Claire Huangci

[Claire Huangci] gives an arc to her interpretation of the four pieces [of Schubert's Impromptus op. 142]. Distinguished, delicate, in a flowing melodic current, full of dramatic shading and expressive modulations.
Schwäbische Zeitung, Gerd Kurat, 1/9/2019

Stylistic idiosyncrasies are addressed with a subtle but never intrusive meticulousness, and overall [Claire Huangci] proves to be a lively musical draftswoman who, with a clever pianistic sense of proportion, is able to give each piece its characteristic form.
Musik und Theater, Werner Pfister, May/June 2019 edition, about Rachmaninoff CD

Bringing equal measures of elegance and athleticism to the keyboard, Huangci proved herself every bit the “rock star” that Liszt himself was. […] Huangci’s strength, stamina, technique, and expressive power were absolutely jaw-dropping.
Masslive.com, Clifton Noble Jr., 24/3/2019

Her performance of [Rachmaninoff] Préludes is brilliant, clear, and flowing, with a remarkable sense of polyphonic structures while at the same time poetic and dynamic in the tonal qualities.
Pianist, first edition 2019, Mario-Felix Vogt, 15/3/2019

If looking for characteristics of Huangci’s piano playing […] one finds them in her superior focus, imaginative abilities, and the resulting poetics of her interpretation.
NZZ, Thomas Schacher, 2/3/2019

Numerous songs without words unfold here […]. Everything becomes part of a narrative flow that at the same time perfectly captures Rachmaninoff’s creative essence and intentions […]: absolutely worth a listen.
Piano News, Marco Frei, January 2019

Huangci plays with bell-clear precision [...]. The first movement comes along singing and sparkling, exquisitely delicate in certain moments, woven into the orchestra, and then returning with breathtaking virtuosity and incredibly precise trills at a nearly inconceivable tempo [...] free of pathos and affectation.
Bochumer Zeitung Online, 9/12/2018

Her Schubert has lyrical grace and extroverted power, compelling effects and soft vocalism. […] Schubert has rarely been heard so thrilling, so modern, so replete with tension.
Badische Zeitung, Roswitha Frey, 27/11/2018 

Claire Huangci´s fine and delicate virtuosity, well-rounded emotionality, and elegant shaping let these gems of the piano repertoire shine with a harmonious lightness. Rachmaninov is seldom played so empathically and lucidly.
BR Klassik Online, Michael Schmidt, 13/11/2018

Huangci's incredible playing technique rendered her almost invisible. In this way, she was able to highlight broader musical connections and bring overlooked persistent melodic lines [from Prokofiev's Piano Concerto in G minor] to prominence.
Westfälischer Anzeiger, Judwiga Makosz, 5/10/2018

[In the recording of all préludes by Sergej Rachmaninow Claire Huangci] has managed a wonderfully balanced dramaturgy of eruptive features and contemplative pausing - calmly and without big gestures, but decidedly pointed.
Frankfurter Journal, Cited as a Top 1 CD release, October 2018

The young American woman with Chinese roots conjures – at times standing – amazing effects out of the open belly of her instrument, which she elegantly incorporates into her playing flow […]. Also remarkable is how the interaction between the orchestra and the soloist sums up the harmonic contrasts of the score of Claude Baker's piano concerto "From Noon to Starry Night".
Der Bund, Stefan Bucher, 24/9/2018

Chopin’s 24 Preludes, as played by [Claire Huangci], display an almost inexhaustible cosmos of different characters: sometimes shimmering and flighty, sometimes spherical-supernatural […] she brought these nuances, which often last mere seconds, to life.
General-Anzeiger Bonn, Guido Krawinkel, 14/7/2018

Claire Huangci’s fanciful, highly intimate and refined playing [captures] the Shakespearean summer night magic and takes works by Beethoven, Scriabin and Chopin on a magical journey.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Stephan Schwarz-Peters, 9/7/2018

She [Claire Huangci] mastered Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with a performance that was full of character and measured forcefulness, and won the competition.
Neue Züricher Zeitung, Christian Berzins, 17/6/2018

