"Swedish pianist Per Tengstrand has embarked on what he calls 'a lonely and slightly crazy task' — playing all 32 of Beethoven’s sonatas in chronological order in a series of concerts. His next stop is Paris." Read More...

"Swedish pianist Per Tengstrand will offer some new perspectives for listening when he performs Beethoven on Saturday night at EMPAC in Troy. While emphasizing that his program will be more about music than about talking, he does plan to make a few points." Read More...

"Tengstrand exhibits a rare pleasure in playing and he shares it with his listeners. He offers beautiful moments, stunning not only because of his technique (speed, touch, sound), but also of inspiration. [He has] an unequalled ability to put the audience in his pocket."

"The Beethoven led the program, with the pianist Per Tengstrand as soloist. Mr. Tengstrand brought the requisite grandeur to the opening cadenza and performed with an appealing blend of muscularity and poetry throughout."

"Mr. Tengstrand used little pedal in the parallel chords and octaves, saving a more sustained sound for the arpeggios. Both Mr. Tengstrand and Maestro Järvi seemed to know the hall, inherently sensing which sonorities needed to be crisp and which could be more blended together." Read More...

"The positive acoustical impression was bolstered on Saturday afternoon during a little recital given by Per Tengstrand, also the pianist in the Schumann. Here Mr. Tengstrand played works by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Ravel and Liszt, using three pianos owned by the center: a Bösendorfer, a Fazioli and a Hamburg Steinway. The characteristics of each came through vividly, and the sound was perhaps most impressive in the lower reaches of Liszt's 'Dante' Sonata, where what can easily turn into pitchless, rhythmless murk came through as a rushed profusion of distinct notes."

" ... the most intriguing artist of the night, pianist Per Tengstrand. His playing was spirited and crystal clear."

"At age 13, Per Tengstrand decided he wanted to become a professional pianist -- while playing soccer in his backyard." Read More...

"Pianist Per Tengstrand may come as close to embodying Liszt, at least in his performance and appearance, as any musician working today." Read More...

"At 20 minutes, the opening movement is the critical foundation of the concerto, and Tengstrand displayed the deft touch of a virtuoso, alternately caressing the keys or striking them emphatically." Read More...

"The first movement's dialog between the colorful wind parts (which were sensitively played by the orchestra) and the soloist was brought out, and Tengstrand combined lightness and great spirit in his playing. By focusing on the details in a diversified way in the emotionally charged Andante, he gave the music a meaning and complexity at a level which is almost never heard. The finale, with its Papageno-like theme and variations, had a beautiful flow." Read More...

"[Neeme] Järvi and the young Swedish virtuoso Per Tengstrand seized the piece ... and their conviction carried the day."

"Tengstrand has a quiet competence and understated elegance that worked well in [Beethoven's Concerto No. 4 in G Major], but nonetheless he also possesses a decidedly devilish flare that revealed itself even more so in the encore, Mozart's Turkish March for solo piano."

"Fearsome technique and the ability to blaze through a score without trepidation."

"Mr. Tengstrand was an ideal and lively interpreter, thin and pale of physique, his long fingers strumming the keyboard like a harp."
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"Tengstrand, laureate of several piano competitions, displayed all the technical prowess one might expect from a young lion, but with it -- and more important -- he revealed a capacity for restraint and reflection that doesn't always go with youthful speed and agility at the keyboard." Read More...