PRESS

Critical acclaim for the

Argento New Music Project

“Argento Chamber Ensemble...[is] providing a real service to new-music lovers in New York City, by exposing works that might otherwise go unperformed…”
– Alex Ross, The New Yorker

“An essential source of adventurous new music in New York.”
– Steve Smith, Night After Night

“Their technical polish lets them move easily through the rhythmic and harmonic thickets of the contemporary styles that are their specialty, but they also bring to their performances the kind of unsettled, restless energy that seems a special province of the young. Michel Galante, the group's conductor, is able to transform these warring qualities into readings that make even relatively static pieces sound dynamic and charged.”
– Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

“The [Argento Chamber Ensemble's] performance succeeded in every way that really matters. It seized the moment and persuaded one that if Kilkenny Arts Festival wanted to end at the top, it could not get much higher than this.”
– Martin Adams, The Irish Times

“Argento deserve commendation for delivering a CD that matches fine performance with fine recording and mixing. Murail's works live in the details, and Argento have rendered them richly.”
– Lanier Sammons, Sequenza 21

“[The Argento Chamber Ensemble's] thrillingly gritty, acid-tinged account of Schoenberg's early Chamber Symphony No. 1 caught Expressionism in full flower.”
– Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

“It renders [the works] not merely approachable but positively delectable through its mix of technical command and urgent advocacy.…an exceptionally rich, detailed recording.”
– Steve Smith, The New York Times

Complete press clips

Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times, April 26, 2016: Portrait of Beat Furrer [PDF forthcoming] Correction: In the performance of Xenos III, the text was recited live, on stage, by the composer. His voice was electronically processed in real time and then amplified by the natural resonance of the timpani.

Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times, March 27, 2015: Mahler as New York Contemporary [PDF]

Steve Smith, The New York Times, September 21, 2011: Czechsplorations I at the Moving Sounds Festival: arrangements of Janacek's Prelude to From the House of the Dead, Violin Sonata (for saxophone), and Mahler's Adagio from Symphony No. 10

Joel Myers, Virtual Shellfish, February 21, 2011: Haas's in vain at the Park Avenue Armory

Vivan Schweitzer, The New York Times, February 15, 2011: Haas's in vain at the Park Avenue Armory

Paul Bailey, Sequenza21, January 19, 2011: Ferneyhough's La chute d'Icare, Romitelli's Professor Bad Trip, etc. at the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, January 11, 2011: Ferneyhough's La chute d'Icare, Romitelli's Professor Bad Trip, etc. at the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles

OutWestArts, January 11, 2011: Ferneyhough's La chute d'Icare, Romitelli's Professor Bad Trip, etc. at the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, November 29, 2010: Haas's in vain at EMPAC and the Moving Sounds Festival

Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, November 21, 2010: Fred Lerdahl Composer Portrait

Joseph Dalton, November 12, 2010: Haas's in vain at EMPAC

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, June 24, 2010: Schumann at 200

Steve Smith, The New York Times, March 8, 2010: Sebestian Currier Composer Portrait

Steve Smith and Olivia Giovetti, Time Out New York, December 31, 2009: Best of 2009

Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, December 18, 2009: 2009's most memorable performances (Haas's in vain)

Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, November 18, 2009: Miranda Cuckson plays Ralph Shapey

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, September 14, 2009: Moving Sounds Festival

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, May 6, 2009: Olivier Messiaen Centenary

Steve Smith, The New York Times, April 7, 2009: Fineberg's Lolita (Page 2)

Josef Woodard, Los Angeles Times, February 17, 2009: Grisey's Les espaces acoustiques

Daniel Ginsberg, The Washington Post, February 11, 2009: Georg Friedrich Haas's in vain

Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times, February 9, 2009: Georg Friedrich Hass's in vain

Steve Smith, Time Out New York, February 5, 2009: Georg Friedrich Haas's in vain

Steve Smith, The New York Times, August 1, 2008: Music of Pierre Boulez

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2008: Helmut Lachenmann's Mouvement (external link)

Rick Schultz, Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2008: Interview with Helmut Lachenmann (external link)

Steve Smith, Night After Night, December 28, 2007: Steve Smith's Best of 2007 (external link)

The Irish Times, December 24, 2007: Argento at the National Gallery, Dublin (external link)

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, March 25, 2007: Argento's debut CD Winter Fragments on the AEON label (external link)

The New York Times, March 25, 2007: Argento's debut CD Winter Fragments on the AEON label (PDF)

Steve Smith, Night After Night, March 25, 2007: Argento's debut CD Winter Fragments on the AEON label (external link)

Lanier Sammons, Sequenza 21, March 24, 2007: Winter Fragment CD (external link)

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, February 2, 2007: German Expressionism--Schoenberg, Wagner/Szeto, Haas, Stockhausen

Steve Smith, Night After Night: January 31, 2007: German Expressionism--Schoenberg, Wagner/Szeto, Haas, Stockhausen (external link)

The Irish Times, August 21, 2006: Argento at the Kilkenny Festival

Argento at Kilkenny, August 2006

Steve Smith, Night After Night: May 11, 2006: Stephanie Griffin portrait

Steve Smith, Night After Night, May 9, 2006: Grisey, Stephanie Griffin, and Miranda Cuckson (external link)

Steve Smith, Night After Night, May 8, 2006: IRCAM at Miller Theatre (external link)

Anne Midgette, The New York Times, September 13, 2005: French Connections (external link) (alternative link)