Reviews
CHRIS WILKINS, conductor
“Christopher Wilkins, former music director of the San Antonio Symphony, returned after nine years’ absence as a guest conductor, leading two contrasting masterworks – Brahms’ Third Symphony and Holst’s The Planets – with the assurance and distinction of the seasoned pro he is, grasping he character and subtler qualities of each.” James Roos, The Herald, 10/10/02
“Wilkins led it (Brahms’ Third) with genuine distinction, capturing its great flow and felicities of phrasing, its power of cumulative climax and splendor of tone.” James Roos, The Herald, 10/10/02
“Wilkins, appearing for the first time in Honolulu, proved to be a very skilled conductor, working mostly without scores and focusing on interpretation. Using a wide variety of expressive movements, he maintained tight control while eliciting a warm, full sound and highly responsive playing. Expression, ensemble and balance were all excellent as he guided the orchestra through numerous shifts in tempo.” Ruth O. Bingham, The Honolulu Advertiser, 11/9/03
“Though there was no want of coherence or vigor, Wilkins somewhat muted the rhythmic drive and made sound itself uppermost in this performance. He drew from the orchestra an uncommonly elegant sound, luxuriously creamy but always transparent.” Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News, 1/10/99
“In the Nimrod variation, Wilkins drew out of the strings a lush, almost Solti-like sound.” Gilbert R. Johns, Chicago Tribune, 12/3/97
“The Orpheum Theater audience of 1,102 had a chance to see one of the rising stars on the American music scene, as guest conductor Christopher Wilkins led the orchestra in two hours of cogent, well-conceived musicmaking.” Kyle MacMillan, Omaha World-Herald, 11/22/97
“He knows how to engage orchestra musicians in a musical dialogue that speaks strongly and confidently to the audience. San Antonio is luck to have this talented young American at its symphonic helm.” John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, 11/15/97
“From the beginning of his tenure as music director of the San Antonio Symphony seven years ago, it was clear that Christopher Wilkins was bound for greatness. Each season brought him closer to the mark.” Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News, 9/27/97
“Last night, Wilkins effected clear balances and prompted precise and expressive playing from each section.” Ken Keuffel Jr., The Arizona Daily Star, 5/2/97
“From his first appearance with this orchestra six years ago, Wilkins always has been impressive for his craftsmanship and for the depth and exploratory character of his thinking about scores.” Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News, 1/11/97
“Wilkins, music director of the San Antonio Symphony, seemed genuinely to inspire our own musicians, who played as if in love with the whole program.” “Wilkins is a vigorous podium personality…” “What was almost more striking, though, was the hitherto unheard depth of string tone that Wilkins seemed to draw from the Symphony. Where did those wonderful sounds come from?” Scott Cantrell, The Kansas City Star, 11/17/96
“…Wilkins’ comments and observations about the pieces he presented were illuminating, humorous and concise. It takes a skilled communicator to so immediately bring an audience into the symphonic experience. So it came as little surprise that Wilkins proved his abilities by getting consistently good playing from the orchestra.” “He did his homework, on and off the podium, and it showed.” D.T. Baker, The Edmonton Journal, 10/4/96
“This was a performance of rare distinction, a perfect meshing of technique and intuition. Wilkins knew exactly where the music was going and the role of each event along the way in furthering the drama.” Mike Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News, 9/14/96
“In Sir Edward Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations,’ Wilkins showed himself an interpreter in the lyrical, string-rich, Barbirollian tradition…” Lawrence Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6/30/94
“Wilkins conducted this difficult symphony with total assurance, from memory. His musicmaking showed sweep, intelligence, subtlety, conviction, authority, sure grasp of line, flair for color, and the good sense to let the New Jersey Symphony be the New Jersey Symphony.” Michael Redmond, The Star-Ledger, May 1992
Press Quotes
KMI
