Reviews

From The Press

"…Russian pianist-cantor Natasha J. Hirschhorn, international leader… in the field of Jewish religious music"

"That night I felt a part of my People. And for that I am grateful to the alumni of Gnessin Music College, composer, pianist and cantor Natasha Jitomirskaia"

About the Program "From Russia with Love?.." with vocalist and flutist Eugenia Shiuk:

"…People stood as though spellbound and listened, really listened. What they heard was a performance of astonishing sophistication of the folk songs of Eastern Europe in its Ukrainian, Russian and Yiddish incarnations by the two women, who accompanied themselves beautifully on electric piano and flute… Dynamics were shaded as subtly as a fine string quartet. Rubato was frequent and perfectly controlled by the ensemble…But it was in the arrangement of the material - largely the creations of Natasha - that the group really shone. One seldom hears this king of sculpted harmonic subtlety and playful, carefully crafted counterpoint in a performance of folk music. And Natasha's pianistic interpretations were more reminiscent of, say, Schumann's settings of German poetry than anything one customarily associates with folk music in this country. But at no point did they overwhelm the sweet, mournful plaints that are characteristic of this genre.
One is tempted to say, as Schumann did on first reviewing the young Brahms: Hats off, gentlemen, a genius! (Only, who wears hats nowdays? And who now is a gentlemen?)
It mattered not at all that the lanquages of the songs were as Greek to the audience: The astonishing music spoke its own language."

From The Audience

"I do not believe it is exaggerating to say that Cantor Natasha J. Hirschhorn will be the greatest cantor of our times. Her voice is pure, her skill at the piano beyond description and her compositions and arrangements extraordinary"

"…with Natasha's soulful singing …time stands still for the listener."

"She is one of the more gifted and spiritual people I've ever known in the field."