"The young renowned American cellist Robert deMaine's musical and sonic projection was so intense that there was a convincing and magical illusion of there being two soloists during many passages. His technique and command were marvelous, and the interpretation compelling." — The New Zealand Herald (Auckland)
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"Stunning cello star shines with symphony...Soloist deMaine left quite an impression on what will certainly rank as one of this year's most memorable concerts."
— The Santa Cruz Sentinel
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Symphonic Splendor, and a Choice Cello, to Boot
"After hearing super-cellist Robert deMaine in the Charleston Music Fest, I was doubly determined to make it to Saturday evening's Charleston Symphony Concert...Then came the cello magic, courtesy of Mr. deMaine and Joseph Haydn, whose D-Major Cello Concerto provides ample opportunity for virtuosic display. Our soloist brought the sunny score to vibrant life, with amazing dexterity and gobs of lush tone. The noisy standing ovation led to a glittering encore. I found out during my mad backstage dash during intermission that deMaine had written his own remarkable cadenzas." — Lindsay Koob,
The Charleston City Paper (South Carolina)
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"A formidable virtuoso...a superb performance...captured the music's heroic qualities...But it was the beauty of the musicianship that most lingered in the ear. Indeed, the interpretation of the slow movement was so rapturous, so intimate, as if reading love letters from the stage. Suffice it to say it won a deserved ovation."
— John Pitcher,
The Omaha World-Herald
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"DeMaine is without question one of today's most exciting cellists. Not only is his playing dynamic, it is infused with lyricism and wonderfully nuanced expressiveness. His musicianship is immaculate and his technique is no less so."
— Edward Reichel,
The Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
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"DeMaine's performance of the concerti (Haydn in C and C.P.E. Bach) was definitive. He played with the virtuosic aplomb of a seasoned soloist. His sweet, rich tone provided consistent pleasure and his original, finely phrased cadenzas indicated an artist keenly aware of 18th-century style. Yet there was such quietly commanding personality to his playing that the effect was especially meaningful." — Tony Angarano,
The Hartford Courant
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"Robert deMaine gave a solo recital that for high seriousness, technical accomplishment and joy in music-making was just what you want a concert to be. This was a most rewarding, challenging program, and the audience was attentive and enthusiastic. In each of the pieces, deMaine showed himself to be a cellist with all the necessary equipment for fine musicianship: great dexterity, beautiful singing tone, and a thorough, even boisterous command of rhythm. And yet his playing inclined toward the classic, with a firmly centered, noble sound that never came off as less than dignified...deMaine's technical prowess was very impressive, and he made a persuasive advocate for the music. In addition, he demonstrated that he is a substantial and fine composer himself, playing three of a dozen Études-Caprices he wrote for his instrument in 1999. The excellence of this recital was a welcome event." — Greg Stepanich,
The Palm Beach Post
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Pianist and Cellist Add Their Expressive Treatment to Works
"From the outset, it was obvious that these two musicians (Robert deMaine, cellist, and Andrew Armstrong, pianist) were quite gifted and the liquidity of their phrasing and ensemble were immediately captivating. DeMaine's intense vibrato was employed with good effect and his seamless sense of phrasing is well matched by Armstrong...It held patrons' unflagging interest. DeMaine and Armstrong plunged the depths and explored the riches of the works. Through his cello, deMaine sang the phrases elegantly, and it was well worth repeating, which the artists did for an encore when they gave the audience another delightful reading of the second movement."
— Gayle Williams,
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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"The concert introduced Robert deMaine, a young virtuoso cellist with a vigorous style, mature expression, and beautiful sound."
— Elspeth Poole,
The Berkshire Eagle
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"The soloist was the string virtuoso Robert deMaine, who offered an entertaining show-off encore for solo cello which the audience greeted with enthusiasm after they gave him a standing ovation for the Haydn D-Major Concerto."
— William Furtwangler,
The Charleston Post and Courier
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"DeMaine is not (yet) a big name, and anything but flamboyant, but he is superb. He has all the sensitivity to bring out all the tenderness in the music, and the whole concerto was carried out with a kind of quality that speaks for his integrity, intelligence, and technique...a wonderfully eloquent performance of Dvorák's Concerto."
— William Glackin,
The Sacramento Bee
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"Making modern classical music listener-friendly, American Festival for the Arts' Head of String Department, the American cellist Robert deMaine, gave a sweetly singing interpretation of a new sonata by Michael Horvit. After poems of Tennyson, Horvit's Sonata was pleasing and mellifluous."
— Charles Ward,
The Houston Chronicle
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"Robert deMaine masterfully rendered the solo in Haydn's Concerto in D. A young cellist with tremendous ability, deMaine gave a serious reading. Clearly emphasizing the thoughtful and lyrical aspects of the piece, he played with warmly illuminating, smoothly singing tone, and well-shaped phrases. His technique was most impressive, and his musicianship dramatic."
