“John Axelrod is a highly imaginative and dynamic musician, whose rich musicological background and historical insights combine with intellectual drive and charismatic enthusiasm for people and for life, to get probing, rigorous and richly characterized interpretations.” -Remy Franck, Pizzicato
Read MoreNot only does Axelrod has a phenomenal stick technique, he also has something you probably can’t learn in school: the power of creative suggestion which fires up even the last stand of the orchestra…Wolfgang Sandner, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Read More“The highlight, and possibly the only one in the history of the ROSS, was the brilliant interpretation of the Seventh Symphony in C Major, Op. 60 of Dmitri Shostakovich. To go into detail in this immense cascade of musical information transmitted by Maestro Axelrod to his orchestra, as well as its extraordinary correspondence to his indications, would lead to an extensive and detailed article, inappropriate for the mere orientation of this comment. However, it is worth mentioning the mastery of global concept that the Maestro has of this great work, how he has managed to attend in detail to each instrumental section, and how he has joined the orchestra predisposing the musicians to listen to each other assuming own and other's expressive responsibilities, one of the substantial secrets of the great orchestral formations. Axelrod and the ROSS transcended the speech of the “Leningrad" Symphony from a wisdom that turned their music into pure ontology of sounds.” Jose Antonio Canton, El Mundo
Read More«The encounter with Shostakovich's 13th Symphony in the Herkulessaal became a stirring experience. Under the sovereign, concentrated direction of John Axelrod, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the BR men’s choir and bassist Mikhail Petrenko devoted themselves to this 1962 opus with great devotion.[…] Barber's streaming string Adagio and Stravinsky's long-lost "funeral song" rounded off the program. Axelrod's precisely directed ensemble took every opportunity to savour Stravinsky's colourful instrumentation almost theatrically. Great applause. » Gabriele Luster, OVB Online 29.06.2018
Read More«... We must begin, necessarily, by John Axelrod: in the prime of life, is one of the largest and most charismatic guest conductors who have gone through the Maestranza. His work with the orchestra was perfect, and ROSS responded flawlessly. […] The huge orchestral strength and intensity of the score always threaten to noise and confusion, but Axelrod got a clarity and definition such that he got that the "superior human Being, man, woman" ("Übermensch" is that, not just "Superman" ) prophesied by Nietzsche, we could listen with all his tenderness and hope. The musicians excited and delivered; the public, overwhelmed with wonder and joy. We don't remember, though we think, no performance at this level of our Orchestra: equal, maybe, but better, ever…» - José Luis López López, ABC de Sevilla
Read More«…The Music Director of the ROSS has once again demonstrated his deep knowledge of the symphonic thinking of the Hamburg composer [Brahms Symphony N. 4] by performing an interpretation in which he has highlighted the enormous chamber music richness of this work, entering with enormous resolution capacity into all its technical and expressive secrets, knowing how to interweave them into his discourse in such a way that he reached a superior dimension of musical recreation. » José Antonio Canton, El Mundo
Read MoreCD Recording: Brahms Beloved for Telarc: The orchestra breathes and sighs to the rise and fall of his (John Axelrod's) baton...quite simply one of the most all-embracing, humane first movements I’ve heard...all in all, a perfect Fourth magnificently led and played by John Axelrod and his Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra...(and) everything about Axelrod’s Second is perfectly judged and perfectly realized by his outstanding Italian orchestra... I can’t urge you too strongly to acquire this release.» - Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine
Read MoreCD Recording: Brahms Beloved for Telarc: «John Axelrod presents the Brahms Symphonies not at all in the style we have been used to hear them recently, with just straightforward, forceful playing. He allows his musicians to breath, to enrich the music with lovely colors, deep lyricism and some particularly interesting contrasts. That said, this rather unusual Brahms is unusually coupled with 10 beautiful Clara Schumann songs, ravishingly sung by Nicole Cabell and Indra Thomas.» - Rémy Franck, Pizzicato
Read MoreLübecker Philharmoniker, MUK, 2022- Liszt Les Préludes: Under the direction of the American star conductor John Axelrod. …John Axelrod's conducting is so committed and detailed that watching alone is a real pleasure. This sympathetic conductor consistently maintains the most intensive contact with the orchestra or the soloists and instrument groups, his friendly and inspiring smile is reflected in that of the musicians….With his use of his body shows how he is completely absorbed in the music, sometimes caresses it, even tastes or smells it, when he seems to savor the notes with his hand very close to his face. This jumps over to the orchestra and some not quite flawless entries are completely to be gotten over, because all let themselves be carried away by this lovable, turned conducting. - Dr. Andreas Ströbl, 20. Dezember 2022, für klassik-begeistert.de und klassik-begeistert.at
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