THE PRESS WROTE:
Solo concert, San José de las Lajas, Festival de la Habana, Cuba
"Amazing presentation of Adam Ørvad in San Jose de las Lajas.
A close ovation, at the end of each of the masterly interpretations of the Danish outstanding accordion player Adam Ørvad, was the most genuine communication with the audience that attended the Hall of the Lajero Movie-Theater, located in San Jose de las Lajas, 35 kilometers far from the Cuban capital.
The Danish accordion musician Adam Ørvad invited to participate in the 24th Festival for the Contemporaneous Classic Music in Cuba, performed last Saturday 31st in San Francisco de Asis Convent, in the historical old part of Havana, where he was also acclaimed by the audience. However, last night, those attending Lajas’ theater felt vibrate each of the notes that emerged from that instrument which seemed to tell a story of the world’s creation in the suggesting piece Yemaya, composed by the also remarkable creator of contemporary classical music Louis Aguirre (Camaguey 1968).
Before, Ørvad’s accordion was able to transport to the climax those spectators with Vingefang’s work (Wing Span, 1997), an exceptional piece from the Danish composer Hanne Ørvad, in three moments: Adagio e animato, Long expressive and Allegro volante, "Flyvende Sommer".
The composers Adriano Gallousi (Italy) and Juan Piñeira (Cuba), present in the concert, recognized Ørvad’s interpretation fluency and, mainly, Gallousi, pointed out that it is the first time it is listened, in Cuba, a musician with the international level Adam has, with the accordion; an instrument is inserted since the 50s, in the scores of those authors of contemporaneous classic music."
By Raul San Miguel, El Habanero, November 2009
Solo concert, Vesløs Church
"Time flew by in the variegated programme that Adam Ørvad presented in Vesløs Church at the concert of August 6th. With his short and well-chosen introductions to the works and dazzling and at times virtuous performance did he lead the audience through a range of very different works, both original music for the accordion as well as transcribed works.
Vagn Homboe’s ”Sonata no. 2 ”Burlesco” op. 179a” of 1989 was one of the highlights of the concert. Particularly the slow movement. It was as if the distinctive character of the instrument here literally came into its own. A tonal language that is highly evocative of his series of string quartets.
And in Mogens Christensen’s ”Couronne” of 2005 Adam Ørvad generated a remarkable elevated quiet in the room, an intimacy with the audience, that was enthralling. A reaction to the spherical character and almost elfin lightness of the piece counterpointing the tensioned chords, which produced a particularly elevated spatial effect. The piece is a commission for Ørvad’s debut concert three years ago.
An organ-transcription of César Franck and a piano-transcription of the Armenian composer Khachaturjan (he of the ”Sabre Dance”) demonstrated the potential of the accordion for dynamic crescendos and gave these pieces a thoroughly new and different musical guise, showing Adam Ørvad’s virtuous grandness.
The concert was concluded with Bach’s ”French Overture, BWV 831”. A magnificent work full of springiness and with the fervour of the sarabande in a soft register Adam Ørvad displayed his excellent stylistic flair.
The concert was well attended and a link in ”Music in Han Shire”.
Henrik Svane, August 2008
CD. Duo Diagonal: "Incontri"
"At a glance a peculiar instrument combination, yet perhaps not. (...) especially Couperin’s "Simphonie de Clavecins" is full of enthusiasm and a drive that is a joy to listen to."
Jens Sparrevohn Rønn, Musikeren, July 2008
"What a meeting!
What is the relation between the Baroque harpsichord and the modern accordion? Nothing, right? But there you are quite mistaken. A CD with the musicians Anka Zlateva and Adam Ørvad proves that not only can the instruments share the same room, indeed exciting and enthralling music ensues from the meeting. In Baroque music for two harpsichords by for instance Couperin and Mattheson it is fine to let one be replaced by accordion.
Naturally there are but few original compositions for the duo, but those recorded by Leonid Bashmakov and Timme Ørvad displays a range of fascinating tones and possible combinations. And Anka Zlateva’s arrangement of two pieces for piano by the Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov have a tangible encore quality. Both musicians are very talented and the entire recording has a wonderful presence to it."
Ole Straarup, Århus Stiftstidende, May 2008
Chagall-evening with Mazel, Ejby Forsamlingshus
"Folk music of high standard. The music, as it was presented by the orchestra Mazel, was of very high quality. No one that evening remained unaware that the music was like a smile through tears. For klezmer music is played only in minor and has a both melancholy but also beautiful ring. Nevertheless, it can also be life-affirming dance music. (...) It was a musical pleasure for the audience to experience the empathy and virtuosity of the professional musicians.
