This whole recording is wonderful, with three important and substantial works that deserve repeated plays on any music lover’s CD player. The actual performing by all concerned is second to none and as a result I can heartily recommend this as one of the best CDs you will buy this year.
Chris Dumigan
All Classical Guitar 2022Excellent sound, excellent performances by all involved, fascinating programme.
Guy Rickards
Klassiskmusikk.comStein-Erik Olsen has conducted his guitar studies with thoroughness. He exhibits technical and musical qualities of international standard. Stein-Erik Olsen's interpretation of Benjamin Britten's Nocturnal proved to be one of the most thrilling and outstanding experiences during the Festival (Bergen International Festival)
Bergens Tidende
Olsen used fascinating and rich tone colours in the two introverted Catalonian folk tunes – warm and evocative playing. Rodrigo's 'Tríptico' and Albeniz' 'Asturias' are virtuosic and effective works in which Stein-Erik Olsen's infallible technique and his ability to shape the music came into full bloom. One effective crescendo towards the end of the concert and a clear confirmation of the international reputation he is in the process of acquiring.
Harald Herresthal
Aftenposten 1989Recital in Universitetes Aula i Oslo: A good-sized international audience filled the Hall. His rendering of the Sor Opus 9 was assured, with a positive forward driving motion, although there was a little convenient rubato in places. The audience responded ecstatically, and justifiably so. In fact Olsen took two bows after several of the items, the Mozart Variations included.Rodrigo's “Triptico” is a tonally aggressive piece which demands considerable technical facility from the player. The violent opening chords (played Fortissimo) came as a shock after the pathos of the preceding pieces. The second movement was played with empathy, taking full advantage of its spiky beauty. In the final Scherzino Olsen was in full gear, sweeping the audience along in the impudent, vigorous mood, featuring as it does a sneaky quote from the Aranjuez Concierto.Stein-Erik Olsen received a well-deserved ovation and played two encores; if people of his standard continue to play the repertoire at the level evinced on this occasion then the future of both he and his chosen instrument will be assured.
Alexander F. Simpson
Classical Guitar MagazineDuo Recital Stein-Erik Olsen & Göran Söllscher - Stavanger International Chamber Music Festival 2016: The concert in Domkirken on Thursday evening was one of those occasions that stay with you for a long time thereafter. This is on account of both the program and the outstanding musicians. Stein-Erik Olsen and Göran Söllscher opened with musicians from 1B1 ensemble. One is hard-pressed to imagine better soloists than Olsen and Söllscher in Vivaldi's concerto. No wonder they have an international reputation. The sound in the outer movements was fresh and airy while the slow movement, with its strumming violins, was delightfully melodious.
Arnfinn Bø-Rygg
Stavanger Aftenblad 2016It was a superb demonstration of a high technical and musical talent serving humanistic purposes one of the finest recitals I've had the pleasure of attending, absolute magic of a rare order, far beyond mere practice. Outstanding were Sor's Fantasia Elégiaque, Antonio Bibalo's Study in Blue, and a marvellous Britten Nocturnal.
Classical Guitar Magazine UK
Stein-Erik Olsen's concert was one of those occasions when it was a real pleasure to be a part of the audience at the Wigmore Hall. His highly musical performance, clean playing and choice of programme, one that carefully avoided the usual hackneyed items, made the experience a pleasure from the start to finish. I for one could quite happily have sat through a repeat performance, that's something you can't say about many of the guitar recitals that take place. It was the sort of debut concert you dream about and was easily one of the best I have attended for a long time... A brilliant show of wellcontrolled technique and tonal colourings being used to communicate exactly what the composer had in mind (Kucera's Diario)...After such a debut one hopes that Olsen will return again soon: he has certainly made his marks here and deserve a full house next time.
Classical Guitar UK
If you would like to listen to outstanding guitar duets, this is a highly recommended disc, with superb compositions, fine musical sensibility and magnificent sonorities, recorded in the Bergen Landås Church. The accompanying booklet, with information about the music and a rewarding interview with the Duo by Graham Wade, is an added bonus.
