“There’s a terrific focus in the performance and an air of considered quietude in the music, which has a rather hypnotic effect. Let it lull you.”

Michael Beek, Reviews Editor, BBC Music Magazine ***

“…an absorbing originality… the sound of Hlusko’s cello… speaks directly in a meditative flow…”

Laurence Vittes, Gramophone

“the close collaboration between two outstanding young artists… captured my imagination… a fascinating program-length collection that explore the vast expressive capabilities of the cello, while at the same time forming a powerful and cohesive narrative arc.”

Janet Horvath, Interlude

“this music is not to be ignored”

David W. Moore, American Record Guide

“An architectural triumph… in addition to the delights of the smaller parts, is impressive for the architectural cohesion of the whole.”

Peter Burwasser, Broad Street Review

 “Drawing equally on the baroque and current-day minimalism, it’s on the slow, pensive side, but with all sorts of dynamic shifts and demands on extended technique. Hlusko really sinks her teeth – and her bow, and her fingers – into this. It’s quite beautiful in its own austere way, emphatically rooted in the lows.”

Delarue, New York Music Daily

“This forty-eight-minute suite is a magnificent addition to the contemporary repertoire that should have cellists salivating at the prospect of taking it on. Hlusko doesn't so much play the piece as inhabit it, and Ordway is lucky to have partnered with someone so fully invested as a collaborator.”

Textura

“Lasting most of an hour, as the composer says, Nineteen Movements demands ‘a different kind of virtuosity; one of endurance, focus, vulnerability and stillness.’ Hlusko demonstrates all those qualities, and more.”

David Olds, The WholeNote

“From the enticing plucked strings at the start of Nineteen Movements for Unaccompanied Cello to the mournful sweeps that close the album, this is an exquisite exploration of the wide emotional range of just one instrument… a fascinating album that both explores the vast expressive capabilities of the cello with each short piece but also works as one cohesive narrative.”

Jay Lewis, Reviews Editor, Outside Left

“…it’s as if Mr. Ordway —a cellist himself —has written a soundtrack for my soulful experience with nature. While a few tracks invoke solitude and deep introspection… others could also accompany a rainy day’s sorrow. It is quite possibly the best example of minimalism breaking new ground —redefining the form while making it wholly accessible.”

Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema

“…sublime cello prowess… amazing technique and poise… Hlusko and Ordway worked together for over a year on this project when they were both involved with the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and their attention to detail is nothing short of sublime as the pair showcase much depth, diversity and timelessness.”

Take Effect Reviews