Click on the links below to see what those countries think of Staryk.
Canada
Toronto
“He is today’s greatest Canadian-born violinist.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Staryk first displayed his virtuosity In Andre Prevost’s Sonata for Violin and Plano (1961). … Staryk’s playing, solidly backed by Miss Bowkun, was impeccable in the clarity and precision of the tiniest decorative detail. And in these respects he was sensational in Harry Freedman’s Encounter (1974), an impressive exploration of violin sonorities and virtuoso technique, beginning with the all but inaudible introduction to the fantastic opening double-stop passage and continuing with a dazzling display of trills, harmonics and iron control, until the closing blackout.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Violinist Steven Staryk with pianist Helena Bowkun presented a Bartok recital at Glendon College. With luck, Staryk might gel around to giving us all of the composer’s violin repertoire. That we will be hard put to find a more brilliant interpreter was best demonstrated in Sonata No.1. For sheer beauty of tone, the highlight was the lyrical Adagio, gently expressive in both violin and piano, and building to an intensely moving climax. Anyone who was awaiting virtuoso fireworks got them in stunning measure in the finale, which taxed the brilliance of both artists while maintaining impeccable ensemble balance. If Bartok fares as well during the rest of 1981, his centenary could be among the most memorable in several decades.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Prevost’s Senate (1961), with its Messiaen influence in the whistling and twittering of the last movement and a frantic exercise in volume, contrasts and dissonance in the first, was given as stunning an interpretation as one could hope for. Staryk managed to make expressive a slow movement that in lesser hands would have been only bleak.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Staryk soared into the broad melodies of Walton’s opening movement, made easy work of the fiendishly difficult presto, and sang his way through the finale. No sweat…[playing with] a coolness and Olympian detachment that have the effect that everything is under control, that the outcome has been pre-determined. …lt was Interesting to observe that the warmest applause came from the stage, from his fellow musicians, from professionals who react to the way the notes are actually played more than to glamour and fame.”
~ The Toronto Star
“For the Toronto Symphony’s first ever performance of Vivaldi’s Seasons, …last night’s soloist was Steven Staryk who approached the work as a series of set pieces. The tone painting was not neglected, but the musical event was paramount. It was an unusually vivid reading, in which the soloist dominated with disciplined passion and dramatic warmth.”
~ The Toronto Star
“A juxtaposition of 19th century Paganini with 20th century Klein turns out to be a polyhistorical piece. A clever one too. The parts were in good hands last night. Steven Staryk with all the confidence in the world, was perfectly cast to handle the virtuoso solo part, while Karel Ancerl conducted the Toronto Symphony with the care a premiere deserves.”
~ The Toronto Star
“Soloist Shines … he must have a particular affinity for the Mozart style, playing with sweetness, clarity and just the right volume, all qualities reminiscent of the late great Fritz Kreisler who significantly contributed to the popularity of Mozart[‘s] violin works. Staryk’s technique was flawless.”
~ The Examiner, Toronto
Montreal
“…a violinist of great class whose purity of style. technical mastery and sonority reminds us of Heifetz.”
~ La Presse, Montreal
“How can one explain that this magnificent instrumentalist is not more the violinist of the general public, while his playing has the highest esteem with his colleagues!”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“It is difficult to imagine a performance more superb in beauty than in the Adagio K.261 and the Rondo K.373 of Mozart. In these works, Staryk approaches a Thibaud or a Goldberg for his sonorous beauty and purity of style.”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“The bravura Wieniawskl Concerto No.2 that [Staryk] had chosen for the occasion was an irreproachable performance. How can one explain that this magnificent instrumentalist is not more the violinist of the general public, while his playing has the highest esteem with his colleagues.”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“Steven Staryk is the Canadian-born violinist who has made the most successful international career to date …. [T]his is his record debut as a soloist. All of the music is for violin alone and he plays with an assurance that comes only with maturity and experience.”
~ Montreal Star
“The most memorable features of Friday’s concert at the Salle Claude Champagne were elegantly molded sounds of Steven Staryk’s violin in Mozart’s G major violin concerto. His account of the heaven-sent slow movement was particularly touching.”
~ Montreal Star
“Staryk mesmerizes from start to end.”
~ The Gazette, Montreal
“Jean Papineau-Couture received an ovation for his Sonata in G minor (1944). It is a very palatable work that had a superb interpretation from Staryk and Perry.”
~ The Gazette, Montreal
Vancouver
“Staryk has been proclaimed “today’s greatest Canadian-born violinist.” After hearing him, one wonders if that “Canadian” qualifier is even necessary. He has earned himself a place in the circle of top violinists anywhere.”
~ Vancouver Sun
“The two artists [Staryk and John Perry] formed a partnership years ago, and their rapport is immediately evident in the beautiful synthesis of their musical output. All the pathos and passion of Brahms emerged, sumptuously conceived, in the playing of his Sonata in 0 minor, Op.1 08. They gave breadth and totality to all four movements, bringing the emotions of the sonata as a whole Into sharp focus.”
~ Vancouver Sun
“Cesar Franck’s Violin Sonata is not a work I would walk across town to hear, but the Staryk-Perry duo’s performance was certainly an opinion-changer.”
~ Vancouver Province
“Wieniawskl’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in 0 minor, a work which gave violinist Steven Staryk the opportunity to show off his astonishing technique. But on this occasion, Staryk was far more than flying fingers and daring double-stops. There was, in fact, so much warmth and color in his wonderful playing that he made the music sound better than it actually is.”
