“The soloist was the 13-year-old, Siberian-born Mikhail Simonyan . . . who brought breadth, lyricism, and fleet technique to this ruminative, extravagantly scored music . . . Mr. Simonyan played as if every note counted.” – The New York Times
“ a flawless, liquid line and ravishing tone.” – The Washington Post
“From the solo phrases, it was obvious that here was violin playing of a very special sort. And what followed from there to the concerto’s end more than confirmed that initial judgment. Afterward, at intermission, a well-known Moscow conductor, himself a violinist and a severe critic of others in that profession, was asked his opinion of Simonyan. ‘I would guess,’ he answered, ‘that maybe four or five others in the world play that well.’” – The Moscow Times “….an exceptional young artist” – Pittsburgh Post Gazette
“And so it went throughout the recital – the violinist lavishing sweet, juicy sound on lyric passages, and the pianist responding with solid structural support and sensitive phrasing. Both artists clearly think in coherent musical paragraphs, and their performance demonstrated a single-mindedness of purpose. Simonyan responded with trenchant attack and dark, resinous coloring to the purple writing in Grieg’s big-hearted, if episodic, Violin Sonata.” – The Washington Post
“Simonyan gave a youthful vigor and even a bit of sass to Tchaikovsky. In the opening to the third movement, a flourish of pizzicatos received a slight but sudden hesitation out of rhythm. The look on Simonyan’s face said it was no accident and Gergiev reacted, turning his head to the violas on his right, as if to say, ‘that kid.’ A moment later the soloist and conductor locked eyes to set the pace for the racing finale.” – Albany Times Union
“Violinist Mikhail Simonyan is a musician of formidable gifts as well, made evident by his account of the Khachaturian concerto. He applied a dazzling range of attacks in the first movement, and his playing had all the grit and vigor one could ask. For the second movement, Simonyan leaned into those mysterious long phrases, pulling in the listener along with him. The frantic final movement was a brilliant tour-de-force, a lengthy virtuoso vehicle.” – The Patriot-News
“Standing in front of the 100-piece Kirov Orchestra, the 20-year-old Russian played with technical aplomb and emotional flair. Gergiev seemed to stay out of the way giving the young soloist the opportunity to shine. And shine he did, particularly in the more lyrical passages in the second movement. It was Simonyan’s emotional violin – even more than Gergiev’s graceful hand – that seemed to summon the force of the orchestra into an almost organic ebb and flow of dynamic contrasts.” – Appleton Post-Crescent
“Simonyan performed with vivacity, piquancy and languid tenderness. In particular, the fiery tang of the opening gave the more languorous moments the space they craved.” – The Telegram & Gazette
“Youth was also in the solo spotlight with Mikhail Simonyan. Just 16, the Russian musician showed artistic maturity and impressive technical polish as protagonist in Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto. Simonyan dug into the Armenian composer’s galumphing rhythms and frantic virtuosity, with a firmly focused tone.” – The Sun Sentinel
“The evening’s gleaming star was Mikhail Simonyan . . . with the poise, perfection, and inner-burning fire of a master like David Oistrakh – in his prime, on a good night . . . My only question is, when are we going to have this young genius – a seemingly flawless young fiddler – back.” – The Miami Herald
“As the soloist, violinist Mikhail Simonyan displayed incredible dexterity on the concerto’s fastest passages and used a tender, calming touch on the piece’s slower and often softer passages. During one extended solo passage in the first movement, Simonyan made effective use of a descending glissando, drawing it out to create tension.” – South Bend Tribune
“… he seems destined to be ranked on the same Superstar level as fellow Novosibirsk natives Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin.” – The Moscow Times
“Simonyan gave a very exciting performance full of fiery velocity and producing big sounds…Gergiev created a strong environment on which Simonyan thrived.” – Pittsburgh Tribune
