... Olga Papikian played
Mozarts d-minor Fantasie KV 397 with a light touch dreamily, tenderly
and with great empathy. Her posture seemed to suggest, that she wanted to
distance herself from the music. Her forceful, dynamic playing,
demonstrating Mozarts keen dramatic sense, was gliding into tender
thoughts, then jubilation! Olga interpreted the great differences of themes
in Fantasie with emphasizing the fickleness of a genius a beautiful and
rare performance!
Olga Papikian can
slip into the role of the composer. She ponders over an idea, pauses a
little while, to leap into ecstasy, then changes again into a light, chatty
conversation. The hands of this pianist know many variations. Her light
touch masters the most delicate nuances of changing moods. Her Schubert
(Impromptu A-flat major op. posth. 142, Wanderer-Fantasie and her encore
from Die schöne Mllerin ) were poetic, her Liszt euphoric.
This cold November evening in the
Monastery hall Olga Papikian shared all this with her audience. Her obvious
intensive studies enabled her to integrate Liszts La lugubre gondola No. 2
and the Wagners Tannhuser Ouvertre. She interprets La lugubre gondola,
composed 1885, as complete bewilderment, rage and holding back tears. After
a short interval, which the audience accepted as structuring element of her
play, followed the debate between Liszt and Wagner,which finds expression
in Wagners Tannhuser Ouvertre. Olga explained the relationship between
the two musicians: deep admiration, friendship, discord, disagreement and
renewed engagement. She is a master of vivid description, whose knowledge
and competence is the empathy and polished technique of a true virtuoso.
Olga Papikians engagement was certainly the
highlight of this season and many listeners would welcome a repetition of
her performance.....
Badische Zeitung, 2007
Euphoria at Final Concert
...The End of Season concert at the
Monastery ended with enthusiastic and emotional applause. The Russian
pianist, Olga Papikian played Liszt, Schubert and Mozart with a great deal
of sensitivity, for which she received a standing ovation and she replied
with an encore. Despite the very demanding program she played two
additional pieces.....
Südkurier, 2007
"The pianist and soprano Olga Papikian made the first evening of the new season in the "erstKlassik" series
in Hallbergmoos a true musical experience. "Reflections" was the title of the concert, which focused on works
by Robert Schumann and Frederic Chopin. The audience gave the artist a standing ovation for her virtuos and
inspiring interpretation.
At the beginning of the concert Olga Papikian delighted her audience with songs by Franz Lachner and Robert
Schumann as a soprano".
Süddeutsche Zeitung, 5.10.2010
"In the Winnender Castle, the duo (Christine Mller/Olga Papikian) once again succeeds in this possibly female
sensibility with a romantic colouring, in Clara Schumann's "Three Romances op.22" The audience has already
clapped their hands sore not only sensitively and perfectly attuned to each other, but also played with
particular virtuosity".
Winnender newspaper, February 7th, 2011
"...The Sinfonietta dell'Arte showed the full range of its richness of tone color and expression in van Beethoven's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5: Powerful, distinctive orchestral and precisely defined piano themes alternated, intertwined. Technical brilliance and Emotional creative power is combined in the playing of the young Russian pianist Olga Papikian, who always hits the right note both in ballad-like dreaming themes and in romantic-urgent complexes of motifs and mastered virtuoso embellished passages and fast runs with ease.
Konstanze Fuhrlbeck"
West German General Newspaper (WAZ) 30.11.2011
Cheerful music-making with Olga Papikian, Simon Nadasi and Danila Ivanov.
The demanding but varied spring concert was well received by the audience. The Russian pianist and singer
impressed with her strong soprano voice and her nimble fingers on the keyboard of her grand piano.
Watching Russian pianist Olga Papikian's hands fly around the grand piano's keyboard was phenomenal.
The piano solo "Alborado del gracioso" - a fool's morning song - by the French composer Maurice Ravel was one
of the highlights of the spring concert in the Dietic parish center of St. Agatha. Bitingly dissonant, short
playing and melodic motives alternated. Gloomy and bright parts ran alternately through the fourth work in
the cycle «Miroirs», which Ravel composed in 1905 and premiered a year later. Papikian mastered the
virtuosic and technically extraordinarily demanding part with flying colours. Papikian sang the three songs
by Johannes Brahms just as confidently. Her beautiful, powerful soprano voice also came into its own in the
two cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach - accompanied on the piano by her husband Simon Nádasi...
Christian Murer
Limmattal newspaper 05. 2013
"Soprano Olga Papikian and organist Simon Nádasi inspire in Bad Dürkheim...Soprano Olga Papikian brought opera like flair to the Castle Church with her strong voice...Additionally, singing pieces with organ accompaniment - mostly from the expressive section of church music, for which Olga Papikian has just the right voice: a strong, rather dramatic soprano, like from the opera stage..."
The Rhine Palatinate, 09.07.2015
With timbre, dynamics and sensitivity
Concert Soprano Olga Papikian reveals her great voice in Immenstadt.
Olga Papikian... moves the audience with a truly great voice. The Russian soprano puts moving fervor into
the pleading prayer (“Preghiera”) addressed to the Blessed Mother by Desdemona, Othello’s unfortunate wife
in the Verdi opera.
Radiance, emotional verve, impeccable security in every phrase. Such goodness also benefits Schubert's
“Salve Regina” D 676, which Papikian delicately modulates even in the high notes, richly colored, although,
or precisely because it gallantly sheds romantic trimmings. ...It reveals mature timbre, powerful dynamics,
sensual creative depth...
Christoph Pfister Allgäu Newspaper 15.1.2020