~ Vancouver Province
Victoria
“Staryk played with an admirable sense of life which-combined with his artistry and technical ability—made The Four Seasons the high point of the program. At times, Staryk’s sound was similar to the human voice—sometimes jubilant, elsewhere sobbing with emotion. Where appropriate, his tone acquired an earthy robustness.”
~ The Times Colonist, British Columbia
“Srul lrving Glick’s Concerto for Violin was commissioned by Laszlo Gati for the Victoria Symphony and Steven Staryk through the Canada Council. The following quote Is Glick’s dedication to Staryk: “I dedicate this work to Steven Staryk—may his beautiful playing continue to move audiences to the deepest appreciation of music.”
~ Victoria Symphony News
Ottawa
“The Walton Concerto in B minor was the next work with violinist Steven Staryk doing absolutely beautiful things. There was a great deal of command and a dignified romanticism. Staryk had plenty of virtuosity but we were not really made aware of it simply because he always drew our attention right to the music.”
~ The Citizen, Ottawa
“Mr. Staryk gave us a vivid account of Mendelssohn: It was, as one might have expected, impeccable. From the opening through the charm of the slow movement, to the scherzo-like finale of the last movement, there was never a hitch. Staryk’s tone was brilliant, warm and throbbing in its lower register, thrilling in Its higher flights. … The audience received this classic of the Romantic Age with delight and appreciation.”
~ Ottawa Journal
Calgary
“Steven Staryk was the principal draw of this pair of recitals. He performed two of the three Brahms violin sonatas, the 0 minor and A major with pianist Gloria Saarinen. The first gave evidence of Staryk’s talents—the patrician manner, never wasting a single musical gesture for mere effect. … The A major sonata was an altogether admirable affair, boldly and incisively drawn by Staryk and Saarinen equally. Cellist Vladimir Orloff hasn’t Staryk’s name recognition but is hardly less interesting an artist. The three musicians joined in two of the three piano trios Op.8 and 101. The trio was refined, with ensemble, balance and an obvious musical sympathy among the players.”
~ Calgary Herald
“Steven Staryk was responsible for a warm and exciting performance of tho Bartok concerto written in 1908 but not performed until 50 years later. Mr. Staryk’s affinity for this work was obvious when he soared into these remarkable opening bars. The second and final movement gave Staryk the opportunity to display his virtuosic talents (which are considerable).”
~ Calgary Herald
Winnipeg
“Mr. Staryk gave a penetrating, deep and beautiful interpretation of Mozart’s rare genius, which truly had spiritual greatness and quality. The concerto was played with strength and emotion but kept in classic simplicity. The second movement transplanted one to the Elysian Fields. It was in this Adagio that Mr. Staryk reached the greatest heights in the course of the work. From the opening measures to the hauntingly presented closing phrases, here, if ever, was a perfect example of soaring, soulful cantilena.”
~ Winnipeg Tribune
Windsor
“I don’t know your definition of class. One of mine is Steven Staryk soloing with the Windsor Symphony in Mendelssohn’s E minor Violin Concerto. … Staryk has not only kept it fresh but possesses something that counts for even more—the musicianship to guide us to the recognition that the E minor is the concerto of a consummate craftsman who was sovereign in his self-contained, aristocratic world. How did he do it? Mostly by an ideal marriage of line instrument and refined instincts, hitched for a performance of uncommon elegance and impeccable taste.”
~ The Windsor Star
Other
“Undoubtedly the most remarkable recent release of classical recordings in Canada, the Staryk-Perry complete Beethoven sonatas.”
~ Musicanada
USA
Chicago
“Mr. Staryk plays superbly, with temperament, style, fire, authority and a tone that has both song and bite.”
~ Chicago Tribune
“No violinist makes a purer sound.”
~ Chicago Daily News
“Staryk’s Stellar Tchaikovsky. Mr. Staryk had the high style …. he played the Tchaikovsky with elegance, fire, authority and with a tone that had both song and bite. The audience saluted him as it would a visiting virtuoso while claiming him as our own.”
~ Chicago Tribune
“Thursday night our attention was directed to the Beethoven Triple Concerto, which the Chicago Symphony played with Martinon conducting and a solo trio of concertmaster Steven Staryk, principal cello Frank Miller and pianist Gyorgy Sebok. You do not need a very long memory to recall performances in which virtuosity was more conspicuously in evidence, but this version found merit of Its own in a serious, straightforward approach to the score and ensemble playing in which first emphasis went on the music rather than any show of technique.”
~ Chicago Sun-Times
Seattle
“…his playing is impeccable and brilliant.”
~ The Seattle Times
“Staryk and his duo partner, pianist John Perry, toured for years as the Staryk-Perry Duo. [These performances …] of the Beethoven Violin and Piano Sonatas … are full of energy and fire, but also refinement; the players are deeply attuned to each other and to the nuances of the score. This Centaur recording (www.centaurrecords.com) is a set well worth having.”
~ The Seattle Times
“Staryk is a violinist capable of the big gesture—his more declamatory playing has an air of bold nobility—and the telling detail. His tone with surprising variety of colors was particularly memorable ….The Prokofiev encores were shaped with real tenderness. .. [and] in the Stravinsky where many violinists have a field day exploiting the composer’s intentional distortions … this violinist keeps his own identity while he serves the music.”
~ The Seattle Times
“His impact on the musical life of the University has been profound. This is the first time in the history of this University that a faculty member of the School of Music has received the Distinguished Teaching Award.”
~ William Gerberding, President, University of Washington, Seattle
New York
“His playing was irreproachable, technically, tonally and musically.”
