News
Review
Paul Huang Plays Tchaikovskyโs Violin Concerto
Jaded and tired of that old warhorse, the Tchaikovsky violin concerto? Paul Huang and the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM) with Music Director Chan Tze Law might be just the ticket to helping you believe again. So well-known is this concerto that it takes a very special performance to dust the cobwebs off and make it sparkle again – such was tonight’s concert.
Derek LimThe Flying Inkpot
09 September 2024
Review
Violinist Paul Huang is a Rising Star in Classical Music
Remember the name. Young Taiwanese-American violinist Paul Huang will light up the classical musical world in years to come, much like his older compatriot Cho-liang Lin did a generation before. Exhibiting faultless intonation, a gorgeous big tone and rich vibrato, his vision was redolent of great masters of the past - Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh, just to name a few. The orchestra was equally responsive to every nuance and feint, supporting him to the hilt yet unafraid to exude passion and fervour in this unabashedly Romantic music.
Chang Tou LiangThe Straits Times
08 September 2024
Review
Paul Huang captivates, and John Adams entrances in VSO performance.
Serenity was eclipsed by suppression (both emotional and political), as Huang took on Shostakovich’s emotionally turbulent violin concerto. With piercing clarity and poised presence, Huang delivered a deeply personal performance, with eyes closed and an inward focus. His careful and considered approach to the “Passacaglia” was particularly affecting and poignant, his hopeful, soaring violin seeming to call out against a sea of darkness.
Jessica WerbStir Vancouver
27 April 2024
Review
Concert review: New York Premiere of Jessie Montgomery's "Musings"
The New York premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Musings for two violins is easily my new favourite work of hers and was spectacularly performed by CMS violinists Paul Huang and Danbi Um. Each of the six movements was delightful in its own way but throughout them all a Bach-like elegance and controlled sophistication took precedence. Huang and Um played with such resonant sound that it often sounded like more than two violins, and yet their ensemble was so well matched that simultaneously they seemed as one player.
Leah HollingsworthThe Strad Magazine
17 April 2024
Review
Star-Geiger Paul Huang stellt sich mit Tschaikowski vor.
Der 33-Jährige hat sich Tschaikowskis Violinkonzert vorgenommen, einen Hit des Repertoires also. Welche eigene Farben kann er ihm verleihen? Zarte, duftige zunächst. Huang kostet die weltumarmende Eingangs- und Signaturmelodie nicht zu üppig aus, er achtet sehr auf dynamische und klangliche Nuancierung. Die virtuosen Passagen spielt er mit enormer Sauberkeit und Transparenz.
Florian ArnoldBraunschweiger Zeitung
08 April 2024
Feature
Vor Braunschweiger Konzert wirbt Geiger Huang fรผr Cross Culture
Zu den aufstrebenden jungen Künstlern am Klassik-Himmel zählt der 33-jährige Violinist Paul Huang aus Taiwan, der in Sälen wie dem Lincoln Center New York, der Londoner Wigmore Hall oder dem Festival Lucerne auftritt, aber auch schon im Pariser Louvre-Museum spielen durfte. Am nächsten Sonntag, 7. April, ist er bei den Braunschweiger Meisterkonzerten im Großen Haus des Braunschweiger Staatstheaters zu Gast. Sein Studium absolvierte Huang an der renommierten Juilliard School in New York, wo er seither lebt. Dort erreichten wir ihn zu einem Videogespräch.
Andreas BergersBraunschweiger Zeitung
01 April 2024
Review
Dreamquests and Nightmares with Pacific Symphony
The program’s titular draw was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major Op. 35 (1878), in which the soloist was definitely not a newcomer. The first and last thing to be said about the account by the Taiwan-born Paul Huang, in what was clearly the warmest of partnerships with Mr. Halls and the Pacific Symphony, was that it sounded fresh-minted from beginning to end, as if all concerned had just discovered the work and were delighted with it.
David BrownLA Opus
14 January 2024
Feature
Interview with Violinist Paul Huang: The Virtue in 'Virtuosity'
When violinist Paul Huang looks at the word "virtuoso," he sees the word "virtue."
"I think that's where the meaning of the word 'virtuosity' comes from," Paul said. "We tend to get bogged down with the idea that 'virtuosity' is all about showing off, and showmanship, but I think there is a greater meaning."
Paul, who received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2015 and Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists in 2017, officially lives in New York but also spends much of his time in his native Taiwan - and on the road. For 10 years he has been playing the 1742 "ex-Wieniawski" Guarneri del Gesù, on loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago. Just this month Paul appeared on the cover for Strings Magazine, and October 6 is the release of Kaleidoscope, his first recording in a series of six recordings that he will do for the French label Naive Records.
Laurie NilesViolinist.com
11 September 2023
Feature
Love at First Sight
Violinist Paul Huang wants the world to love the violin as much as he does. Born in Taiwan and raised by parents he describes as "not musical," Huang was unconditionally supported early in his fascination with the violin, an instrument he first encountered at the age of seven when attending a music recital in his hometown. "I was completely captivated by this little wooden box that created such beautiful sounds," he says. "The idea of being onstage, playing such an instrument, was something I became instantly fascinated with. I told my parents that was what I wanted to do with my life, they said yes, and I have never thought of doing anything else since. I am still madly in love with the violin and with sharing the gift of this beautiful music."
