Multidisciplinary Collaborations
A multidisciplinary collaboration with Dr. Dave Collangelo, “OMBRA Musici” took place in the frame of the Portland Winter Light Festival 2019. The central facade of the PSU Library became a canvas for projected silhouettes of four individual faculty from the School of Music and Theater as they each performed a solo work. Spectators passing by and congregating in front of the building heard the music through loudspeakers and saw the moving silhouettes projected on the full height of the building. The work’s Italian title, “Ombra Musici,” or “Musician’s Shadow,” directly references the visual content of the work, connects to the Italian basis for classical music description, and alludes to a shared ephemerality and capacity for augmentation and amplification between shadow play and large-scale projection. The shadow and the music brought scenes that typically happen inside Lincoln Hall on to the façade of the library. This “inside out” concept brought art even closer to the community in what has already become a marquee festival in Portland. More projects are coming up!
“A revealing album of the mastery of the young performers who sign it ”
REVISTA DOCENOTAS
“excellent Piazzollean style, which is not frequently found”
Daniel Binelli
“laudable level of technical accuracy…tenderness and warmth”
The Palm Beach Arts Paper
“a work of high quality, for the originality of the arrangements and especially because he is an excellent instrumentalist ”
REVISTA RITMO
“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.”
RITMO MAGAZINE
“Cotik proves to here to have conquered an impressive variety of repertoire, already now much wider than what is usual today.”
CONCERTO - DAS MAGAZIN FÜR ALTE MUSIK
“One imagines the Nuevo tango master would be as captivated as any listener by such exquisite performances.”
TEXTURA
“an exemplary presentation of marvelous music”
The Palm Beach Arts Paper
“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”
Gramophone Magazine
“an extraordinary performance that can stand up against any other”
TEXTURA
“among the very best Piazzolla albums”
David Denton for David’s Review Corner
“conviction, commitment, diplomacy, and character”
The Strad
“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”
MusicWeb International
“I highly commend Mr. Cotik for his innovative interpretations and I hope many future audiences will experience his musical excellence”
Gary Burton
“The BBC Music team’s current favourites”
BBC MAGAZINE, Niel McKim
“An ideal disc”
SONOGRAMA MAGAZINE
“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”
THE WHOLENOTE MAGAZINE
“Astor Piazzolla and its main interpreter is the Argentine violinist Tomas Cotik's ...musical maturity joins that way of feeling one's roots, which gives the experience of remoteness ”
REVISTA TEATRO COLON
“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”
SONOGRAMA MAGAZINE
“this is one of the great Piazzolla discs, and in perfect sound quality, I urge you to buy it.”
David Denton for David’s Review Corner
“Tomás Cotik’s deeply analytical playing adds to an exhilarating display of the musical wonders the composer saw in the violin”
GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE
“Supersonic Award winner. Tomas Cotik’s Piazzolla is carnal, passionate and nowhere easy-going. Together with his group he has produced a riveting CD.”
Pizzicato
“a musician who prepares thoroughly and has great respect for the music he performs”
The Palm Beach Arts Paper
“this is clearly a team to watch. I am sure we will be hearing good things from them in the future”
MusicWeb International
“perfectly conceived”
Fanfare Magazine
“Overall, these two discs featuring Cotik must be regarded as among the finest performances for their consistent artistry and idiomatic grasp”
Classical Net
“true treasure...one of the latest gems to emerge from the season”
John Terauds – Musical Toronto
“Cotik phrases this music with such feeling, making you wonder if it could possibly sound better in any other performance.”
Classical Net
“ There are so many delightful details to savour that one hardly knows where to begin...a most rewarding Mozart cycle”
Gramophone Magazine
“without a doubt, an album to get excited and listen to continuously. Pure excellence. Essential! ”
CULTURALMENTE INCORRECTO
“an excellent violinist”
Michael Tilson Thomas
“absolutely impeccable, with intonation in the centre of every note, and his left hand flying around the fingerboard with remarkable agility”
David Denton for David’s Review Corner
“Cotik Kicks Butt in Piazzolla! A wild and wonderful CD.”
THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE
“Cotik has a consistently brilliant violinism and warm, enveloping sound ”
GBOPERA MAGAZINE
“an excellent violinist ... who picks up a rigorous, natural and unusual way of understanding and interpreting music ”
Docenotas
“I was immediately impressed by their virtuosity and also their understanding of Piazzolla’s music. I was anxious to see them perform in person”
Gary Burton
“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.”
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
“wonderful album…impressive for the elegance and sensitivity of the interpretations”
John Terauds – Musical Toronto
“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 ”
GBOPERA
“phenomenal technique”
Musical Toronto
“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.”
SOUTH FLORIDA CLASSICAL REVIEW
“clarity and tonal opulence rare in recordings of violin music”
Fanfare Magazine
“outstanding from the very beginning”
Fanfare Magazine
“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 ”
TEXTURA
“The technical qualities of the recording - which is on the NAXOS label, by the way - are excellent.”
Robert W. Plyer, THE OBSERVER
“The Piazzolla album is not just Cotik as brilliant interpreter, but also as creative mind.”
Musical Toronto
“should leave listeners almost breathless…a vibrancy and attention to detail...strong individuality and… vitality”
Fanfare Magazine
“This is an excellent recital. I enjoy the Piazzolla Tango Etudes more as played by Cotik than by anyone else. ”
American Record Guide
“Cotik sounds consistently brilliant ”
STRINGS MAGAZINE
“there is no question that this disc is, by some distance, Naxos's best Piazzolla recording”
MusicWeb International
“Cotik transcends even the profoundly meditative”
FANFARE MAGAZINE
“ Also in the interpretation of Mozart's sonatas, Cotik's excellent performance and perfect technique stand out in the particularly brilliant articulations ”
GBOPERA MAGAZINE
“urgently recommended”
Fanfare Magazine
“a record which quality manages to propose the fascinating freshness of Germanic musical culture as new, as if the music had never been heard before ”
GBOPERA MAGAZINE
“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.”