Midtsjællands Avis, March 2008
Concert, Duo Diagonal at "Easter Festival and Contemporary Chamber Music", Sofia
"At the first glance, the combination of the typical Baroque harpsichord and the correspondingly newer accordion seems impossible. By a gradual revelation of the wealth of tonal possibilities of the accordion, approaching certain organs with regard to registers, tonal range and timbre (opr. tembre), one is made aware of the similarity between the accordion and the other with the Baroque associated instrument, the organ. In an exotic, bordering on the perverse, manner, the concurrency unite the religious and the temporal in Baroque music, presented through the organ and the harpsichord. These connections permit the programme with Baroque music (arranged for harpsichord and accordion) and modern works."
Ilija Gramatikov & Nikolaj Kolev, Altera, April 2007
(...) these two are both wonderful professionals, who provoke the genesis of new pieces or arrangements of old (...)
Natalija Ilieva, Kultura, April 2007
Debut concert, The Royal Danish Music Conservatory
“Adam Ørvad plays with exuberance, mastery and grace. (...)
Hence it is rare to meet with a so profoundly lyrical talent behind the unwieldy trunk. It was not, as may initially have been expected, only the fine, sensual play of changing harmonic colours in the preliminary first performance, Mogens Christensen’s “Couronne”, that called for Ørvad’s sense for delicate shadowy nuances and calm listening timing. There was also the breezy levitating lightness as starting point for the wondrous pre- and postludes in the Finn Kalevi Aho’s strongly Bach-inspired sonata, and the smiling, flowing grace in the soloist’s own arrangement of César Franck’s “Pastorale” for organ.
Even the refreshing encore, a suite of presumably Rumanian folk dances, were characterised by a flying virtuosity rather than pushy energy. Over and over, Ørvad affirmed that the bellows are the soul of the instrument.
With all his loveable lightness, he is nevertheless an achiever who, with steady confidence and calm, reaches a settlement with a challenge like Aho’s half hour, highly complex and profound work, untangles the knots, forming a clarity and inherent organic dynamism that convinces of the grandeur of the work. An intellectual tour de force became a potent experience.
The second centre of gravity of the evening, the Scot Gordon McPherson’s dramatically pantomimic ”Lame God”, Ørvad delivered with warm narrative desire and competence, that never overstrained its means.”
Jan Jacoby, Politiken, March 2005
Solo concert, Slangerup Kirke
“The verger at Slangerup Kirke, Dennis Tobiasen, reports of a super concert and points it out as one of the best concerts he has experienced in the church – and he has heard all of them!”
Frederiksborg Amts-Avis, October 2004
Insideout, Amsterdam
"One just had the fortune to experience the utterly mad: "Insideout" by Sasha Waltz and Rebecca Saunders, performed by the fabulous musikFabrik NRW that was scattered all over the enormous factory building in Docklands, and even placed inside glass cases. Working conditions that only dedicated musicians will accept."
Rheinische Post, June 2004
CD - Karin Haußmann, Deutscher Musikrat, Edition zeitgenössisher musik, WERGO 6558 2.: Ein Ort für Zufälle, musikFabrik
"Better interpreter (...) for these pieces is hard to conceive of. To this belongs also Ein Ort für Zufälle (A Place for Coincidences) for soprano, accordion, flute and percussion. It may strike the unprepared as a scintillating machine from an old chamber of wonders, in which small wheels take large turns: A drumming accent penetrates the note of an accordion, as if secretive ellipses were crossed (...)"
Die Zeit, July 2004
Den Forvandlede Kat, Det Nordjyske Operakompagni
"...Offenbach’s music also did well transplanted to Adam Ørvad’s accordion..."
John Christensen, Jyllands Posten, 2002
"...Musically it is not least a pleasurable experience to hear the three singers in polyphonic unity, not to mention the accompaniment throughout the play, as usually delivered by accordionist Adam Ørvad..."
Birgitte Bové, Nørresundby Avis, 2002
Hanne Ørvad, portrait concert, Manzius hall, Birkerød
Adam Ørvad and Therese Åstrand made captivating performances of the two works, in which not least Adam Ørvad’s ability to make the accordion illude like an organ underlined the choral-like in the Largo espressivo movement from "Vingefang".
Jens Brincker, Berlingske Tidende, 2002
Bastien og Bastienne, Det Nordjyske Operakompagni
...Adam Ørvad delivered a fabulous performance, his accordion-accompaniment had precisely the kind of lightness and musicality that is so necessary for Mozart, and when he appeared on stage as an extra player he added intense drama to the narrative with his gesticulation.
Tore Mortensen, Nordjyske Stifts-Tidende, 2001
...It is decisive for the accessibility of the performance that Adam Ørvad plays with infectious vivacity and beauty...
Randi K. Pedersen, Børneteater, 2001
Koncert, Allerød Musikskole
...and yet the best was saved for last: Adam’s performance of César Franck’s Organ Pastorale in E-major, a very beautifully arranged performance of a work that elegantly came to rest in itself.
Knud Cornelius, Frederiksborg Amts-Avis, 1999
