Peter Eötvös

"The Bartók, however, was utterly compelling... performed with an admirable restraint that resulted in almost unbearable tensions in the opening andante, and an adagio of beguiling if sinister beauty... Eötvös's conducting was lean, extrovert and wonderfully detailed. Outstanding." (The Guardian, April 2012)

"The return of Peter Eötvös after his successful concert with the LSO last season could hardly have been more welcome...Eötvös’s subtle control over a piece which can all too easily sprawl was hardly to be doubted.." (Classical Source, April 2012)

"Eötvös perfectly illustrated the elegance of understatement. This was a delicately coloured, coolly tempered reading of Debussy's Three Nocturnes, the strings pellucid, the flute and harp chaste, each accent placed just so, unhurried and subtle. The seduction continued in the Szymanowski...moments of pure elevation, pure dazzle, pure freedom." (Independent on Sunday, April 2012)

"The Vienna Philharmonic as a guest at the Wien Modern: a rare but pleasing combination... conducting was entrusted to Peter Eötvös. As expected, the Hungarian composer and conductor proved to be an apt guide for beginners making the journey through difficult musical terrain passable." (Die Presse, November 2011)

"Like any opera, Eötvös's Angels has to stand on its own feet, dramatically and musically, and to judge by the UK premiere at the Barbican, it manages that convincingly... this is high-class music theatre." (The Guardian, March 2010)

“With the composer himself on the podium, a chamber ensemble in the pit, a full symphony orchestra behind a dark gauze at the back of the stage, and a superbly matched cast of first-rate soloists, the odds were stacked towards success. And indeed, the 110-minute work was flawlessly performed and warmly received by a full house… Eötvös has written an immediate and engaging work, the vocal lines eminently singable, the orchestration full of small jokes, descriptive effects and beautiful soundscapes.” (Financial Times, February 2010)

Composer, conductor, teacher – “His is a music which must be experienced live. Even more important, one must pay attention to every note, every movement, every gesture. This music, while stunningly beautiful at times, is neither reverie nor comfort. It is a music memory and sorcery and produces ever-increasing awe.” (Concertonet.com, January 2009)

“Eötvös's confident score… is full of authentically magical things. His orchestral imagination is keen and he has simplified his musical language without ever making it simplistic. There are ravishing sounds here, combined with equally convincing vocal writing often spun over diaphanous textures…” (The Guardian, August 2008)