Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

“… They have never seemed more sumptuous than in the long melodies of the central adagio, and their brilliant articulation of virtuoso allegro passages at Petrenko’s fast tempi brings exhilarating dividends. In this magnificently played account, the stature of the music of the music is never in doubt.” (The Times, January 2012)

"In the Third Symphony, which finds Rachmaninov wistfully recalling the Russia he left after the October Revolution, Petrenko and the RLPO also identify the zest, the orchestral lucidity and the rhythmic thrust that marked the composer’s later years. An exhilarating performance. The Caprice bohémien and the Vocalise, at opposite poles in expressive intent, are handled with equal, compelling adroitness." (The Telegraph, January 2012)

“…The RLPO’s sense of attack carries all before it and the eerie Adagio is traversed with subtlety and finesse. This symphony might not be top-drawer music but by treating it seriously, rather than as the soundtrack for a Bolshevik newsreel, Petrenko and the RLPO do Shostakovich a big favour.” (Financial Times, October 2011)

“Petrenko’s thrilling performance plays…there is expressive depth in the adagio…The RLPO woodwinds excel themselves in these gripping readings.” (The Sunday Times, October 2011)

"This was a concert made exceptional through its expressive intensity, range of colour and rhythmic originality. A powerful and innate sense of motion, served by a sumptuous orchestral palette, drove forward the vibrant and suprising performance that the RLPO gave of works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Tchaikovsky.

"Astonishing in its evocative power, the large ensemble shone in a dramatic interpretation of Tchaik’s Manfred symphony, an irresistibly lyrical reflection of the Russian soul, full of contrasts and utter spirituality." (Luxemburger Wort, March 2011)

"Ralph Vaughan William’s overture ‘The Wasps’, performed with British precision and dedication made it clear that here was a first class orchestra. The excellent strings and completely unerring winds, made the whole work come together in a wonderfully blended sound, an impression maintained throughout the evening. Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony closed the evening. This is an hour-long work that leaves little to the imagination. Petrenko told the wide-ranging and rich story. The young conductor from St Petersburg seemed almost to share a spiritual kinship with the composer and his artistic language, mirrored in the performance of the musicians he was conducting. What an experience! All-in-all, a veritable milestone in the new season of the Echternach Festival." (Trierischer Volksfreund, March 2011)

"Liverpool's Mahler cycle could be one of the most appealingly idiosyncratic odysseys of this anniversary year." (The Guardian, January 2010)