"The result was a Resurrection Symphony for today: urgent and unsettled, yes, but also searching, persevering, and, ultimately, triumphant. Friday’s sold-out house responded to it, aptly, with thunder. If the weekend turns out to have marked Zander’s last go-around with this masterpiece, what a way to finish. This was a Mahler performance of the rarest kind — one fully worthy of the music itself." -Jonathan Blumhofer, The Arts Fuse (About the Boston Philharmonic's April 18, 2025 Mahler Symphony No. 2 concert)
"It [Schubert encore] was wonderful, and the Bruckner was stupendous," Lloyd Schwartz, Musical America (About the Boston Philharmonic's April 26, 2024, 45th Season Finale concert with pianist Alessandro Deljavan).
"Benjamin Zander is legendary for his Mahler. Last spring conducting his Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, he led a magnificent Das Leid von der Erde, with stentorian German heldentenor Stefan Vinke (known especially for his numerous performances of Wagner's Seigfried) and the achingly poignant British contralto Dame Sarah Connolly, who late in her career is still at the top of her form. " -Lloyd Schwartz. Read the full article on Musical America.com here. Photo by Hilary Scott.
"Conductor Benjamin Zander approached the score on Friday night with the poise and lucid insight of a veteran interpreter...The cellos unspooled the first movement’s famous theme with a warm songfulness and a graceful sense invitation. Overall the orchestra sounded at the top of its game." -Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe: Boston Philharmonic finishes season with the unfinished
"Few conductors in Boston have a feel for late Mahler the way Zander does. His bold direction could make winds and strings flutter and cry out without hampering the forward momentum of the music. Better yet, the Boston’s Philharmonic’s whisper was just as powerful as its roar — these delicate moments are indispensable way stations along Mahler’s quest for life." -Aaron Keebaugh, The Arts Fuse: Boston Philharmonic Plays Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde”
"For the last couple of seasons, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra has been the most consistent orchestra in town. Pretty much every concert they play is imbued with an excitement, drive, sense of discovery, and joy of sharing that is rare among orchestras, period, but especially professional outfits." -Jonathan Blumhofer, The Arts Fuse: Boston Philharmonic Orchestra plays Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8
“Zander, who’s led some distinctly fine concerts in recent years, drew the best out from his band...these days, they’re at the top of their game.” -The Arts Fuse
"Zander delivered a performance that will linger in memory for its iridescence and humanity." -Boston Classical Review
"for Mahler enthusiasts, Boston has no better advocate than Zander." -Boston Classical Review: Rare Ives and epic Mahler from Zander, Boston Philharmonic
"The whisper of Zander and the Boston Philharmonic can be as exciting as their roar... This was the Boston Philharmonic at their biggest and most balanced, from timpanis down to piccolo. A packed house responded with a five-minute standing ovation, including whistles for each of the sections and multiple curtain calls for Zander." -Boston Classical Review: Fast and gripping, Zander, Boston Philharmonic bring fresh spirit to familiar Beethoven
"Zander and the orchestra triumphed with the Dvořák’s Seventh. This treasure trove of Bohemian nationalist tunes, multiplied by Brahms-worthy orchestration, shone from every quarter, with horns and flutes particularly rewarding this listener’s ear and with all string sections providing even and robust support throughout." -The Boston Musical Intelligencer: Boston Phil’s Brilliant Visegradian Happening
"But, surely, performances of such sweeping spirit and fun, like the BPO’s … are rare. It was, a truly great performance … the BPO’s playing was shapely, richly colored, and full-bodied." -The Boston Globe
"Mahler as it is meant to be." -The Boston Globe
"Forty years of bringing top-notch music to the communities of Boston" -The Improper Bostonian: Celebrate the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary with a Concert
"From the BPO you get thunder and lightning and the language of the heart” -The Boston Globe, 1996
"This is music making that confirms music's power to touch and transform." - Christopher Lydon, Host of WBUR's Connection, 1996
"Power and virtuosity." -The Boston Herald, 1996
"...the whole performance left you feeling as though you had been struck by lightning—dazzled, with all your molecules rearranged." -The Boston Globe, 1996
