrumentalistas que uniendo su talento logran...algo genial.”
“brilliant Argentinean violinist”
“The Piazzolla album is not just Cotik as brilliant interpreter, but also as creative mind.”
“un disco la cui qualità riesce a proporre la freschezza affascinante della cultura musicale germanica come nuova, come se non si fossero mai ascoltate prima”
“I highly commend Mr. Cotik for his innovative interpretations and I hope many future audiences will experience his musical excellence”
“I marvel at the technical skill which effortlessly encompasses these deeply contrasting styles....a technical as well as expressive master stroke”
“excellent violin playing...extremely enjoyable interpretations of music that I love”
“this superbly produced Schubert disc…comes warmly commended”
“phenomenal technique”
“One imagines the Nuevo tango master would be as captivated as any listener by such exquisite performances.”
“should leave listeners almost breathless…a vibrancy and attention to detail...strong individuality and… vitality”
“My first chamber choice for the year. ”
“un trabajo de mucha calidad, por la originalidad de los arreglos y especialmente porque se trata de un excelente instrumentista”
“intelligent and sensitive...glories in...colorations and shared emphasis”
“a first-rate set of these of Mozart sonatas”
“Tomás Cotik’s deeply analytical playing adds to an exhilarating display of the musical wonders the composer saw in the violin”
“one comes away from the recording dazzled by Cotik's musicianship and technique; one is also struck by the agility of his execution, his expert command of tempo and intonation, and his ability to consistently maintain the highest level of performance ”
“Cotik phrases this music with such feeling, making you wonder if it could possibly sound better in any other performance.”
“short this is a great recording if you value warmth and sweetness in Mendelssohn. Here, though, nothing is forced, and, as I say, the world seems a better place.”
“ There are so many delightful details to savour that one hardly knows where to begin...a most rewarding Mozart cycle”
“wonderful album…impressive for the elegance and sensitivity of the interpretations”
“urgently recommended”
“bemerkenswert, kunstvolle und expressive Interpretationen...auf hohem Niveau und den jeweiligen Stilen perfekt angepasst”
“there is no question that this disc is, by some distance, Naxos's best Piazzolla recording ”
“Evocative concert of Jewish classical music”
“The technical qualities of the recording - which is on the NAXOS label, by the way - are excellent.”
“This is an excellent recital. I enjoy the Piazzolla Tango Etudes more as played by Cotik than by anyone else. ”
“I’ve had a listen to a few alternatives…including Isaac Stern with Daniel Baremboim and Lydia Mordkovitch, but this duo pretty much ticks all the boxes”
“Cotik transcends even the profoundly meditative”
“this is one of the great Piazzolla discs, and in perfect sound quality, I urge you to buy it.”
“recreating the visceral charge of Piazzolla’s legendary quintet concerts and recordings”
“We encounter here an extraordinary violinist, with an overwhelming technique and a musicality; the results are excellent, with little or nothing to envy the greatest interpretations that could have ever been recorded.”
“exceptional...Piazzolla can be played differently than this, but provably not better.”
“The BBC Music team’s current favourites”
“conviction, commitment, diplomacy, and character”
“If you love the solo violin, you won't find a better recording to suit your tastes”
“Some of the music is sultry while other works are fast, rhythmic, and ornamented to show the exquisite virtuosity of Cotik”
“true treasure...one of the latest gems to emerge from the season”
“among the very best Piazzolla albums”
“an excellent violinist”
“violinist Tomas Cotik is always up for a new challenge”
“Cotik Kicks Butt in Piazzolla! A wild and wonderful CD.”
“If anyone's up to the task, it's Cotik”
“Cotik and the orchestra provided impressive advocacy for a multifaceted work that deserves to be heard more often. Cotik seamlessly handled the frequent changes in mood and adroitly traversed the work’s myriad technical challenges while always keeping the focus on the music.”
“Supersonic Award winner. Tomas Cotik’s Piazzolla is carnal, passionate and nowhere easy-going. Together with his group he has produced a riveting CD.”
““Legacy” es, sin dudas, un álbum para emocionarse y escuchar continuamente. Excelencia pura. Imprescindible!”
“this is clearly a team to watch. I am sure we will be hearing good things from them in the future”
“una nueva forma de mirar, entender y percibir la música de diferentes épocas”