~ New York Times
“… of even greater importance is the impressive collaboration of Staryk and Perry in the complete sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven. These two artists have developed a sensitivity, clean-lined crystal-line-textured playing many intellectual listeners prefer…their set is highly competitive and is especially recommended.”
~ New York Times
“The only contemporary “virtuoso-concertmaster” to be a star soloist.”
~ Irving Kolodin, New York
Atlanta
“Prince among teachers…”
~ Audio Video Club of Atlanta
“…among the greatest masters of the violin we have witnessed in our time.”
~ Audio Video Club of Atlanta
Philadelphia
“…he meets every challenge and surmounts them with consummate ease…VIOLIN LOVERS OF THE WORLD – AWAKE!”
~ The New Records, Philadelphia
“Staryk might be considered the greatest of the living virtuosi. He is without a doubt, one of the half dozen most gifted.”
~ The New Records, Philadelphia
Washington
“Beautiful work came from the orchestra’s [Chicago Symphony] great concertmaster, Steven Staryk.”
~ Washington Post
“… Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Plano and Stravinsky’s Suite ltallenne—couldn’t have sounded fresher or more compelling. Staryk’s controlled bowing and sensuous tone coupled with Perry’s equally impressive ability to draw every filament of light and shade out of the scores conjured up musical dialogue of the highest order.”
~ Washington Post
Detroit
“Steven Staryk, Canada’s most eminent violinist, soloed the Talivaldis Kenins 1974 Violin Concerto, a neo-romantic piece that would cause no problems for anyone acquainted with say the Berg or Stravinsky concertos. The 18-minute concerto, slightly dated but heartfelt and crafted with skill got a purposeful reading full of propulsiveness and urgency.”
~ The Detroit News
“The Kenins was given a remarkable performance by a remarkable soloist, Steven Staryk (to whom it is dedicated.) Staryk played it as if he was born to it, in a performance in which he mastered the technical difficulties so completely one forgot about them, setting free the soaring spirit of the work.”
~ The Detroit News
Boston
“Staryk, the youthful-looking concertmaster, has good control and intense sound, and a spirited non-lethargic approach. It was instructive to hear the cadenza to the first movement of the Haydn which was played in tempo and without that excessive rubato that has come to characterize cadenza performances.”
~ Boston Globe
Other
“The man’s control is demonic: the transparency and absolute ease of his playing are boundless. His playing is reminiscent of Heifetz…and when a different kind of virtuosity is needed, Staryk supplies classical purity in abundance.”
~ Hi-Fi Stereo Review
“The man’s control is demonic! His playing is reminiscent of Heifetz.”
~ Hi-Fi Stereo Review
“The present set is simply stupendous from any angle. His playing brings to mind the young Heifetz for its complete span of the entire virtuoso panache…and musicianly approach to the larger works.”
~ American String Teacher
“Why it took so long for Staryk to reach earth will always remain a mystery.”
~ American String Teacher
“…an extraordinary musician who I can count among the living on one hand.”
~ American Record Guide
“This is now my Beethoven violin sonata set of choice. …The fascination for me begins at the beginning of the first disk, when the piano answers the solo violin opening of the Kreutzer Sonata voiced in a way that makes it sound new, as if I were hearing it for the very first time. Staryk and Perry do the same kind of thing with every sonata, bringing out motifs, relationships between phrases, and counterpoint that I never noticed before (and I thought I knew these sonatas quite well). Perry and Staryk play everything hand-In-glove, matching articulations and colors-as if they were two people with one very brilliant, lively, and well-organized musical mind.”
~ American Record Guide
England
London
“…a virtuoso of the highest rank who is constantly being ‘discovered’ by awestruck reviewers.”
~ The Strad
“The “King of Concertmasters”.”
~ The Strad
“In December, Steven Staryk appeared in the Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein in a performance of the Paganlni-WIIhelmj First Concerto. Mr. Staryk’s performance proved to be a personal triumph. That this was a supreme technical feat has to be admitted, but the mere technical display did not serve to drown the musical intent which underlined every note. The full-blooded vitality of his tone left nothing to be desired, and to crown his achievement, he played the Sauret Cadenza—rarely heard In the concert hall because the technical difficulties are twice as complex. Mr. Staryk played this with such ease, that one was forced to assume that technical difficulties do not exist for him.”
~ The Strad
“…a large audience was held spellbound by truly musicianly playing of the highest order.”
~ Daily Telegraph
“… a large audience was held spellbound by his [Staryk’s] strong tone and truly musicianly playing of a high order. In a widely-ranged programme, Bach’s Chaconne seemed effortless…Beethoven’s C minor Sonata compelling…Bartok’s First Rhapsody vigorous, Szymanowski’s delicate Chant de Roxana haunting, and Paganini’s Caprices hair-raising.
~ Daily Telegraph
“Steven Staryk returned to the London recital platform last night, performing impressively with his pianist, Mario Bernardi, in a long and extremely taxing programme at Wigmore Hall. There was great authority in everything he did. Mr. Staryk put up a terrific display in the sustained emotions In the Prokofiev Sonata in F Minor, striding dauntlessly through Its concerto-like demands. This recital will certainly remain one of the most memorable of the season.”
~ Daily Telegraph
“The playing is absolutely electrifying.”
~ Records and Recordings
“Staryk’s performances on this disk clearly demonstrate that he is one of the great virtuoso violinists of our day. …The playing is absolutely electrifying …and it is strange that this is their first complete recording. [Caprices for Two Violins Op.18] The Polonaise and Scherzo-Tarantella are played with great panache. …ln the Legende Staryk’s gloriously floating tone brings out all the exquisite beauty of this ecstatic music.”