— The Santa Cruz Sentinel
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"Cellist Robert deMaine tackled a wide repertoire in which attention was called to numerous interpreted contemporary pieces. He demonstrated an unexpected knowledge of contemporary Argentine music. In addition, Mr. deMaine displayed a level of equality in both technical mastery and knowledge of the enormously complex pieces...as well as delicate and poetic phrasing...his sound was executed with rare perfection. The performance was impeccable from a technical point of view and was spiritually harmonic."
— La Nacion (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
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"...the strength of deMaine's cello playing and musical expression is so outstanding, with intense concentration in the character. It was so clearly distinctive, brilliant, opulent, and momentous. His performance made the listener hungry for more."
— Rhein-Neckar Zeitung (Germany)
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"Vigorous cellist Robert deMaine gave a performance of great warmth. He showed perfect knowledge of his instrument and the ability to meld the sound. There was an amazing show of rosin dust rising from the cello into the overhead lights making the fiery music even more exciting with the appearance of smoke. The dancing second movement embraced the excitement right into the beautiful Adagio. The virtuosity reappeared in the smashing fourth movement with its resounding final chords, bringing repeated hurrahs from the appreciative audience."
— The Galveston Daily News
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"At age 13 he possesses all the natural gifts. This cello prodigy is sure to command on the concert stage. His extraordinary talent is unmistakable."
— The Daily Oklahoman
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"Garnering raves and applause, Mr. deMaine plumbed the richness of his instrument to the fullest, truly a showcase of the soloist's virtuosity. A standing ovation was rewarded by deMaine playing (with an exotic Spanish flair) Cassadó's Suite for Solo Cello."
— The Idaho State Journal
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"...The composer must have been associating with Casals, for whom he wrote this sonata. But here, Robert deMaine played it his own way, finely and eloquently...Mr. deMaine is an artist who makes one hang on every note."
— Paul Griffiths,
The New York Times
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Cello Challenges
"DeMaine delivered a focused, brilliant account of Kodály's fiendishly difficult Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8. With a rich, rounded tone and the finest intonation, deMaine showed an intelligent grasp of the Magyar folk-inspired score. He shaped phrases using a variety of expressive devices, and did not blanket everything with vibrato...the encore was a breezy intermezzo by Gaspar Cassadó."
— Pierre Ruhe,
The Washington Post
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"DeMaine, the young soloist who is a notable principal cellist, demonstrated that his technique was more than adequate to the task at hand (Haydn Concerto in C), as witnessed by the many cheers that followed the whirlwind finale."
— The Daily Chautauquan
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"As the highlight of the evening, guest artist Robert deMaine performed admirably in the demanding compositions. His encore was also a delightful gift to his appreciative audience."
— The Peninsula Times-Tribune/Palo Alto Daily News
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A Tale of Two Roberts
Schumann Cello Concerto Review — Nicole Rupersburg,
The Detroiter
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"Robert deMaine essayed his solo with heart-stopping beauty...the night's most memorable encore came when Neeme Järvi generously turned the spotlight again on deMaine, who played Tchaikovsky's 'Andante Cantabile' with the robust beauty of a Cézanne still-life."
— Mark Stryker,
The Detroit Free Press
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"To hear this virtuoso cellist once is to anticipate repeating the experience."
— Lawrence B. Johnson,
The Detroit News
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"DeMaine played with virile tone and animated assurance, which brought great distinction to the event."
— Dennis Rooney,
The Strad
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"Robert deMaine took the spotlight in Schumann's Cello Concerto in A Minor, a haunting work full of agitated yearning that suggests a paradise just out of reach. DeMaine, employing a radiant sound that glowed like a Vermeer interior, crafted an exquisitely proportioned interpretation that avoided sloppy emoting in favor of songful phrasing alive to the subtle emotional shifts in the score."
— Mark Stryker,
The Detroit Free Press
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"The Schumann Concerto again showcased deMaine's winning combination of big sound, refined technique, and thorough-going musicianship. Through the concerto's broadly lyrical first movement, deMaine filled the hall with rich, dark sound that I could only think of as chocolate. It was meltingly beautiful. But just as captivating were his precise and brightly humored slaloms through the technical obstacle course that forms the finale." — Lawrence B. Johnson,
The Detroit News
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Festival Serves a Treat With Cellist's Franck Sonata Performance
"DeMaine is an immensely gifted musician who has made substantive contributions to the festival this summer. None more so than in the Franck (Sonata), which gave him opportunity for full expression...A large, burnished sound is at his disposal, handsome in all registers. Along with that huge asset is a highly developed technique that never calls attention to itself because it is always in service to the music at hand. His musicality is a marvel of sensitivity, refinement, vigor and impressive penetration. With his highly developed lyrical sensibility he can carry the torch of a poet, but he can also supply muscle on a moment's notice."
— R.M. Campbell,
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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"DeMaine plays with an intensity so fierce and lyricism so delirious that it sounds as if his life depends on it...Musically, DeMaine is all business. A musician's individuality begins with his tone, and he produces an exquisite and personal sound rich with expression, modulated color, and tasteful vibrato. It hovers gracefully between tender sweetness and robust passion, reminiscent of the great mid-century Swedish operatic tenor Jussi Björling." — Mark Stryker,
The Detroit Free Press
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