ReviewsOriginal
Pamina Klassik, 10.10.2011
...technically not the prize winner since she had not taken part in the competition, the young extraordinarily talented harpist Katrina Szederkenyi (a student of jury panel member Françoise Friedrich) stepped in at short notice. Nonetheless she is a prize winner having just won 3rd prize at the International Harp Competion in St. Petersburg in September...
...the Hungarian-Canadian harpist opened the concert with a harp solo, Variations on "Je suis encore dans mon printemps" op. 36 by Louis Spohr and immediately captivated with the warm tone of her harp and the range of colour and her finely nuanced playing.
Temperament and passion burst forth in Manuel de Falla's "Spanish Dance No.1", an arrangement from the opera "La vida breve" (The Short Life). Here Katrina Szederkenyi superbly refuted the common cliche of the purely ethereal sounding harp with fiery, rhythmic passages and reminiscences of Spanish folklore like flamenco....
Finally in the last number of the evening "Danse sacrée et danse profane", soloist Katrina and the chamber orchestra combined forces to traverse once again Débussy's soundscape. This work, a commission by the piano factory Pleyel, is one of the standard works for harp. Both the soloist and the chamber orchestra demonstrated great variety of tonal colour and remarkably good ensemble-work.
Giessener Allgemeine: 23.02.2011
“Symphony concert with a French slant”
In the opening number, the surprise guest, the young music student Katrina Szederkenyi, demonstrated her expertise on the harp. This exceptionally talented musician, born 1988, presented the “Concertstück pour harp et orchestre” by Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937). This tonally formed composition is shaped by the sparkling harp acoustics with its filigree-like runs; the restrained playing by the orchestra conveyed the mood well. Szederkenyi impressed with her sure and expressive playing.
Hersfelderzeitung Zeitung 12.01.11
After a lively beginnning the orchestra receded as the two soloists entered. The experienced flutist Petr Pomkla (Brünn), who repeatedly looked around impishly before he masterfully and sensitively shaped the notes, and the inventive harpist Katrina Szederkenyi (Winnipeg, Canada) played together brilliantly.
After the intermission the programme changed: from the sacred to the profane and from the symphonic to the dance-like with Debussy’s “Danses sacrée et profane”. Delicate harp tones arose from under Katrina Szederkenyi’s slender, nimble hands.
Giessener Anzeiger 18.01.11
In the second piece, the Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major KV 299 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one heard beside the delicate solos by flutist Petr Pomkla also the brilliant harp of Katrina Szederkenyi. Both soloists left nothing to be desired in their playing.
The programme concluded with Claude Debussy’s “Danse sacrée” and “Danse profane” for harp and string orchestra, two very finely executed pieces.
Giessener Allgemeine 18.01.11
Cheerful triadic interjections heralded the energetic and witty opening Allegro movement of the Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major KV 299 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Heinrich focused on musical elegance and superb tonal balance between flutist Petr Pomkla, harpist Katrina Szederkenyi and the orchestra. Pleasing were both the charming and graceful shaping of the themes as well as the choice of tempi. Soloists and orchestra demonstrated a high degree of musical sensitivity. The gentle, incomparably refined flute and harp melody in the andantino positively caressed the ear, so sensitively was it played by Pomkla and Szederkenyi. At the beginning of the rondo the orchestra brought out the dynamic contrasts in an exciting way. Subsequently the soloists captivated the listeners with their finely detailed articulation.
Silvery shimmering flowing harp arpeggios suffused Claude Debussy’s “Danse sacrée” with special charm. The music in this inspired interpretation by soloists and orchestra led extensively into impressionist spheres and out into mysteriously shimmering sounds. With her impeccable finger dexterity and notable musical sensitivity Szederkenyi knew how to impress in the second dance too.
Bergsträsser Anzeiger 17.01.11
...Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra KV 299 was composed in Paris in 1778. Although the composer did not care for (disliked) the two solo instruments and their use in the concerto was entirely due to the two aristocratic commissioners the work in its melodiousness and delicacy of sound unmistakeably bears the stamp of Mozart’s magic.