Ange Turell
SGLS June 2019 (Sweden)Selections of this beautiful music are presented on this recording - wonderful, vigorous, and exciting music for us to enjoy. Olsen and Haugland have been performing together for over thirty years and their enthusiasm for the music, their supreme technical abilities, and their lively musical relationship, are excellent. It is great listening. Both guitars have a slightly vintage flavour (made by luthiers Daniel Friedrich and José Ramirez) and offer a generous and iconic sound, well suited to the repertoire of that era.
Ange Turell
SGLS June 2019 (Sweden)Paris Recital: The Sérénade by André Jolivet is technically challenging but musically engaging and will definitely be added to my mental list of finest duo works. Of particular note are the gorgeous «Andante Malinconico» and the fourth and final movement, «Con Allegria» which is rhythmically weird but alluring.
Al Kunze
Soundboard USA Vol.45 No.2 July 2019Paris Recital: Duets of masterful format. Thanks to the two musician's exquisite timing, Petit's elegant expression, Castelnuovo-Tedesco's precise music and Jolivet's avant-garde music become duets of masterful format.
Gendai Guitar Magazine Japan June 2019
Paris Recital: Masterful exploration of Presti - Lagoya repertoire. The result are impressive and by no means unexpected: two highly accomplished individual players collaborating on a level that's technically assured and engaging throughout.
Paul Fowles
Classical Guitar Magazine USA September 2019Paris Recital: It is interesting to observe that apart from the choice of repertoire that is really as far as the Presti-Lagoya influence extends, because the interpretation by Olsen and Haugland is quite different. Their firm, precise application endows the Toccata and Tarantella of Pierre Petit and the Tonadilla of Rodrigo with vibrant energy and colour. The absence of excessive vibrato and legato results in a dignified, unpretentious performance which allows the listener to appreciate the purity of the beautiful Prelude and Fugue No.4 of Castelnuovo-Tedesco as well as his rarely performed Sonata Canonica.
Laurent Duroselle
Guitare Classique France 2019SEONVEH - Ketil Hvoslef; Music for guitar: Ketil Hvoslef is (without a shadow of a doubt in my view) not just one of the finest Norwegian composers currently writing but one of the finest writing anywhere at the moment. One proof of that is this fabulous disc, which is simply the best disc of guitar music – and guitar playing – I have ever encountered in a very long time. Stein-Erik Olsen, with a variety of colleagues (unaccompanied in the six Pieces from 1966, the earliest work here) is of highest quality throughout. My favourite work, however, is the Double Concerto (1977) cast, like SEONVEH, in a single captivating movement. Gro Sandvik is the sweet-tongued flautist and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra accompany sensitively. Top-notch sound from Simax, too. If you only buy one disc this month, make it this one.
Klassisk Musikkmagasin Norway 2016
SEONVEH - Ketil Hvoslef; Music for guitar: What wonderful music! I thank and congratulate Stein-Erik Olsen for delivering this gift to the guitar world. The guitar part is brilliant rendering by Olsen, and the sonority of the Quartet seems almost impossible to have achieved. Perhaps it was the mixing and editing at Abbey Road Studios; there has been some wizardly work done there!
Al Kunze
Soundboard USA 2016Stein Erik Olsen – von ihm ging die gloriose Idee für diese CD und diese Werkzusammenstellung aus – ist ein besonders in Sachen Kammermusik und Neuer Musik erfahrener Musiker. Hier hat er es wieder einmal bewiesen: Die Gitarre baute die Rolle, die sie im Musikleben des 21. Jahrhunderts einnimmt, spielend weiter aus, wenn sich ihre Interpreten von der Salonmusik der vorletzten Jahrhundertwende verabschieden könnten. Segovia ist schließlich seit fast dreißig Jahren tot!
