Kristín Jónína Taylor, pianist

Critic’s Comments

  • Review of Midwest Piano Sonatas on allmusic.com (rating 4 out of 5 stars)
    by James Manheim
    “This release by pianist Kristin Jónína Taylor delivers what it promises: a trio of piano sonatas from the U.S. Midwest. There is no suggestion, however, of a unified style, and perhaps the point is to show that this region is as musically diverse as any other. The final two sonatas are quite recent, composed in 2022 and 2018, respectively, while the opening Piano Sonata of Joanne Baker was written at the University of Michigan in 1948. Physical album buyers get a terrific story of how the young Baker resolved to become a musician after performing Chopin in a hall that was hit with a power outage and managing to complete the performance in total darkness. The work has hints of Hindemith, Walter Piston, and other neoclassical composers of the day but is confident, with plenty of quartal harmony, but is confident in blending them into a bright, energetic texture. In an entirely different realm is the somber Piano Sonata No. 2 of Mike McFerron (a composer Taylor has championed), composed in 2022 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut. Sample the second movement, “Backroom of the Firehouse,” referring to the fire station where stunned families gathered that day: the movement quotes a Nordic melody from around 1300 to powerful effect. Bryan Stanley‘s Piano Sonata No. 2 leavens the gloom with bright outer movements, including an artful theme and variations to conclude the program. Taylor’s performances are clean, and all have a sense of strong commitment to the music. Ideal for library collections, this release will be of interest to any observer of the American scene, Midwestern or otherwise.”
  • Article in Omaha World Herald
    by Kent Sievers
       “The group, pared down a little to fit the center’s lobby, performed an energetic and stirring version of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Kristin Jónína Taylor, an assistant professor of piano at UNO.”
  • Review of Well Tempered Pianist: Music for solo piano by Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson on allmusic.com (rating 4 out of 5 stars)
    by James Manheim

“The piano music of Icelandic composer Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson, most of which is recorded on this album, encompasses a wide range of concepts and technical procedures, but, as Icelandic-American pianist Kristin Jónína Taylor put in her booklet notes, “Within these works, it is undoubtedly Thorkell’s voice that we hear.” The music embodies abstract concepts such as a unique set of variations in which the theme is atomized into sections, picked up by the variations in turn. There are pieces based on anagrams, as well as loosely representational music. Sigurbjörnsson has written basically serial music such as the Chaconette (track 26), music based on Bartók-like repeated notes, and music using extended pedal techniques (Sindur, track 28). All of it displays a tendency toward short, sharp phrases, combined polyphonically in textures that (as the album title suggests) are reminiscent of Bach’s inventions. Almost every piece reflects a conciseness and cleverness that occasionally spill over into outright humor, not an easy thing to accomplish in some of the idioms Sigurbjörnsson uses. A nifty find from the Iceland Music Information Centre, apparently recorded by Taylor under the supervision of the composer himself.”

  • Review in The Triangle of Mu Phi Epsilon, “Upon Listening” column
    See page 23, Volume 105 Issue 3 Fall 2011

  • Review by Jónas Sen, Music Critic for Morgunblaðið

“Magnificent performance!!”
“Ornate flashiness and unusual strength
“Keen awareness of sound”
“Delightfully full of nuances and depth”
“Genuine and straightforward while at the same time moving, sincere and exceptionally affectionate”
“The Barber Sonata is a pregnant terror and the most difficult parts of the piece were played so brilliantly that I was driven completely out of my wits.”
“A performance I will never forget!”

  • Review by Alexandra Kjeld, Music Critic for Morgunblaðið

“The secure, clear and professional performance by the Icelandic-American Kristín Jónína Taylor conveyed the dramatic opposites in the pieces with power, pulse, and character.”

“Continually beating repeated notes of persistent refrains in MA KKNOTT (1993) created great tension and the listeners lived in suspense during Sindur in another-worldly work, floating and full of motion with an inspiring interpretation by the pianist.”

  • Minneapolis Art Institute

“The most outstanding concert heard in Pillsbury Hall in many years!!

  • Review by Steingrimur Steinolfson, Lögberg-Heimskringla, Winnipeg, Canada

“Icelandic-American pianist Dr. Kristín Jónína Taylor mesmerized everyone with her unbelievable talents. The Midwest is very fortunate to have such a world-class performer of Nordic piano works.”