“Estrin had the (Mozart) Clarinet Quintet’s lead part. A program note is useful here. It speaks of the composer’s admiration of Anton Stadler, for whom he wrote both this work and the Clarinet Concerto, and how Stadler was noted for the ‘soft, vocal quality’ of his tone. Estrin possessed exactly that combination of supple beauty and brightness. He was well abetted too by his colleagues…in making one of the most treasured works known to man, an experience.”
THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
“The disc takes its title from a piece that bears the subtitle Music for String Orchestra and Solo Clarinet. This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece of just under eight minutes is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin with the strings of the Janáček Philharmonic conducted by Dennis Burkh. Mitchell Estrin was for many years a performer with the New York Philharmonic and recently joined the faculty of the University of Florida School of Music. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
THE CLARINET
“Josef Andriasian is a Russian‑born composer (in 1933) of Armenian background, trained and highly respected in the Soviet Union, who emigrated to the United States. As a gesture of thanks, he composed an engaging Concertino for Clarinet dedicated to Sen. Jacob Javits who helped him get here and played with spectacular effect by Mitchell Estrin.”
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
“The Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano (1948) is Copland in another mood. The opening is lyrical and romantic…and clarinetist, Mitchell Estrin, easily negotiated his solo’s tricky series of downward scales.”
GANNETT WESTCHESTER NEWSPAPERS
“That fine clarinetist, Mitchell Estrin, and (pianist Ian) Hobson turned in a mutually rewarding account of the Fantasiestücke, Op. 73.”
PROVIDENCE BULLETIN