~ Records and Recordings
“He is fully romantic, yet has superb rhythm … tremendous experience, a wide knowledge of schools and styles, [and] an impeccable technique … A program that should reawaken an appreciation of what solo violin playing meant to a generation ago.”
~ Gramophone
“Steven Staryk showed at Wigmore Hall yesterday his distinction as a soloist. His playing is of the utmost decisiveness and force. But it can melt into extreme sensitiveness and sympathy. In a programme ranging from Leclair to Bartok we had bright and subtle sound, brilliant pace and figuration, trenchant attack, scrupulousness in ornament. The Bach Chaconne was yesterday’s centrepiece and, from the ringing address of the opening, it was thrillingly played.”
~ Daily Mail
“Steven Staryk’s brilliant account of concerto for violin and winds written by Kurt Weill in 1924 for Szigeti…”
~ Sunday Times
“Instead of wilting under the strain of so long a recital, they seemed to draw strength from everything they played, with the Prokofiev F Minor Sonata at the end as their outstanding achievement. For this work they had everything—the virtuosity, the wide range of colour and dynamics, and, last but not least, rich cantabile.”
~ The Times
“Big-musical job goes to Steven Staryk. …this Is the first time that a British-born leader has been appointed to such a job with any Continental orchestra, let alone of the international standing of the Concertgebouw.”
~ Music and Music
“Ein Heldenleben Memorial (HMV ASD 421) was in fact made In 1958. Steven Staryk is an admirable soloist, the R.P.O. are in fine form and the recording is a worthy memorial to a great Straussian.”
~ The Observer
“…Staryk has a virtual arsenal of means…high skill, broadly-based style…the adaptability to fulfill the formidable billing of a record set entitled 400 YEARS OF THE VIOLIN.”
~ Saturday Review
Netherlands
Amsterdam
“…not only a great violinist, but a great artist.”
~ Het Parool
“It became a distinguished and noble performance, in which one could also admire the eloquent sound and violinistic control from Staryk, as well as the magnificent ensemble with the orchestra. It was not only accompanying but unified ideals between two young artists [Haitink]. The 29-year-old Staryk produced a strong mature performance, shining melodically with utmost intensity and technically perfect.”
~ Het Parool
“Staryk, A Master Violinist. Staryk, well known in Holland, plays solo works from the 18th and 20th centuries with brilliance, great musicianship, and a splendid violinistic temperament. From the Baroque period he plays Geminiani, Pisendel (easily comparable with Bach), and Stamitz full of charm. The 20th century is represented by Hindemith, with his heart captivating Op.31, No.2, Prokofiev’s refreshing Op.115 and a beautiful aria by the Canadian composer Papineau-Couture.”
~ Het Vrije Volk, Amsterdam
“With a programme that made enormous demands upon technique and interpretation, S. Staryk was triumphant in his first recital in Amsterdam…the impression of being as firm as a rock. After his performance, the audience applauded him standing until he played as encore Brahm’s Sonatensatz Scherzo.”
~ Preludium Concertgebouw Nieuws
Rotterdam
“The violinist Steven Staryk furnished us with a rare musical treat with his interpretation of Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G Minor. Staryk, the new concertmaster of the Amsterdam Concertgebouworkest, possesses musical and technical qualities of the highest order. His playing approaches perfection itself and even in the most difficult passages remains noble and eminent. We cannot remember a more sublime performance of this work.”
~ Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant
“His playing approaches perfection itself. We cannot recall a more sublime performance.”
~ Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant
Zaandam
“…both the orchestra and the audience rose to honour him. A performance comparable to the most illustrious. He stood before us a great master, a superior artist.”
~ Dagblad Voor de Zaanstreek de Typhoon
Other
Zurich
“It was, naturally, a Russian who launched the “sputnik” and got it rolling—a young Ukrainian whose violinistic art sparkled in the Tchaikovsky Concerto and revealed a sound musician’s heart and the most lively sensations behind his rigid mask. …One wonders at his easy bow and wrist techniques. The finale sped by at such a tempo that the conductor [Sir Thomas Beecham] and his orchestra were brought running after in agitation.”
~ Zurich Tages-Anzeiger
“His beautiful singing tone was shown to great advantage, and the impetuosity of the finale seemed to reach the limit of possibility.”
~ Zurichsee Zeitung
Geneva
“An instrumentalist with the grand manner, Staryk has the virtuosity that comes with self-assurance.”
~ Courrier de Geneve
Websites
“As a Beethoven team, Staryk and Perry prove more generalized…while providing a more centrist, less confrontational ensemble aesthetic than Kremer/Argerich. The performances offer much to admire and savor. Take, for example, Op. 96’s flexible lyricism, gorgeously matched first-movement trills, and the dark, viola-like timbre Staryk achieves in the slow-movement variations. Other variation movements are sharply characterized and, regarding tempo relationships, effortlessly unified, such as those in Op.12 No.1, Op. 30 No.1, and Op. 47 (“Kreutzer”). The duo makes the most of the “Spring” sonata. …[C]hamber aficionados who value seasoned musicianship may wish to investigate this release…”
~ Classics Today (www.classicstoday.com)
“Following in the footsteps of Ferdinand David and JOSEPH JOACHIM, he may well be the most famous concertmaster in history.”
~ Prone to Violins
“Staryk performs so brilliantly that light from the Staryk Galaxy permanently illumines our musical skies.”
~ Audiophile Audition
Books
“… the most sought after leader [concertmaster] in the profession.”