Petr Pomkla (flute) and Katrina Szederkenyi (harp) and the Virtuosi Brunensis demonstrated a keen understanding of the special charms of this subtly and brilliantly crafted work through their finely balanced performance. Siegried Heinrich’s sensibility for Mozart convinced through relaxed serenity, Pomkla’s flute sound through eloquent vitality and Szederkenyi’s harp skills through the most eloquent wealth of colour.
The high point was without doubt the witty Rondo-Finale, in which the two soloists, harmonising masterfully, left nothing to be desired in their brilliant playing.
The young harpist furthermore demonstrated her captivating stylistic and sophisticated virtuosity in the 1904 Debussy’s movements “Danse sacrée” and “Danse Profane” accompanied just with strings - true impressionist jewels, which bloomed with fresh vigour under Heinrich’s impeccably sensitive conducting.
Marburg News 12.01.11
One might have thought that the figure in Edgar Degas’ painting “Dancer on the Stage” were standing there in the flesh, so great was the resemblance of the woman on the stage in her floor length green and pink silk dress, severe chignon and graceful bearing to the picture printed on the cover of the programme.
But the picture had not been brought to life. Nevertheless the resemblance between the harp soloist Katrina Szederkenyi and the subject in Degas’ painting was astonishing.
Unlike her painted double, Szederkenyi made her impression on Tuesday (11 January) in the City Hall not through ballet but by her extraordinary harp playing.
Particularly the three named soloists were impressive: Szederkenyi on harp, Petr Pomkla on flute and Rouven Schirmer on violoncello. Thus Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra put the audience in the mood for the longed-for spring. Although the rumour persists that Mozart liked neither harps nor flutes, the presentation by Szederkenyi and Pomkla might have made him change his mind. Although the piece is considered easy for the flute, the harp is severely challenged by unfavourable scoring.
But Szederkenyi overcame the challenge superbly. Playing without music, her fingers glided lightly and fast across the strings of her instrument. In this way she formed an integrated whole with the flute which made for an unusual and refreshing auditory experience.
The orchestra supported the two soloists well by not overwhelming their delicate sound, yet without itself fading away. Particularly in the allegro this resulted in a successful alternation of the theme between the orchestra and the soloists.
In Debussy’s piece “Two dances for harp and string orchestra” Szederkenyi was also able to entice the listeners into an acoustic fairy world full of new sounds. While calmer sounds permeated the spiritual “Danse sacrée”, in “Danse profane” worldlier notes -- as the title indicates - prevailed. In brisk 3/4 metre the harp led the 20 strings through the commissioned impressionistic work.
Freies Wort 17.01.11
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was represented by the concerto for flute, harp and orchestra. The soft sound of the flute and the rustling shimmer of the harp were finely balanced.
Oberhessische Presse/Marburg 11.01.11
In the Mozart Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major, KV 299, flutist Petr Pomkla and harpist Katrina Szederkenyi distinguished themselves with the playful lightness and suppleness of their tone. Szederkenyi with splendid garlands of harp sounds and Pomkla with delicate flute melodies communicated easily with each other and the orchestra, which supported them with light musical playing. The Andante enchanted with its festive ceremony. The Rondo bubbled over with vivacity, the joy of music making, gallantry and freshness in the exchanges between the soloists and the orchestra. This was transporting music full of joy and elegance.
In Debussy’s “Two dances for harp and string orchestra” Katrina Szederkenyi could draw on limitless musical resources. In “Danse sacrée” the bewitching and melancholy minor soared up in archaic moments in the harp and orchestra. Szederkenyi imbued the melody with delicately shimmering colours.
It was exciting how the Valse in “Danse profane” cautiously unfolds into full bloom: delicate runs that gather into cascades of sound with mysterious sounds from the orchestra -- a magical sound that no can resist.
Uli Braun, in Kultur am Ort 9.06.09
Ethereal String playing
Chamber music: violin and harp enchant in the Emperor Hall, Ottobeuren
There is always something new to hear in the emperor hall of the abbey Ottobeuren, so too at the last concert. Guest artists were the Wiener Saitenspiel Duo with Nandor Szederkenyi (violin) and his daughter Katrina Szederkenyi (harp) -- a combination of instruments that is seldom heard together, not least because works for this combination are rather rare.
