PRESS
“ Coelho gyrated, double-tongued and crooned his way through the composition which features fast and slow rock and roll…”
— Gazette May 2, 2005 By George C. Ford
“The rest of the disc features Coelho as a true soloist and demonstrates his incredible control of dynamics throughout the complete range of the instrument, as well as his ability to maintain that rich, nutty tone quality without compromising it in the face of all the extended techniques required.”
— Bassoon Images from the Americas – Double Reed News 70 / Spring 2005
“Ben Coelho is one of the finest bassoonists of this young generation! It does this “old” bassoonist’s heart good to know there are such fine players as this to “ carry the bassoon torch” into the future.”
— The Double Reed (International Double Reed Society’s journal) Ronald Klimko
“With character, vitality, and altogether virtuous playing, Benjamin Coelho has assembled a repertoire of American bassoon music that he and his audiences can relate to and learn from.”
— American Record Guide by Schwartz
“Coelho’s playing is elegant and fluid throughout.”
— NACWPI Journal Fall 2007 | BY Matthew Morris – Baylor University
“…a fine example of bassoon playing.”
— NACWPI Journal Fall 2007 | BY Matthew Morris – Baylor University
“ His tone is warm and well-rounded, but more importantly, he draws emotions from all of these works. This bassoon-playing truly can be called “soulful.”
— International Record Review May 2006 Raymond S. Tuttle
“First of all, Coelho is fantastic. His sound is brilliant, resonant, and strong, and he has a warm tone that blends superbly with the strings.”
— American Record Guide. Schwartz. May/ June 2006
“His playing is unfailingly sonorous, expressive and alert, and he champions the pieces on this recording as if he believed in them without reservation.”
— The Gramophone May 2006 Donald Rosenberg
“Benjamin Coelho: it is a pleasure to re-encounter his artistry and full, rich tone.”
— FANFARE Nov/ Dec 2006 Pas de Trois BY Phillip Scott
“Ben Coelho’s bassooning , as in all his recordings, is excellent throughout..”
— Pas de Trois 2006 volume 29 No. 3 | Bassoon Recording Reviews Ronald Klimko McCall Idaho
“…I have NEVER heard them better performed by a bassoonist…”
“ In Ben’s hand(, )these works come alive in all their delicacy and grace.” Especially rewarding…with ben’s beautiful interpretation.”
“ ….the dynamics are so beautifully handled by him that it takes your breath away. ( Bravo Bravo Ben!)”
….revel in Benjamin Coelho’s incredible bassoon mastery…”.
“ Ben proves himself to be one of the finest bassoonists of his, and indeed ALL generations.”
— The Double Reed. Ronald Klimko on Explorations
“the work of these artists is always excellent. For lovers of choral music, this disc is a most interesting foray into some new and unusual territory. Listening to it gives you the feeling of being in an intimate concert hall.”
— Maria Nockin, Fanfare Issue 36:4 [Mar/Apr 2013]
“….Mr. Coelho makes such a rich, vibrant tone….”
— Bassoon Images from the Americas – Double Reed News 70 / Spring 2005
“indeed, a couple of the variations have a florid cascade of notes resonant of baroque style improvisation. Benjamin Coelho makes it all sound very natural though, effortlessly keeping the spirit of the opening theme.”
— Bassoon Images from the Americas – Double Reed News 70 / Spring 2005
“The overall playing and musicianship on this CD is first-rate.”
— The Double Reed (International Double Reed Society’s journal) Ronald Klimko
“Coelho plays the John Steinmetz’s unpublished Etude No.5 with such vitality and spirit that I had to get in touch with Steinmetz myself for the piece!”
— American Record Guide by Schwartz
“Were Coelho a singer ( and figuratively he does that with these pieces), this would be his winning combination.”
— American Record Guide by Schwartz
“Coelho plays with the nimbleness of a dancer in the passagework and sings with heartfelt lyricism in the expressive movements. Bravo!”
— NACWPI Journal Fall 2007 | BY Matthew Morris – Baylor University
“ Ben has such a gorgeous sound, such impeccable technique, and such sensitive musicality…”
— By Ronald Klimko THE DOUBLE REED (International Double Reed Society’s journal) Volume 29, No 1, 2006
“Coelho plays with majesty and bravura.”
— American Record Guide. Schwartz. May/ June 2006
“ Great things have come from him in the past, and here is one more.”
— American Record Guide. Schwartz. May/ June 2006
“Coelho’s sound is very polished and vibrant, always blending very well with his fellow musicians.”
— Pas de Trois American Record Guide Schwartz Nov/ Dec 2006
“Benjamin Coelho plays with a warm, full tone and with enviable agility.”
— Pas de trois International Record Review. Raymond S. Tuttle
“One of the talents of this man ( ,) there can be no question-he has a fine, bold sound with a flirtatious and adept technique that suits itself very well to each style here.”
— Explorations. 2008. Fanfare Sept/Oct 2008 Steven E. Ritter
“There isn’t a recording out there that compares to the initiative these musicians have taken to assemble and commission works for bassoon and voice, and the musicians are dedicated and inspired. Ben Coelho’s jovial demeanor and musical fluency always make his performances a delight to hear, and the singers of Kantorei are really top calibre.”
— Schwartz, American Record Guide [September/October 2013]
“While the combination of the bassoon as a solo instrument with chorus may not immediately come to mind as a common occurrence in the choral repertoire, this recent recording by Brazilian bassoonist Benjamin Coelho and The University of Iowa Kantorei demonstrates the effectiveness of such a pairing. The combination of Coelho’s virtuosity with the exquisite intonation and distinctive dynamic capabilities of The University of Iowa Kantorei yields an outstanding resource for conductors of advanced choruses… sheer musical skill [is] necessary to perform any of these pieces in an artistically satisfying manner [and Stalter’s choir succeeds in this respect throughout the entirety of the disc. Further, the impact of Coelho’s magnificent technical brilliance on the success of every composition featured in the recording cannot be overstated… Overall, the disc is elegantly packaged with informative CD notes, primarily by David Puderbaugh, though also with a fine contribution by Coelho, the sum of which provides excellent introductory material on the composers and compositions, complete texts and translations, and personnel listings… this new recording offers a significant contribution to choral scholarship and performance; therefore, I heartily endorse it.”
— Sean Burton, Melisma [June 2013]