Posts in Reviews
Il Trittico

Opera Australia

Sydney, Australia

“Making a splendid OA debut, Yankovskaya was tremendously responsive to the mood and drama of each piece. At every moment the music illuminated the story."

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Bluebeard's Castle

English National Opera

London, UK

“The piece’s atmospheric qualities register strongly, aided in every single bar by the remarkable musicians of ENO’s vast orchestra and conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, who shapes Bartók’s 65-minute structure with complete conviction.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Rimsky-Korsakov, Jarrell & Weber

Utah Symphony

Salt Lake City, UT

“Yankovskaya gave a dynamic reading of Tchaikovsky’s Second that captured the character of each of the four movements. Her interpretation underscored the often subtle shifts in mood, and she kept the orchestra in check for the fortissimo sections. In the opening movement, she underscored the ebullience of the music with carefully constructed climaxes and finely crafted contrasts. She managed to get the orchestra to play with a light touch and never let any section overpower the others.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
The Nose

Chicago Opera Theater

Chicago, IL

“A conductor very much on the way up, Yankovskaya will be missed. The Russian-American was very much at home in Shostakovich’s score, adroitly capturing both its idiomatic flavor and its harder edges, propelling the action forward and holding all the varied, sometimes competing forces together.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Lysenko, Boulanger & Tchaikovsky

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

Indianapolis, IN

“Yankovskaya, in her pre-show remarks, reminded [the audience] to listen to the hopefulness in Lysenko’s music, to discern the multiple themes, ideas, and emotions, and to find the better parts of humanity that we all share. Dariescu owned the work in partnership with the ISO under Yankovskaya’s deft conducting. Of course, it’s huge, and the playing is beautiful, and Yankovskaya’s command on the podium is amazing.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Kahn, Frank & Prokofiev

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Atlanta, GA

"Prokofiev is Yankovskaya’s wheelhouse, as are Slavic masterpieces more generally. The orchestra played deftly and attentively under Yankovskaya. She conducted with a broad but clear beat, shaping phrases with practiced swoops of her arms and quick zips of her baton."

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Soldier Songs

Chicago Opera Theater

Chicago, IL

“Yankovskaya was a skillful guide in Little’s often-raucous score, balancing the soloist, amplified players and electronics and keeping a firm through-line across Little’s twelve continuous sections.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Rusalka

Santa Fe Opera

Santa Fe, NM

“The star of the show was Yankovskaya, who led the orchestra with such a lively vigor and power, clearly showing great affinity and respect to Dvorák’s score and musical idioms.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

English National Opera

London, UK

“The music seems less austere and calculated; in fact, it feels freighted with far more emotion and impact, with the Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya drawing wonderfully shimmering sounds from the ENO orchestra in the pit…”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Eugene Onegin

Staatsoper Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany

“The Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra played fabulously under the direction of Lidiya Yankovskaya, again and again intensively measuring the emotional world of this opera.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Strauss & Mazzoli

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Knoxville, TN

“Beautiful ensemble playing from the orchestra under the careful precision of Yankovskaya. [She] opened the second half of the concert with bold brushstrokes of sound, addictive textures, and careful attention to balance.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
King Roger

Chicago Opera Theater

Chicago, IL

“The sound from the pit was enrapturing. Yankovskaya presided over the orchestra with authority, carefully drawing out the vast detail and intricate rhythmic elements… The 70-member orchestra created powerful and evocative sound that made the evening memorable…”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Edward Tulane

Minnesota Opera

Minneapolis, MN

“From the first measures of the premiere at Minnesota Opera, conducted with impressive cohesion by Lidiya Yankovskaya, the swarming strings and piercing winds affirm that there will be no coddling, [instead] portraying those messy emotions in music of candid vulnerability.”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Brahms, Schumann, Wagner

Elgin Symphony Orchestra

Elgin, IL

“In Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Yankovskaya seemed in her element, bringing theatrical fervor to the storm-tossed main theme, poise to Senta’s hymn in the winds and jaunty swagger to the antic sailors’ tune…”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart
Carmen

Houston Grand Opera

Houston, TX

“Yankovskaya helped pull the focus back toward Bizet. The orchestra brought out the zest and slinkiness of the dances, the smoothness of the lyrical flights, and the flashiness of the choral scenes…”

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ReviewsBeth Stewart