Nonetheless the artists presented an extensive program that consisted mostly of sonatas, fantasies, poèmes, impromptus or preludes, thus mainly shorter pieces that bring out the character of the instruments. There was only one solo piece for harp, “Fantaisie sur une thème” by Ekaterina Walter-Küne. The composers on the programme were Rosetti, Spohr, Saint-Saëns, Kimbell -- who was present, and received warm applause -- and the French composers Fauré, Tournier, Debussy and Damase.
One could tell that the French cultural circle had a particular fondness for the harp in conjunction with the violin. Thus there was ethereal playing that in its temporal duration was a trifle too long: over two hours plus encore with just these two instruments is an acquired taste.
Virtuoso Demonstration of the capabilities of the instruments
If one may choose a piece out of this plethora of pieces it was the “Fantasy on themes from the Magic Flute” by Louis Spohr, in which the composer makes use of the capabilities of instruments in virtuoso fashion. Despite the strangeness of the instrumentation the inspired nature of this composition was obvious, while the other pieces did seem more to underscore happenstance of musical composition.
The artists were consummate musicians, each a master of the instrument: Nandor Szederkenyi whose 1762 Italian violin enchanted with the full resonant tone of his playing and Katrina Szederkenyi on harp which she controlled with sovereign deftness. She creates rustling soundscapes, which was particularly apparent in her solo number. The duo playing of father and daughter offered the tenderest and most delicate music.
Allgäu Kultur 16.05.09
Jubilee concert for the 60th anniversary of the Ottobeuren concert series.
[The ensemble] demonstrated a fine feeling for the delicate late romantic harmonies in Gabriel Pierné’s Konzertstück for harp and orchestra. Canadian harpist Katrina Szederkenyi (b. 1988) proved herself to be a sensitive soloist who engaged in a tender dialogue with the orchestra.
Memminger Zeitung, 28.05. 2009
In the imposing ambiance of the Emperor Hall, the Southwest Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim directed by Florian Seitz presented works by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gabriel Pierné. Katrina Szederkenyi created a combination of gentle and ravishing sounds on the harp and showed how well these sounds harmonise with the orchestra.
Bayerwald Echo 20. Oktober 2007
Brilliant closing chord at “Con l’arpa”
“Speak softly, and one will listen to you!” -- This key dictum of rhetoric is also obviously applicable to the concert stage: “play softly, and people will be submerged in your music!” The second harp soloist of the evening, Hungarian-Canadian Katrina Szederkenyi, who lives in Vienna since 1999, only began playing the harp in 2001. The 19-year is regarded as exceptionally talented (she was admitted already at the age of 16 as a regular student at the University of Vienna in harp). If even hard-boiled concert-goers think of images of “angels floating through the room”, that is saying something. Also butterflies in a trance and delicately hued damsel flies seemed to float through the room as Szederkenyi began to play her harp, creating a magical mood. The focus was directed on the young lady with her concert harp on the podium. First there was some English baroque with John Parry’s Sonata No.1, an arrangement of a harpsichord sonata for harp solo. The young lady interpreted the three movements with finely honed differentiated dynamics for which one could only render her the highest admiration. It was the following original composition by the English harp virtuoso Elias Parish-Alvers (1808-1849) -- an exquisite, dreamy serenade, the caused the ‘Szederkenyi effect’: soft playing, down to ppp positively caressed the soul of the audience. This was harp artistry at its highest, the audience was captivated. That she is also a master of the opposite direction -- Hispanic temperament, fire and passion -- was demonstrated in her adaptation of the virtuoso piano piece ‘Tocata y fuga’ by Joaquin Turina (1882-1949). Here too pure cinema for the ears: barren Andalusian landscapes, but also blooming orange trees, a view over the ocean, danced before one’s eyes. Already in the seventh year of her studies Szederkenyi commands enormous breadth of interpretation.