David TempletonStrings Magazine
01 September 2023
Review
A Most Satisfying Rockport Recital
Huang and Rabinovich gave what was one of the most satisfying chamber music performances we have heard in years. Their expression, phrasing, dynamics and all else were so well attuned to one another you would guess they have been working on this material extensively. In so thinking, you’d be only half right.
Vance R. KovenThe Boston Musical Intelligencer
10 July 2023
Review
Paul Huang and Helen Huang in Singapore Recital Debut
"๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ [๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด๐ด๐ฐ๐ฉ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ด] ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ค๐ข๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ญ’๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ท๐ช๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ข๐ค๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ด, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ’๐ด ๐ฑ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ฑ, ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ญ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ช๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ข๐ค๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ช๐ข, ๐ข ๐ต๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ญ๐บ-๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ท๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด, ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ.โฃ
Chang Tou LiangThe Straits Times
24 June 2023
Review
Paul Huang (violin) Taiwan Philharmonic/Jun Mรคrkl
At times it was unclear which was more impressive: Huang’s nonchalance in the face of a virtuosic score, or the immense fun he was having with the music and the orchestra – which was a delight. Huang’s dolce playing in the third movement was enchanting, with seamless lines and tender emotion. The brilliant double-stopped runs at the start of the finale were tossed off with aplomb, humour and precision; His facility was consistently impressive.
Leah HollingsworthThe Strad Magazine
21 June 2023
Review
Taiwan Philharmonic, Paul Huang: Music of Mendelssohn, Bruch, Debussy,and Chen.
Paul Huang brought an ideal sweet, silvery tone to the Prelude. He proceeded to display a remarkable strong double-stop and chordal technique. Even in the quicker, higher passages, his sound cut distinctly through the orchestra. The Andante was especially affirming, affecting- really just beautiful.
In the Finale, Huang maintained a graceful touch even at maximum attack, with wondrous fluidity on the rapid runs, chromatic and otherwise, fingers flying almost too fast to see. After an ovation he returned with Corigliano’s Red Violin Caprices as a solo encore.
Jon SobelBlog critics.org
27 April 2023
Review
Amid worries at home, Taiwan Philharmonic makes strong showing in historic D.C.
Huang displayed both intensity and accuracy, culminating in some serene high E string playing […]. Huang’s superlative technique sparked the Finale with an edge of excitement. Huang played the encore, Kreisler’s Scherzo, with consummate panache.
Charles DowneyWashington Classical Review
20 April 2023
Review
Cleveland Chamber Music Society: Huang, Um & Yang (Feb. 21)
Every once in a while, a concertgoer is treated to an evening where all of the hoped-for elements are in place: the playing is first-rate, the performers exude warmth and ease, the audience is engaged, the program is a mix of familiar and unusual — in other words, a concert with Carnegie Hall electricity but summer festival Gemütlichkeit, even if it’s still February. Violinists Paul Huang and Danbi Um and pianist Amy Yang presented just such a concert to the Cleveland Chamber Music Society audience at Disciples Christian Church on February 21.
Kevin McLaughlinCleveland Classical
28 February 2023
Review
Violinist Paul Huang with Camerata Pacifica
Paul Huang is truly a special violinist, and last Thursday I once again had the chance to enjoy his artistry[…]Paul has been in the news lately - earlier this month he signed with Naïve Records as an exclusive recording artist[…] Playing with pianist Gilles Vonsattel, Huang achieved that delicate shimmer unique to Prokofiev's first violin sonata[…] Huang and Vonsattel were beautifully aligned when the music was parallel in both parts, and they played together like clockwork when the musical wheels spun in many directions.
Laurie NilesViolinist.com
22 February 2023
Review
Concert review: Paul Huang (violin) Anne-Marie McDermott (piano)
Violinist Paul Huang opened his recital with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott with unbelievably controlled playing in Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel, a characteristic that proved to be a theme of the entire programme. His impressive bow control led to expansive, timeless phrases and it seemed as if the audience held its breath for the entire ten minutes, so pristine and mesmerising.
Leah HollingsworthThe Strad Magazine
25 January 2023
Review
Violinist Huang conveys wartime violence and reflection in Wolf Trap program
Violinist Paul Huang has given some striking ensemble performances over recent years on Wolf Trap’s chamber music series. Friday night in the Barns, a large audience had the chance to hear him in a solo recital, accompanied adroitly by pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. The challenging program, carefully selected to highlight connections among pieces, elicited both startling virtuosity and lyrical beauty from both musicians.
Charles T. DowneyWashington Classical Review
12 November 2022
Review
Opening of 2022-2023 Philharmonic season
Huang has much in common with Jascha Heifetz, who was also known for this concerto and who played with a unique sweetness that contrasted with some dazzling playing as well [...] Huang effectively captured the intensity of this concerto. It was a "dream performance" that really moved those who heard his playing. [...] Yes, Huang ensured that the violin really sang in this music. He is very expressive and conveys moments of joy as well as deep feeling. Little wonder that the audience, prompted by the orchestra, gave Huang a tremendous standing ovation that led to rhythmic applause, the traditional European insistence on an encored.
Rob NylundClassical Connection
26 October 2022
Review
Violinist finally makes Tucson debut, and it was worth the wait
Watching him tease out those somber melodies and frenetically scale the fingerboard to keep up with Shostakovich's furious note changes was worth the delay. His performance Friday night — the first of two this weekend — kinda felt like a prayer for Ukraine. His extended solo turn where fast-paced urgency melted into near silence with notes that whispered as they left his bow captured the imagination of not only us in the audience but the musicians on stage with him. The violin section and its leader sat mesmerized as he played.