Press
Mozart with the English Chamber Orchestra
Mr. Hochman, whose career as a pianist has been thriving, took time off recently to study conducting. It was time well spent. The stylistic insight, elegance and sparkle of Mr. Hochman’s pianism are beautifully matched by the playing of the orchestra.
The New York Times
Variations
The thoughtful, accomplished Israeli-born pianist Benjamin Hochman devised a fascinating program of works in variation form for this splendid new recording... There are extraordinary performances of a meditative George Benjamin piece and Peter Lieberson’s elaborate 1996 Piano Variations, all building to the final offering: a commanding, exuberant account of Brahms’s great, and daunting, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel.
The New York Times
Hochman Gives New Meaning to Piano Variations
In the beautiful new recording by Israeli pianist Benjamin Hochman, the piano often sounds clear and bright, with sounds cascading like refined pearls, while at other times it can be likened to a full symphonic orchestra, tumultuous in its multilayered complexity and sound hues.
Haaretz
10 Best Classical Music Events
"On one special night, the exciting, inquisitive pianist Benjamin Hochman played a bold program of contemporary theme-and-variations pieces."
The New York Times
Kennedy Center Debut
"Hochman led the audience through this rugged, majestic landscape with such rhetorical authority that there was no hint of movement among his listeners when he paused between sections. The minute he was done, the audience launched immediately into ovations."
Anne MidgetteThe Washington Post
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3
Benjamin Hochman was electrifying... Hochman’s performance with the orchestra was absolutely thrilling, and it will be remembered as a highlight of the BSO’s 124th season... a riveting performance.
Bangor Daily News
Homage to Schubert
The excellent and inquisitive Israeli-born pianist Benjamin Hochman pays homage to Schubert with vibrant and stylish accounts
The New York Times
Schubert at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
"Elegant, polished, and heartfelt... Hochman penetrated to the rustic heart of Schubert's turbulent emotional world."
The Boston Globe
Ravel Piano Concerto
"After hearing Benjamin Hochman perform the Ravel, it should be obvious to anyone in the audience that all of us heard a world-class pianist.”
Opus Colorado
Brahms Trio
"In Brahms’s Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello in A minor they were joined by Benjamin Hochman — stepping in for André Watts, sidelined by tendinitis — whose sensitive playing produced beads of frosted glass in the Adagio and a muscular, impatient drive in the final Allegro."
The New York Times
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17, Pittsburgh Symphony
"Benjamin Hochman, making his PSO debut, displayed the sort of Mozartean touch and clean tone that you can't teach."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1, Seattle Symphony
"Hochman's demeanor is poised, and quietly confident. His playing is beautiful to hear. From the first moment, his crisp, articulated touch was noticeable, clear but not forceful, even with pedal, and he shaped the phrases in the long cadenza with grace."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Bach Partitas at Columbia University
"Mr. Hochman’s sensitive performance compelled you to listen. In his comments he was soft-spoken and intelligent, and those qualities characterized the playing of this gifted, fast-rising artist as well."
Anthony TommasiniThe New York Times
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, Cincinnati Symphony
"Barely moving at the piano, he played [Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major, K.271] with a refreshingly unaffected style, with nicely shaped phrasing and pristine articulation. The slow movement was a highlight, with its smiling-through-tears quality and the pianist's luminous touch in its long-breathed themes."
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Goldberg Variations
"Hochman is clearly intent on making his own mark on this profound work. He’s very, very good, offering singing tone, clarity of line and a deft touch. He brings out the inner voices, playing throughout with calm assurance and authority. There’s nothing flashy or ill thought-out here. It’s all Bach all the way."
Santa Fe Reporter
Bach and Dallapiccola
"Hochman distinguished himself mightily in the summer’s first Bach Plus program last Saturday… Bach’s introductory note to the six partitas states that they were “Composed For Music Lovers To Refresh Their Spirits.” With Hochman in charge, they do and they did.”
Santa Fe Reporter
Janáček , Dvořák, and Bright Sheng
"The young Israeli-American pianist Benjamin Hochman has been stirring up quite a bit of interest recently... Hochman displayed quality and variety of tonal production which were deeply satisfying."
The Boston Musical Intelligencer
Schubert Sonata D. 850
“The performance of the Schubert Sonata was that of a pianist giving his all for every note, yet always holding something back, a balancing act that seems particularly appropriate for Schubert. The performance was never about timbre, but the range of colors he brought to bear on this piece, on the whole evening, was phenomenal.”