~ Margaret Campbell in The Great Violinists, 2004
Toronto
“He is today’s greatest Canadian-born violinist.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Staryk first displayed his virtuosity In Andre Prevost’s Sonata for Violin and Plano (1961). … Staryk’s playing, solidly backed by Miss Bowkun, was impeccable in the clarity and precision of the tiniest decorative detail. And in these respects he was sensational in Harry Freedman’s Encounter (1974), an impressive exploration of violin sonorities and virtuoso technique, beginning with the all but inaudible introduction to the fantastic opening double-stop passage and continuing with a dazzling display of trills, harmonics and iron control, until the closing blackout.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Violinist Steven Staryk with pianist Helena Bowkun presented a Bartok recital at Glendon College. With luck, Staryk might gel around to giving us all of the composer’s violin repertoire. That we will be hard put to find a more brilliant interpreter was best demonstrated in Sonata No.1. For sheer beauty of tone, the highlight was the lyrical Adagio, gently expressive in both violin and piano, and building to an intensely moving climax. Anyone who was awaiting virtuoso fireworks got them in stunning measure in the finale, which taxed the brilliance of both artists while maintaining impeccable ensemble balance. If Bartok fares as well during the rest of 1981, his centenary could be among the most memorable in several decades.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Prevost’s Senate (1961), with its Messiaen influence in the whistling and twittering of the last movement and a frantic exercise in volume, contrasts and dissonance in the first, was given as stunning an interpretation as one could hope for. Staryk managed to make expressive a slow movement that in lesser hands would have been only bleak.”
~ The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“Staryk soared into the broad melodies of Walton’s opening movement, made easy work of the fiendishly difficult presto, and sang his way through the finale. No sweat…[playing with] a coolness and Olympian detachment that have the effect that everything is under control, that the outcome has been pre-determined. …lt was Interesting to observe that the warmest applause came from the stage, from his fellow musicians, from professionals who react to the way the notes are actually played more than to glamour and fame.”
~ The Toronto Star
“For the Toronto Symphony’s first ever performance of Vivaldi’s Seasons, …last night’s soloist was Steven Staryk who approached the work as a series of set pieces. The tone painting was not neglected, but the musical event was paramount. It was an unusually vivid reading, in which the soloist dominated with disciplined passion and dramatic warmth.”
~ The Toronto Star
“A juxtaposition of 19th century Paganini with 20th century Klein turns out to be a polyhistorical piece. A clever one too. The parts were in good hands last night. Steven Staryk with all the confidence in the world, was perfectly cast to handle the virtuoso solo part, while Karel Ancerl conducted the Toronto Symphony with the care a premiere deserves.”
~ The Toronto Star
“Soloist Shines … he must have a particular affinity for the Mozart style, playing with sweetness, clarity and just the right volume, all qualities reminiscent of the late great Fritz Kreisler who significantly contributed to the popularity of Mozart[‘s] violin works. Staryk’s technique was flawless.”
~ The Examiner, Toronto
Montreal
“…a violinist of great class whose purity of style. technical mastery and sonority reminds us of Heifetz.”
~ La Presse, Montreal
“How can one explain that this magnificent instrumentalist is not more the violinist of the general public, while his playing has the highest esteem with his colleagues!”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“It is difficult to imagine a performance more superb in beauty than in the Adagio K.261 and the Rondo K.373 of Mozart. In these works, Staryk approaches a Thibaud or a Goldberg for his sonorous beauty and purity of style.”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“The bravura Wieniawskl Concerto No.2 that [Staryk] had chosen for the occasion was an irreproachable performance. How can one explain that this magnificent instrumentalist is not more the violinist of the general public, while his playing has the highest esteem with his colleagues.”
~ Le Devoir, Montreal
“Steven Staryk is the Canadian-born violinist who has made the most successful international career to date …. [T]his is his record debut as a soloist. All of the music is for violin alone and he plays with an assurance that comes only with maturity and experience.”
~ Montreal Star
“The most memorable features of Friday’s concert at the Salle Claude Champagne were elegantly molded sounds of Steven Staryk’s violin in Mozart’s G major violin concerto. His account of the heaven-sent slow movement was particularly touching.”
~ Montreal Star
“Staryk mesmerizes from start to end.”
~ The Gazette, Montreal
“Jean Papineau-Couture received an ovation for his Sonata in G minor (1944). It is a very palatable work that had a superb interpretation from Staryk and Perry.”
~ The Gazette, Montreal
Vancouver
“Staryk has been proclaimed “today’s greatest Canadian-born violinist.” After hearing him, one wonders if that “Canadian” qualifier is even necessary. He has earned himself a place in the circle of top violinists anywhere.”
~ Vancouver Sun
“The two artists [Staryk and John Perry] formed a partnership years ago, and their rapport is immediately evident in the beautiful synthesis of their musical output. All the pathos and passion of Brahms emerged, sumptuously conceived, in the playing of his Sonata in 0 minor, Op.1 08. They gave breadth and totality to all four movements, bringing the emotions of the sonata as a whole Into sharp focus.”
~ Vancouver Sun
“Cesar Franck’s Violin Sonata is not a work I would walk across town to hear, but the Staryk-Perry duo’s performance was certainly an opinion-changer.”
~ Vancouver Province
“Wieniawskl’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in 0 minor, a work which gave violinist Steven Staryk the opportunity to show off his astonishing technique. But on this occasion, Staryk was far more than flying fingers and daring double-stops. There was, in fact, so much warmth and color in his wonderful playing that he made the music sound better than it actually is.”
