“Impeccable ensemble work, unbridled energy and boatloads of virtuosity produced an electrifying performance.” —Washington Post, December 12th 2008 (PDF)
“Astoundingly gifted virtuosos...performances that radiate vitality and freshness. Playing of daring, conviction and real insight.” —Washington Post, December 12th 2008 (PDF)
“But the unquestionable highlight of the afternoon was an edge-of-the-seat rendition of Mendelssohn's celebrated Octet. The violinist Scott St. John, who appeared on viola earlier in the program, dispatched the first fiddle part with a lean yet muscular tone and a soloist's panache. But it was the entire ensemble's energy and collective virtuosity in the brilliant outer movements that proved irresistible. One little secret about this work is that, in addition to being an audience favorite, it is also ridiculously fun to play. Sunday's performance served up a generous portion of that joy.” —The Boston Globe, December 12th 2008 (Online)
“...the large crowd was able to sit back and bask in the exceptional music making...the musicians were well matched and played with clear tones that etched the lines with precision and vivacity.” —Daily Gazette, Schenectady, Dec. 15, 2008 (Online)
“Violinists Miho Saegusa and Jessica Lee, violist Mark Holloway, and cellist Na-Young Baek gave the most powerful and appropriately insane performance of Janacek's "Kreutzer Sonata" String Quartet that I've ever heard, and these four musicians plus violinists Scott St John and Yonah Zur, violist Maiya Papach, and cellist Susan Babini also gave one of the most fleet but intense accounts in my experience of Mendelssohn's youthful Octet.” — Harvey Sachs, New Music reBlog, December 16, 2008 (Online)