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“Standing Wave is Vancouver’s all-star team. They’re crazy, straight from the loony bin, I swear. But hell, they’re good.”
Discorder Magazine
“…fresh sounds that twist and surprise… Standing Wave is a vital contemporary voice with drop-dead ingenious musicians.”
The Vancouver Sun
“Each piece was performed with an emotive energy that was constant, genuine, and suffused with crystalline discipline.”
“…a hearty, heartfelt performance.”
“…a sensual edginess.”
John Keillor, The Georgia Straight
“…these musicians demonstrated ample reserves of soloistic and ensemble virtuosity.”
Colin MacDonald, The Georgia Straight
“…it was a particular pleasure to hear the superb ensemble Standing Wave revisit the aforementioned All, which made its somewhat underpublicized debut in May of last year. The collagelike piece—which features further compositional input from Bramwell Tovey, Alfredo Santa Ana, Martin Ritter, and Ron Samworth, along with spoken and projected text—is a panoramic look at Vancouver life today.”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Blessed with the knack of making difficult music sound effortless, Standing Wave is one of Vancouver’s real treasures…”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Over the course of its 16-year history, Standing Wave has specialized in making the difficult seem easy – and in its first concert of 2007 that was definitely on the agenda.”
“There’s an odd sweetness to these tunes, but that simplicity is deceptive; they’re technically challenging, too. Violinist Rebecca Whitling rose to the occasion with startling grace, sometimes foregrounding one pure note while drawing reedy harmony from or two others. Allen Stiles, on piano, was also immaculate.”
“It’s no cinch to accurately reproduce this dizzying beauty, but Vancouver’s most accomplished contemporary chamber music group did just that, without even breaking a sweat.”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Standing Wave did this musical bounty proud. The group didn’t appear compromised by the addition of the extra musicians, always retaining its trademark clarity of execution. Nonetheless, some of the strongest performances were solo ones: cellist Peggy Lee’s high-wire improvisation three-quarters of the way through the hour long concert, and pianist Allen Stiles’ effervescent reading of Cage’s Sonata #5, a piece so otherworldly it sounds like the product of an alien civilization.”
“…in Standing Wave, this city has a major cultural treasure.”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Lean yet luxuriously paced, [palladia is] a glorious piece of music – and, like everything else on the program, it benefited from the performers’ impeccable poise.”
“The band offers brilliant musicianship, thoughtful programming, and true dedication to its craft: we can’t ask for more from it…”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Once again, Standing Wave presented a varied and stimulating program, played as ever, with lashings of intelligence and heart.”
Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight
“Uncommon vitality...”
“They have taken to tackling ‘difficult’ new music by some of the leading figures in contemporary chamber music (e.g. Boulez, Carter, Takemitsu), while maintaining an interest in musique actuelle and works with electroacoustics, and an unwavering commitment to composers from Vancouver and throughout Canada – their final concert this season includes no less than five premieres.”
Chris Miller, Vancouver Pro Musica
“Astonishing virtuosity…Exemplary dedication”
Douglas Hughes, The Georgia Straight
“World-class performance…”
John Keillor, Discorder Magazine
“Standing Wave is vital to any collection founded on love and curiosity.”
John Keillor, Discorder Magazine