Gerladine Freedman's Schenectady Gazette review compared Rolnick's Love Songs to "the best of Leonard Bernstein ... a lot of color, snap, crackle and pop and not a little jazz inflection." Also read the Berkshire Eagle's preview of the premiere by Clarence Fanto.
Joseph Dalton wrote a major feature for the Albany Times Union to preview Rolnick's 60th Birthday Concert in Troy on November 17, and his review of the concert.
Anthony Tommasini was "riveted" by Vicky Chow's performance of Digits. "... an exhilarating interactive piece." Read his review in the New York Times Weekend Arts Section, April 13, 2007.
In Steve Smith's review of the Digits CD in the Nov 9 issue of Time Out New York, he cites the title track as "one of the most effective items" in pianist Kathleen Supové's repertoire.
Allan Kozinn praises Rolnick's "manipulation of timbre and gesture" in his review of the Digits CD in the NY Times Sunday Arts & Leisure Section, Sept 17.
"The crowd-pleaser of the evening was Neil Rolnick's iFiddle Concerto, played by the amazing Todd Reynolds." from Jerry Bowles' review of the iFiddle Concerto's premiere. Go here for links to a radio interview by John Schaefer, a cyber inteview by Joel Chadabe, and an essay by Frank Oteri. As well as a brief excerpt from the premiere performance.
"[Rolnick's] acute intelligence and engaging personality appear to be the true unifying forces in his work, rather than any pet theories or kitschy trademarks ... and this keeps his music fresh, interesting, and vital, if not safe, predictable, or easy to pigeonhole." from Blair Sanderson's review of the Digits CD on the AllMusic website.
"You would never find these tuneful sonorities in a Boulez sonata. ... but this 11-minute tour de force won't leave you with a hangover." From Randy Nordschow's July review of Rolnick's Digits CD in the New Music Box.
Joseph Dalton calls Rolnick's Digits CD "... substantial and worthy of repeated listening," in his 2006 review in the Albany Times Union.
Radio interview with Jennifer Nathan on Albany's WAMC radio, preview of Nov 16 concert at Rensselaer's iEAR Presents.
" ... highly original and poignant" - The Wire magazine, Sept 2005 review of Shadow Quartet CD.
"... extremely approachable yet at the same time, it makes you rethink what you're hearing, which is somehow the best of both worlds," - Frank J. Oteri's Aug 2005 review of the Shadow Quartet CD.
"Visceral,
sophisticated, electro-acoustic collection with a sense of humor"
- Ken Smith, Gramophone review
of Shadow Quartet CD
" ... ethereal
bell-like tones under beautifully lyrical solos and an ostinato of
plucked strings." - Gail Wein, Washington Post review
of Shadow Quartet
"His music
is state-of-the-art computer stuff, but Rolnick has good senses of
humor and showmanship, and he's never cold or inhuman." - Kyle
Gann, Village Voice
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drawing by Steve Brodner ©2007