Reviews
“I enjoyed the variety of programming and the wonderful way that the VPE engages the audience.”
Rita Attrot
Head, Piano Department
BC Conservatory of Music
“I really enjoyed the concert.... What impressed me was the very good coordination of all four of you. As a pianist I know how hard it is to coordinate two pianists well, and you proved that this is possible for four. Well done!”
Diana Zlateva
Music Director, TBC, Vancouver
Review of Concert, July 28, 2006
“The tickling of ebony and ivory keys abounded in Matsqui Auditorium Saturday as the Vancouver Piano Ensemble performed to a capacity crowd.
This ensemble of four is headed by musical director Winfried Rompf. (Along with) Dorothy Uytengsu, Amanda Chan and Chin Yen Lee, this quartet provided a memorable concert from upbeat to cadence.
Opening the night, the audience was treated to a lovely arrangement of Vivaldi's concerto in G minor. The second selection of the evening was perhaps the best known, but not in this format. Mozart's Symphony in C (Jupiter) was a very tasteful interpretation of the original [arranged by Vincent Cheung].
The second half commenced with a rather significant piece... the Quatuor Concertante No. 2.... This was the most challenging, yet rewarding piece and was handled by the four pianists with grace.”
Mark Dyck
Abbotsford Times
March 9, 2002
“The Shadbolt Centre resounded with the glorious sounds of the Easter Sunday offerings of the Clef Society and two well-known artists, Dorothy Uytengsu and Winfried Rompf. It was a concert of Piano Duos and Duets.
Their presentation of J. S. Bach's Chaconne in D Minor, the Dvorak selections (four Slavonic Dances from Op. 46) were all well taken by the audience. But the stunning part was the absolutely unknown work of J.N. Hummel. It was found in some antique store by Winfried Rompf and was presented for our enjoyment on Sunday for the first time. It was the Sonata in Ab, Opus 92, and what a beautiful and captivating item (it was).
The Clef Concert finished with an Ernst Fischer offering (three foxtrotts for piano duo), which brought a hearty round of appreciation and an encore by both pianists.”
Peter Dickinson-Starkey
Review of Duo and Duet Recital ~ Dorothy Uytengsu and Winfried Rompf, Pianists
April 15, 2001
“It gives me pleasure to recommend the Vancouver Piano Ensemble with whom I have had the privilege of performing in both Vancouver, BC and Trossingen, Germany. The results of this collaboration were memorable performances in the 1200-seat Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver and in Schloss Hohenstein, near Rottweil, Germany. All performances were to capacity audiences.
I have found the ensemble to be both technically and musically of high caliber. Their music was exuberant and filled with excitement. Especially interesting was their performance of the seldom heard, but musically and technically challenging Green Bushes by Percy Grainger. In the Schwarzwaelder Bote, a German daily, Rafael Rennicke stated that the Canadians (Vancouver Piano Ensemble) kindle an inspired firework... a brilliant finale to the Ninth Dietinger Musiktage. Further he states that "they maintained clarity and sensitivity... this was inspiring".
As director of the Baynov Piano Ensemble, I consider it an honour to work with the Vancouver Piano Ensemble under a permanent alliance. The Vancouver Piano Ensemble is composed of outstanding individual performers, who have performed on various continents both, as soloists and duo pianists.
The combined forces of these talents produce piano sounds that is bound to be spell binding.”
Prof. Tomislav Nedelkovic-Baynov
Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik
Trossingen, Germany
December 29, 2000