Her Mozart Concerto was captivating, a flawless performance with lively, sparkling runs, and an abundance of musical ideas.
SRF, Moritz Weber, 13/6/2018

A whirlwind at the keyboard with an immense enthusiasm for playing, the pianist has also developed a musicality and a colour-rich tone, which, along with her apparent technical ease, is merely a springboard for a wholly individual musical conception.
Rondo, Christoph Forsthoff, Februar 2018

In Claire Huangci’s playing, the flow of the music does not run away with itself or become arbitrary, but rather remains intensely alert: her attack is delicate yet distinct. (…) Claire Huangci follows the poetry of the cycle sensitively, taking care to differentiate the polyphonic voices. Irresistible yet always considerate and alert, Claire Huangci lets herself become captured by the magic of [Chopin’s] music.
PianoNews, Hans-Dieter Grünefeld, September 2017

She’s aware of the importance of Chopin’s Classical side and there are many instances where she favours restraint over cheap emoting, which is much to the good. There’s also a real range of interpretation, which makes the set consistently appealing. (…) One of the most impressive readings here is of the C minor Nocturne, Op 48 No 1, in which an innate solemnity grows to extraordinary depths in Huangci’s hands. (…). An impressive addition to the Chopin catalogue from a pianist from whom I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more.
Gramophone, Harriet Smith, July 2017, on the Chopin-CD

There are not too many complete recordings of Chopin’s Nocturnes – Claire Huangci’s offers a totally unique view and is absolutely worth a listen for her lyrical and serious attitude.
Radio Bremen, Wilfried Schäper, 29/5/2017 on the Chopin-CD

This is not a dreamy quasi-improvisation or playful salon music, and neither does the interpretation go after gut feeling. On the contrary, this is an extremely clear and pure recording with gravitas, significance and considerable appeal which certainly must be taken seriously.
Pizzicato, Remy Franck, 22/5/2017, on the Chopin-CD

It is more than simply worth a listen! (...) Throughout the consistent tranquility, she knows to distinguish between naturalness of expression on the one hand and emotive languorousness and passion on the other.
Rondo, Guido Fischer, 13/05/2017

Huangci plays Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel op. 24 accurately, precisely, virtuosically, and from time to time shrewdly accentuated, with an expansive tone that is never applied too thickly.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Andreas Pernpeintner, 9/4/2017

Do we need another recording of Chopin’s Nocturnes? Not really! But when one hears this brand new double-CD from Claire Huangci, which comes out on 5th May, the answer is yes!
Süddeutsche Zeitung, CD-Tipp, 6/4/2017

This concerto (Liszt's Piano Concerto No.2) sets a gauntlet of versatility, which Claire Huangci ran with apparent effortlessness. (…) Claire Huangci (…) is working on a piano sound for which she will become well known.
Neue Westfälische Paderborn, Ulla Meyer, 07/10/2016

With distinct accentuations and superior technique, Huangci confirmed her reputation as one of the most expressive Chopin interpreters of her generation.
Südkurier, Gerd Kurat, 04/08/2016

This is Scarlatti artistry of the highest order. (…) It’s gratifying to have followed Huangci’s progression from a 16-year-old prodigy to a 25-year-old artist poised for greatness.
Gramophone, Jed Distler, 17/08/2015

She certainly is brilliant but what is particularly impressive is the feeling of ease that she exudes while playing. Her subtle flair for dynamics, nuanced rhythms and intonation help her in Scarlatti’s playful baroque sonatas.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ekaterina Kel, 15/04/2015

Glistening virtuosity and creative authority. (…) She invited the audience to interact alertly with the piece because she did not thunder through it but offered subtle nuances and sensitive sound dramaturgy. The pianist drew on her stupendous technical skills for this energetic, brilliantly balanced playing, which had a sense for overview, logic and precise attention to detail: the ideal “picture” of a Tchaikovsky interpretation.
Salzburger Nachrichten, 10/11/2014

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