From the Press
Press quotes and high-resolution photos
“…The music is undeniably well-crafted and communicative.”
– Miami Herald
“The five songs celebrate the beauty and joys of New England nature and life. The influence of folk song is a central and attractive element of this lovely work.”
- Fanfare Magazine (July/August 2024 Issue)
“The piece that stood out most on this program was the dazzling On Green Mountains by Steve Danyew…a seven-minute gem of sensitivity, skill and tremendous sophistication, fully worthy to appear on a program of the best living American choral composers.”
– Kansas City Independent
“…Danyew set a simple lyric praising nature to sweeping melody.”
– Delaware Arts Info
“The piece was interesting and captivating, with a lulling melody…”
– The Kansan.org
“Of note, I found the layers of female voice textures in Steve Danyew’s On Green Mountains to be very effective…”
– KC Metropolis.org
“Danyew’s music painted persuasive pictures of the remoteness of the lamaseries at the top of the world, with imitations of bells and sounds amid the empty spaces. The saxophones often burbled along in rapid-fire figurations in harmony, which made their one very brief unison statement more striking. Like the other composers on the program, Danyew made much of nervous rhythms, lending this piece a jazzy undertow at times. That also helped enliven the atmospherics of his challenging, interesting piece.”
– Palm Beach Post
“. . . Danyew’s music is attractive, unabashedly tonal and, at times, startlingly beautiful.”
– Miami Herald
“Steve Danyew’s Lhotse for two saxophones depicts the wonder of experiencing the high mountain range in Nepal. Both players use extended techniques such as micro tones, blowing multi pitches and tapping on the keys. Melodic fragments try to break free but are thwarted. Danyew and Jason Kush handled the ascent with vigor and determination.”
– Miami Herald
“Danyew and Jason Kush were saxophone virtuosos par excellence, making the instrument sing as well as shout.”
– South Florida Sun Sentinel
“…sensitivity, skill and tremendous sophistication”
-Kansas City Independent
“I really enjoyed listening and playing through this work, and I especially enjoyed the harmonic language Danyew uses….I also really love modern music that sounds fresh in its harmonic language, yet has a universal appeal, and is attainable from the first listening, as this work is. This was truly a very exciting work with a powerful ending, and I very much look forward to more viola music from this up-and-coming young composer!”