~ Vancouver Province
Victoria
“Staryk played with an admirable sense of life which-combined with his artistry and technical ability—made The Four Seasons the high point of the program. At times, Staryk’s sound was similar to the human voice—sometimes jubilant, elsewhere sobbing with emotion. Where appropriate, his tone acquired an earthy robustness.”
~ The Times Colonist, British Columbia
“Srul lrving Glick’s Concerto for Violin was commissioned by Laszlo Gati for the Victoria Symphony and Steven Staryk through the Canada Council. The following quote Is Glick’s dedication to Staryk: “I dedicate this work to Steven Staryk—may his beautiful playing continue to move audiences to the deepest appreciation of music.”
~ Victoria Symphony News
Ottawa
“The Walton Concerto in B minor was the next work with violinist Steven Staryk doing absolutely beautiful things. There was a great deal of command and a dignified romanticism. Staryk had plenty of virtuosity but we were not really made aware of it simply because he always drew our attention right to the music.”
~ The Citizen, Ottawa
“Mr. Staryk gave us a vivid account of Mendelssohn: It was, as one might have expected, impeccable. From the opening through the charm of the slow movement, to the scherzo-like finale of the last movement, there was never a hitch. Staryk’s tone was brilliant, warm and throbbing in its lower register, thrilling in Its higher flights. … The audience received this classic of the Romantic Age with delight and appreciation.”
~ Ottawa Journal
Calgary
“Steven Staryk was the principal draw of this pair of recitals. He performed two of the three Brahms violin sonatas, the 0 minor and A major with pianist Gloria Saarinen. The first gave evidence of Staryk’s talents—the patrician manner, never wasting a single musical gesture for mere effect. … The A major sonata was an altogether admirable affair, boldly and incisively drawn by Staryk and Saarinen equally. Cellist Vladimir Orloff hasn’t Staryk’s name recognition but is hardly less interesting an artist. The three musicians joined in two of the three piano trios Op.8 and 101. The trio was refined, with ensemble, balance and an obvious musical sympathy among the players.”
~ Calgary Herald
“Steven Staryk was responsible for a warm and exciting performance of tho Bartok concerto written in 1908 but not performed until 50 years later. Mr. Staryk’s affinity for this work was obvious when he soared into these remarkable opening bars. The second and final movement gave Staryk the opportunity to display his virtuosic talents (which are considerable).”
~ Calgary Herald
Winnipeg
“Mr. Staryk gave a penetrating, deep and beautiful interpretation of Mozart’s rare genius, which truly had spiritual greatness and quality. The concerto was played with strength and emotion but kept in classic simplicity. The second movement transplanted one to the Elysian Fields. It was in this Adagio that Mr. Staryk reached the greatest heights in the course of the work. From the opening measures to the hauntingly presented closing phrases, here, if ever, was a perfect example of soaring, soulful cantilena.”
~ Winnipeg Tribune
Windsor
“I don’t know your definition of class. One of mine is Steven Staryk soloing with the Windsor Symphony in Mendelssohn’s E minor Violin Concerto. … Staryk has not only kept it fresh but possesses something that counts for even more—the musicianship to guide us to the recognition that the E minor is the concerto of a consummate craftsman who was sovereign in his self-contained, aristocratic world. How did he do it? Mostly by an ideal marriage of line instrument and refined instincts, hitched for a performance of uncommon elegance and impeccable taste.”
~ The Windsor Star
Other
“Undoubtedly the most remarkable recent release of classical recordings in Canada, the Staryk-Perry complete Beethoven sonatas.”
~ Musicanada
Chicago
“Mr. Staryk plays superbly, with temperament, style, fire, authority and a tone that has both song and bite.”
~ Chicago Tribune
“No violinist makes a purer sound.”
~ Chicago Daily News
“Staryk’s Stellar Tchaikovsky. Mr. Staryk had the high style …. he played the Tchaikovsky with elegance, fire, authority and with a tone that had both song and bite. The audience saluted him as it would a visiting virtuoso while claiming him as our own.”
~ Chicago Tribune
“Thursday night our attention was directed to the Beethoven Triple Concerto, which the Chicago Symphony played with Martinon conducting and a solo trio of concertmaster Steven Staryk, principal cello Frank Miller and pianist Gyorgy Sebok. You do not need a very long memory to recall performances in which virtuosity was more conspicuously in evidence, but this version found merit of Its own in a serious, straightforward approach to the score and ensemble playing in which first emphasis went on the music rather than any show of technique.”
~ Chicago Sun-Times
Seattle
“…his playing is impeccable and brilliant.”
~ The Seattle Times
“Staryk and his duo partner, pianist John Perry, toured for years as the Staryk-Perry Duo. [These performances …] of the Beethoven Violin and Piano Sonatas … are full of energy and fire, but also refinement; the players are deeply attuned to each other and to the nuances of the score. This Centaur recording (www.centaurrecords.com) is a set well worth having.”
~ The Seattle Times
“Staryk is a violinist capable of the big gesture—his more declamatory playing has an air of bold nobility—and the telling detail. His tone with surprising variety of colors was particularly memorable ….The Prokofiev encores were shaped with real tenderness. .. [and] in the Stravinsky where many violinists have a field day exploiting the composer’s intentional distortions … this violinist keeps his own identity while he serves the music.”
~ The Seattle Times
“His impact on the musical life of the University has been profound. This is the first time in the history of this University that a faculty member of the School of Music has received the Distinguished Teaching Award.”
~ William Gerberding, President, University of Washington, Seattle
New York
“His playing was irreproachable, technically, tonally and musically.”
