Cello Reviews
Daniel Janz,
klassik-begeistert.de
February 2024
But then the star moment of the evening was Sophie Kauer, who was there not only because of her commitment as a solo cellist, but also because she played the role of a solo cellist in the film “Tár” and was able to convince the audience, both with her cello playing and also her acting. The 22-year-old British-German cellist demonstrated her talent this evening with a total of 3 very different works.
The highlight was clearly the melancholic, and at times dark final movement from Edward Elgar's cello concerto. Here, the English composer sets a highly delicate cello melody to a somewhat staid orchestral accompaniment, which Sophie Kauer also performed with the necessary mixture of sensitivity and harshness. Where things got dark, she really hummed the notes from her instrument. On the other hand, she made it sing lyrically in the sensitive areas. Fabulous!
Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3, In Tune
July 2023
'The start of a stellar career - no doubt about that.'
Die Zeit
July 2023
Richard Morrison, the Times
June, 2023
‘Some beautiful playing on her EP Unsung, recently released by Deutsche Grammophon, suggests a prodigious talent that could blossom in any direction she chooses’
‘‘Beautiful sensual depths in the cello tone’
Telegraph
January 2023
Richard Balcombe, Bishops Stortford Independent
April 2023
'Kauer’s performance of (the Elgar cello) concerto is one of the highlights of the film'
'With an impeccable technique and deep musicality, she was in complete control from the opening statement, through the rapid passage work of the second movement and the beautiful, heartfelt Adagio to the final restating of the opening flourish and the concluding power-house chords. Her cello has a beautiful tone – strong across the very wide range demanded by the composer and with a gorgeous dark quality in the lower reaches’
Gawker
October 2022
'What’s especially great also is Sophie Kauer’s recordings of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor... In the studio sessions album, you can really get a sense of how seductive that cello concerto is, how measured and deliberate Kauer’s breathing is while she plays. You, too, would throw your whole life away to be with the person sitting behind that instrument.'
WRTI Spotlight
December 2022
Leonard Slatkin
November 2022
January 2020
Lacey’s Films (culture blog)
'In the Elgar’s finale — the only movement presented in its entirety on the album — Kauer’s tone is probing and poignant'
‘the young woman who performs the solos in the Elgar, Sophie Kauer, is terrific’
‘She is an exceptional cellist, even at only 18'
Woking News and Mail
November 2019
‘the evening belonged to 18-year-old Sophie Kauer… (who) played with all the emotion that Elgar could possibly have asked for and her rich tone and sensitivity in performance raised the audience to a pitch of appreciation that saw her returning to take a bow four times.’
Surrey Advertiser
January 2018
‘the amazing young cellist Sophie Kauer… has developed musicianship and technique far in advance of her fifteen years, and stunned the audience’
