James Kreger

• Cellist

Reviews

James Kreger press reviews

It’s difficult to imagine anyone playing the cello better than this.
The New York Times
Bravura passages sizzle off his bow with assurance and panache.
American Record Guide
Within measures, Kreger established his 'voice' — and what a commanding sound it was! For the slow, romantic utterance, his playing is unsurpassed.
Musical America
a welcome breadth of tone, an eloquence born of total conviction
The (London) Daily Telegraph
Kreger can play the cello astoundingly. He has a concentrated, hot sound of unusual power, and a combination of good ear and good left hand that keep his playing in tune even where things become technically very difficult.
The Boston Globe
Kreger and Robbins are stars …. The two Mendelssohn sonatas are mainstays of the cello repertory. There is no better recording of them.
American Record Guide
Kreger's tone was simply wonderful: mellow, rich, consistent throughout.
New York Post
American cellist James Kreger makes a passionate case for this wonderful music….
Essex (UK) Chronicle, on Kreger's disc of Dvorák and Herbert
The "Kakadu" Variations were notable for the distinguished individual contributions of each of the three players and by the almost sculptural smoothness of their ensemble work. Energy, precision and remarkable unity of spirit were the hallmarks of the Dvorák performance, and they combined to make the Piano Quintet seem gloriously fresh and appealing.
The New York Times, review of "Music from Marlboro"
In the cadenza, his technique was breathtaking in its assurance and tonal purity. Unafraid of emotions, he invested the lyrical sections with an honesty that spoke thunderingly of his gifts as a musician.
Indianapolis News
Under his hands, the instrument has a grain in its voice that sounds almost human.
The New York Times
Kreger, whose chamber music playing has always touched me, draws a lithe sound from his instrument, rejoicing in a long, sinewy, singing line. His bowing is creamy smooth, his intonation squarely on target, and his phrasing unfailingly lyrical and intelligent.
International Record Review (UK)
spinning line, cogent structure, and a beautifully tapered chiaroscuro … his tone is quite ravishing
Musical America
Kreger is a fine cellist; his tone clear, unforced and well projected, the singing melodies played with lovely legato phrasing, the brilliant passages clear and incisive.
Gramophone (UK)
James Kreger, mastersinger of the cello … stands at the very pinnacle of the world of music in an era of remarkably great cellists.
Newhouse News Service
His performances have a spontaneous, even passionate, immediacy yet he is always in control of the situation; it's difficult to imagine anyone playing the cello better than this.
The New York Times
Kreger is a cellist of great power. His playing is spontaneous, musical and rather extroverted. He succeeds here in an interpretation of great temperament, opulence of tone, and individuality.
Fono Forum (Germany)
Clean technique is allied with great musical passion.
Klassik Heute (Germany)
Kreger is a cellist of formidable power, yet he possesses solid control and one of the very beautiful cantilenas among cellists today.
The Newport Daily News
Recording this Dvorak Concerto, which has been recorded by virtually all the great cellists of the 20th century … is quite a challenge. The veteran American cellist James Kreger meets it handsomely. His highly disciplined cello playing is uniformly rich in sound, pure in intonation, and convincing in phrasing.
Fanfare
There is an arresting beauty in his subtle gradation of phrases and delicately executed ritardandi. Kreger's tone is powerful and warm, with a palette of dark colors exceptionally well suited to the introverted spirit of the Dvorak pieces.
Fono Forum (Germany)
Kreger's performances are outstanding. His burnished tone is rich and mellow, his dynamics subtly nuanced and at times daringly hushed. His bowing is seamless, his intonation irreproachable. Kreger's rhapsodic interpretation of the Dvorák Concerto is poignant and touching, while Silent Woods has a rapt inwardness that is mesmerizing.
The Juilliard Journal, on Kreger's disc of Dvorák and Herbert