~ New York Times
“… of even greater importance is the impressive collaboration of Staryk and Perry in the complete sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven. These two artists have developed a sensitivity, clean-lined crystal-line-textured playing many intellectual listeners prefer…their set is highly competitive and is especially recommended.”
~ New York Times
“The only contemporary “virtuoso-concertmaster” to be a star soloist.”
~ Irving Kolodin, New York
Atlanta
“Prince among teachers…”
~ Audio Video Club of Atlanta
“…among the greatest masters of the violin we have witnessed in our time.”
~ Audio Video Club of Atlanta
Philadelphia
“…he meets every challenge and surmounts them with consummate ease…VIOLIN LOVERS OF THE WORLD – AWAKE!”
~ The New Records, Philadelphia
“Staryk might be considered the greatest of the living virtuosi. He is without a doubt, one of the half dozen most gifted.”
~ The New Records, Philadelphia
Washington
“Beautiful work came from the orchestra’s [Chicago Symphony] great concertmaster, Steven Staryk.”
~ Washington Post
“… Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Plano and Stravinsky’s Suite ltallenne—couldn’t have sounded fresher or more compelling. Staryk’s controlled bowing and sensuous tone coupled with Perry’s equally impressive ability to draw every filament of light and shade out of the scores conjured up musical dialogue of the highest order.”
~ Washington Post
Detroit
“Steven Staryk, Canada’s most eminent violinist, soloed the Talivaldis Kenins 1974 Violin Concerto, a neo-romantic piece that would cause no problems for anyone acquainted with say the Berg or Stravinsky concertos. The 18-minute concerto, slightly dated but heartfelt and crafted with skill got a purposeful reading full of propulsiveness and urgency.”
~ The Detroit News
“The Kenins was given a remarkable performance by a remarkable soloist, Steven Staryk (to whom it is dedicated.) Staryk played it as if he was born to it, in a performance in which he mastered the technical difficulties so completely one forgot about them, setting free the soaring spirit of the work.”
~ The Detroit News
Boston
“Staryk, the youthful-looking concertmaster, has good control and intense sound, and a spirited non-lethargic approach. It was instructive to hear the cadenza to the first movement of the Haydn which was played in tempo and without that excessive rubato that has come to characterize cadenza performances.”
~ Boston Globe
Other
“The man’s control is demonic: the transparency and absolute ease of his playing are boundless. His playing is reminiscent of Heifetz…and when a different kind of virtuosity is needed, Staryk supplies classical purity in abundance.”
~ Hi-Fi Stereo Review
“The man’s control is demonic! His playing is reminiscent of Heifetz.”
~ Hi-Fi Stereo Review
“The present set is simply stupendous from any angle. His playing brings to mind the young Heifetz for its complete span of the entire virtuoso panache…and musicianly approach to the larger works.”
~ American String Teacher
“Why it took so long for Staryk to reach earth will always remain a mystery.”
~ American String Teacher
“…an extraordinary musician who I can count among the living on one hand.”
~ American Record Guide
“This is now my Beethoven violin sonata set of choice. …The fascination for me begins at the beginning of the first disk, when the piano answers the solo violin opening of the Kreutzer Sonata voiced in a way that makes it sound new, as if I were hearing it for the very first time. Staryk and Perry do the same kind of thing with every sonata, bringing out motifs, relationships between phrases, and counterpoint that I never noticed before (and I thought I knew these sonatas quite well). Perry and Staryk play everything hand-In-glove, matching articulations and colors-as if they were two people with one very brilliant, lively, and well-organized musical mind.”
~ American Record Guide
London
“…a virtuoso of the highest rank who is constantly being ‘discovered’ by awestruck reviewers.”
~ The Strad
“The “King of Concertmasters”.”
~ The Strad
“In December, Steven Staryk appeared in the Festival Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Jascha Horenstein in a performance of the Paganlni-WIIhelmj First Concerto. Mr. Staryk’s performance proved to be a personal triumph. That this was a supreme technical feat has to be admitted, but the mere technical display did not serve to drown the musical intent which underlined every note. The full-blooded vitality of his tone left nothing to be desired, and to crown his achievement, he played the Sauret Cadenza—rarely heard In the concert hall because the technical difficulties are twice as complex. Mr. Staryk played this with such ease, that one was forced to assume that technical difficulties do not exist for him.”
~ The Strad
“…a large audience was held spellbound by truly musicianly playing of the highest order.”
~ Daily Telegraph
“… a large audience was held spellbound by his [Staryk’s] strong tone and truly musicianly playing of a high order. In a widely-ranged programme, Bach’s Chaconne seemed effortless…Beethoven’s C minor Sonata compelling…Bartok’s First Rhapsody vigorous, Szymanowski’s delicate Chant de Roxana haunting, and Paganini’s Caprices hair-raising.
~ Daily Telegraph
“Steven Staryk returned to the London recital platform last night, performing impressively with his pianist, Mario Bernardi, in a long and extremely taxing programme at Wigmore Hall. There was great authority in everything he did. Mr. Staryk put up a terrific display in the sustained emotions In the Prokofiev Sonata in F Minor, striding dauntlessly through Its concerto-like demands. This recital will certainly remain one of the most memorable of the season.”
~ Daily Telegraph
“The playing is absolutely electrifying.”
~ Records and Recordings
“Staryk’s performances on this disk clearly demonstrate that he is one of the great virtuoso violinists of our day. …The playing is absolutely electrifying …and it is strange that this is their first complete recording. [Caprices for Two Violins Op.18] The Polonaise and Scherzo-Tarantella are played with great panache. …ln the Legende Staryk’s gloriously floating tone brings out all the exquisite beauty of this ecstatic music.”