AUDIOPHILE AUDITION
“Cotik…honored not only his professions as musician, but the memory and work of Franz Schubert”
The Palm Beach Arts Paper
“unusual depth and broad compass...absolutely brilliant... unmistakable vitality...optimally recorded”
Audio Video Club of Atlanta
“Cotik never indulges in violinistic brilliance at the expense of music, but he sounds consistently brilliant nevertheless.”
Fanfare Magazine
“Editor's Picks”
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
“excellent violin playing...extremely enjoyable interpretations of music that I love”
American Record Guide
“uplifting quality”
MusicWeb International
“it is a fact that the enthusiastic performance of Argentine Tomás Cotik and the way he captures the audience is captivating”
GRAMOFON
“If anyone's up to the task, it's Cotik”
TEXTURA
“a new way of looking at, understanding and perceiving music from different eras”
SONOGRAMA MAGAZINE
“their lofty musicianship dwarfs their profound scholarship”
Fanfare Magazine
“NOMINATED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARDS 2018”
ICMA
“Some of the music is sultry while other works are fast, rhythmic, and ornamented to show the exquisite virtuosity of Cotik”
FANFARE MAGAZINE
“the brilliant musicians’ ability to shift tempos...gracefully wring emotion from heartbreaking ballad tempos or generate fireworks with breakneck riffs...”
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
“brilliantly performs the complete series of sonatas composed by Mozart ... a masterful musical compendium ..... an essential, addictive set. An almost hypnotic musical journey ”
CULTURALMENTE INCORRECTO
“Cotik scales Bach’s solo mountain with skill. His intricate yet soulful take is assured without ever being showy.”
BBC Magazine
“Cotik’s performance is powerful and technically brilliant, the intonation always flawless,... fearless round, and well-balanced”
CONCERTO - DAS MAGAZIN FÜR ALTE MUSIK
“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”
THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE
“brilliant Argentinean violinist”
David Denton for David’s Review Corner
“His interpretation of Bach’s sonatas and partitas his newest album in should add a notch to his reputation as a stellar violinist”
NORTHWEST REVERB
“Evocative concert of Jewish classical music”
The Washington Post
“a treat from start to finish”
Musical Toronto
“recreating the visceral charge of Piazzolla’s legendary quintet concerts and recordings”
South Florida Classical Review
“The versions are optimal due to the stylistic understanding of the duo and the instrumental excellence of the admirable violinist. ”
REVISTA SCHERZO
“exceptional...Piazzolla can be played differently than this, but provably not better.”
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
“Everyone who plays these works should hear these exemplary performances...you will never hear these Telemann Fantasias played so well ”
American Record Guide
“Very recently I discovered this marvel ... two extraordinary instrumentalists who, combining their talents, achieve ... something great. ”
Luis Andarcia, VENUE MAGAZINE
“Cotik’s performances are full of color, possess an elegant virtuosity and above all achieve the lyrical refinement that springs from a music that catches us by its rhythmic and melodic seduction ”
REVISTA MUSICAL CATALANS
“I find the Cotik and Lin performances most interesting and the sound on their disc is excellent”
Maria Nockin – Fanfare Magazine
“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”
GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE
“a first-rate set of Mozart sonatas”
THE ARTS MUSIC LOUNGE
“Comparisons are inevitable; on my shelves are the Grumiaux- Haskil team, the Stern-Barenboim combination, Szymon Goldberg and Radu Lupu, and Zukerman and Neikrug readings. The Cotik-Lin duo can take its place among those earlier esteemed ensembles with heads held high.”
STRINGS MAGAZINE
“this superbly produced Schubert disc…comes warmly commended”
MusicWeb International
“violinist Tomas Cotik is always up for a new challenge”
Julia Amacher – American Public Media
“If you love the solo violin, you won't find a better recording to suit your tastes”
OBSERVER TODAY
“A neglected stash of unrecorded Schubert”
NORMAN LEBRECHT
“remarkable, artistic and expressive interpretations ... at a high level and perfectly adapted to the respective styles ”
PIZZICATO
“Cotik plays with a resonant, clear and warm tone, and dynamics, phrasing and tempi are all perfectly judged...a sentiment that is clearly evident in every single track of this exemplary set”
THE WHOLE NOTE
“None of these pieces has ever sounded quite like this before.”
INFODAD.COM
“I marvel at the technical skill which effortlessly encompasses these deeply contrasting styles....a technical as well as expressive master stroke”
CONTEMPORARY RECORD SOCIETY
“intelligent and sensitive...glories in...colorations and shared emphasis”
Fanfare Magazine
“My first chamber choice for the year. ”
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL Recordings Of The Year 2013
“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”
THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE
“'What a Performance 2020' Award Winner”
THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE
“Cotik makes Kreisler seem almost smarmy, Isabelle Faust almost mannered, and Julia Fischer as though she's filed down the detail”
Fanfare Magazine
“Warmly and sensitively played with beauty of tone, Cotik... captures the essence of Mozart in finely spun tone and sensitive contrasts in dynamics, rhythmic integrity, and clear phrasing. Their deeply felt rendition of this purest of music, from the carefree early sonatas to the more dramatic later opuses, is a model of transparency and genuine emotion. ”
STRINGS MAGAZINE
