“I doubt that anyone in Music Hall expected the firestorm of virtuosity that poured forth from Alexandra Conunova’s violin in the Khachaturian Violin Concerto.”
“In her debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 17, Conunova flew through its difficulties in a breathtaking display.”
“The violinist dug into the opening phrases with intensity, her violin projecting a throaty sound.”
“She tackled technical feats with flair, crouching as she reached for a low passage, turning to play with the orchestra, and swaying with the music.”
“Her first-movement cadenza was an extraordinary technical display.”
“At the work’s center, the Andante sostenuto was the emotional summit, almost projecting notes of tragedy. She brought out its folk mood with sweetness of tone.”
“Her playing sparkled and she smiled through its difficulties with stunning control.”
“Conunova brought [an] outstanding sense of passion and flair to her performance, particularly in the extended solo cadenza in the first movement and the musical pyrotechnics of the third movement”