~ Records and Recordings
“He is fully romantic, yet has superb rhythm … tremendous experience, a wide knowledge of schools and styles, [and] an impeccable technique … A program that should reawaken an appreciation of what solo violin playing meant to a generation ago.”
~ Gramophone
“Steven Staryk showed at Wigmore Hall yesterday his distinction as a soloist. His playing is of the utmost decisiveness and force. But it can melt into extreme sensitiveness and sympathy. In a programme ranging from Leclair to Bartok we had bright and subtle sound, brilliant pace and figuration, trenchant attack, scrupulousness in ornament. The Bach Chaconne was yesterday’s centrepiece and, from the ringing address of the opening, it was thrillingly played.”
~ Daily Mail
“Steven Staryk’s brilliant account of concerto for violin and winds written by Kurt Weill in 1924 for Szigeti…”
~ Sunday Times
“Instead of wilting under the strain of so long a recital, they seemed to draw strength from everything they played, with the Prokofiev F Minor Sonata at the end as their outstanding achievement. For this work they had everything—the virtuosity, the wide range of colour and dynamics, and, last but not least, rich cantabile.”
~ The Times
“Big-musical job goes to Steven Staryk. …this Is the first time that a British-born leader has been appointed to such a job with any Continental orchestra, let alone of the international standing of the Concertgebouw.”
~ Music and Music
“Ein Heldenleben Memorial (HMV ASD 421) was in fact made In 1958. Steven Staryk is an admirable soloist, the R.P.O. are in fine form and the recording is a worthy memorial to a great Straussian.”
~ The Observer
“…Staryk has a virtual arsenal of means…high skill, broadly-based style…the adaptability to fulfill the formidable billing of a record set entitled 400 YEARS OF THE VIOLIN.”
~ Saturday Review
Amsterdam
“…not only a great violinist, but a great artist.”
~ Het Parool
“It became a distinguished and noble performance, in which one could also admire the eloquent sound and violinistic control from Staryk, as well as the magnificent ensemble with the orchestra. It was not only accompanying but unified ideals between two young artists [Haitink]. The 29-year-old Staryk produced a strong mature performance, shining melodically with utmost intensity and technically perfect.”
~ Het Parool
“Staryk, A Master Violinist. Staryk, well known in Holland, plays solo works from the 18th and 20th centuries with brilliance, great musicianship, and a splendid violinistic temperament. From the Baroque period he plays Geminiani, Pisendel (easily comparable with Bach), and Stamitz full of charm. The 20th century is represented by Hindemith, with his heart captivating Op.31, No.2, Prokofiev’s refreshing Op.115 and a beautiful aria by the Canadian composer Papineau-Couture.”
~ Het Vrije Volk, Amsterdam
“With a programme that made enormous demands upon technique and interpretation, S. Staryk was triumphant in his first recital in Amsterdam…the impression of being as firm as a rock. After his performance, the audience applauded him standing until he played as encore Brahm’s Sonatensatz Scherzo.”
~ Preludium Concertgebouw Nieuws
Rotterdam
“The violinist Steven Staryk furnished us with a rare musical treat with his interpretation of Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G Minor. Staryk, the new concertmaster of the Amsterdam Concertgebouworkest, possesses musical and technical qualities of the highest order. His playing approaches perfection itself and even in the most difficult passages remains noble and eminent. We cannot remember a more sublime performance of this work.”
~ Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant
“His playing approaches perfection itself. We cannot recall a more sublime performance.”
~ Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant
Zaandam
“…both the orchestra and the audience rose to honour him. A performance comparable to the most illustrious. He stood before us a great master, a superior artist.”
~ Dagblad Voor de Zaanstreek de Typhoon
Zurich
“It was, naturally, a Russian who launched the “sputnik” and got it rolling—a young Ukrainian whose violinistic art sparkled in the Tchaikovsky Concerto and revealed a sound musician’s heart and the most lively sensations behind his rigid mask. …One wonders at his easy bow and wrist techniques. The finale sped by at such a tempo that the conductor [Sir Thomas Beecham] and his orchestra were brought running after in agitation.”
~ Zurich Tages-Anzeiger
“His beautiful singing tone was shown to great advantage, and the impetuosity of the finale seemed to reach the limit of possibility.”
~ Zurichsee Zeitung
Geneva
“An instrumentalist with the grand manner, Staryk has the virtuosity that comes with self-assurance.”
~ Courrier de Geneve
Websites
“As a Beethoven team, Staryk and Perry prove more generalized…while providing a more centrist, less confrontational ensemble aesthetic than Kremer/Argerich. The performances offer much to admire and savor. Take, for example, Op. 96’s flexible lyricism, gorgeously matched first-movement trills, and the dark, viola-like timbre Staryk achieves in the slow-movement variations. Other variation movements are sharply characterized and, regarding tempo relationships, effortlessly unified, such as those in Op.12 No.1, Op. 30 No.1, and Op. 47 (“Kreutzer”). The duo makes the most of the “Spring” sonata. …[C]hamber aficionados who value seasoned musicianship may wish to investigate this release…”
~ Classics Today (www.classicstoday.com)
“Following in the footsteps of Ferdinand David and JOSEPH JOACHIM, he may well be the most famous concertmaster in history.”
~ Prone to Violins
“Staryk performs so brilliantly that light from the Staryk Galaxy permanently illumines our musical skies.”
~ Audiophile Audition
Books
“… the most sought after leader [concertmaster] in the profession.”
~ Margaret Campbell in The Great Violinists, 2004
