Press Reviews

 

“Mr. Burleson played with command, projecting a rhapsodic quality  without loss of rhythmic vigor...and an appropriate sense of fetching color.  Burleson played vibrantly...ending his program with a compelling account of Boulez’s formidably complex Piano Sonata No. 3.” 
       -Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times
 

"Both works (Charles Ives's 'Three-Page Sonata' and  Vincent Persichetti's Sonata No. 12) are couched in complex rhythms, with attractively simple melodies sometimes swimming through them.  And Mr. Burleson played them with the energy and passion of a jazz player at the densest moment of a solo.   He brought a similar power, as well as an improvisatory imagination, to Frank Zappa's 'Bebop Tango.'"

-Allan Kozinn, The New York Times

 

"Burleson is a remarkable pianist,  with tireless attack, unflagging rhythm and energy to burn." 
-Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

"Geoffrey Burleson's agile, incisive performances make the strongest possible case for Arthur Berger's music, and the disc gains by the pianist's own informed and comprehensive notes."
-Gramophone
 

"Outright thrilling...a first-class instrumental presence." 
"...pianist Geoffrey Burleson played winningly, with restraint, subtlety and precision." 
-The Boston Globe
 

"Burleson plays with enormous flair and style...superb." 
-Fanfare
 

"Mr. Burleson is particularly well-known for especially complex and virtuosic jazz improvisations.  One could definitely hear this in the 'jazz prelude' with which he warmed up the concert.  Characterized as well by a winning ease, he improvised on individual songs of Gershwin, displaying an unprecedented range and speed.  The audience was drawn in.  Afterward, he played Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the orchestra, where it became clear that he is also a real concert pianist.  The polish he displayed in this piece was very refined, and the rhythmic elements projected with a great deal of subtlety...The pianist concluded his performance with a 'jazz encore' that may have been even more breathtaking than his first set." 
-Haarlems Dagblad (The Netherlands) 
 

“Geoffrey Burleson possesses every advantage to evoke what the word ‘blue’ tells us, in the famous Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.  After the vivid clarinet solo that literally sets the tone, the pianist created the sensation that all of his notes were actually part of an improvisation.  It is a rare experience that one hears such a gift to the composer Gershwin, without even mentioning the intensity and the naturalness with which Burleson plays...Encore Burleson!” 
       -Gelders Dagblad (The Netherlands) 
 

"A well-done, resounding performance. Pianist Geoffrey Burleson showed off all the possibilities of the Steinway Concert Grand." 
-Berner Zeitung (Switzerland) 
 

"The presence of Burleson in Puebla signifies a rapproachment with the current innovations of contemporary music...without a doubt, this magnificent pianist captivated the audience." 
-Al de Puebla (Mexico) 
 

“Burleson played excellently.  His sound was substantive even in the softest passages, and in loud sections he played with a strong tone that was free of ugly pounding...the program benefited mightily from this pianist’s keen ear for timbral subtlety.  A perfect ear for both minutiae and larger concerns...bravos go to Burleson for his four-star musical cookery." 
       -The New Music Connoisseur