Peter Päffgen
Guitare und LauteHavana – Rio - Moscow: Olsen's customary thoughtful, lapidary playing is perfectly complemented by a very much on-form Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the Norwegian conductor Terje Mikkelsen, the whole vividly captured by Simon Kiln and Arne Akselberg in the Abbey Road Studios.
William Yeoman
Gramophone UKHavana – Rio - Moscow: Stein-Erik Olsen…is perfectly cast: his playing throughout the disc is clean, controlled and thoughtful…unfailingly pleasant.
International Record Review March 2015
Havana – Rio - Moscow: Since his first appearances at the Cannington Festival in the early '80s, Stein-Erik Olsen has been a class-act of the highest order, and this triple bill provides further evidence of this world-ranking abilities.
Classical Guitar Magazine USA 2015
PFHavana – Rio - Moscow: Olsen's interpretation does not get in the way of the music. He is a kind of David Oistrakh of the guitar. His recording of these three concertos with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Terje Mikkelsen is something of a momentous occasion, and I have seldom experienced a record of guitar concertos where the balance between the soloist and the orchestra is so perfect.
Egil Baumann
Klassekampen Oslo 2015L'Éspace entre nous: Denisov's musical language is expressive and has some moments of spectacular beauty. Throughout, both performers demonstrate mastery of their instruments, warm tone and excellent musical communication.
This is a fascinating disc with some very interesting repertoire which will be new to many listeners. The variety contained within it is excellent and the performances are of a high quality throughout.
Carla Rees
Musicweb UKL'Éspace entre nous: The playing here is thoroughly professional.
The American Record Guide (USA) 2011
The works of Ida Presti for two guitars: Authenticity, virtuosity and the music of a guitarist-composer and genius. Olivier Chassain and Stein-Erik Olsen are both former students of Lagoya's, in addition they play on the Robert Bouchet guitars once owned by their illustrious predecessors. So there's a certain authenticity here, which is only enhanced by the players' own considerable virtuosity and musicianship.
William Yeoman
Gramophone UK 2010The works of Ida Presti for two guitars: This release, something never before available, represent a milestone in guitar recording and a welcome contribution to our enjoyment of an exceptionally beautiful part of the repertoire.
Classical Guitar Magazine USA April 2010
"The word being Fantastic! I have simply never seen such queues for tickets", said a regular critic for the Arctic Arts festival in Northern Norway. "One could have thought this commotion involved pop stars but no…… to very serious musicians, proving it was well worth the queue when they performed the classics just as well as folk Music and both with a rare quality."
Nordlys
Philharmonisches Orkester Frankfurt: Stein Erik Olsen war der Solist im Concierto de Aranjuez für Gitarre und Orchester von J. Rodrigo, eine Komponsition in der Tradition der spanischen Gitarren musik. Sein virtuoses spiel verriert ein genaues wissen um die klanglichen Möglichkeiten des Instruments, das verhalten und introvertiert angesprochen, einen vielbeschworenen Zauber und klanglichen Reiz verbreitet.
Winfried Kühne
Premier of the «3 Way Project», Music by Rak - Koshkin - Duarte: In this unique program and thrilling performance Stein-Erik Olsen encompasses this huge cycle of six vast compositions. These variations grew and sealed friendships among the three composers.
Bravo!
International Music Festival of Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
It was a superb demonstration of a high technical and musical talent serving humanistic purposes one of the finest recitals I've had the pleasure of attending, absolute magic of a rare order, far beyond mere practice. Outstanding were Sor's Fantasia Elégiaque, Antonio Bibalo's Study in Blue, and a marvellous Britten Nocturnal.
Classical Guitar Magazine UK
CambridgeA commanding technique, strong projection of both music and personality, and a substantial program combined to produce the favourable impact that so many hope for in vain. ... he is a master of his craft and a genuine artist who will be welcome to return.
Music & Musicians UK
Stein-Erik Olsen, the young Norwegian guitarist, started his Wigmore Hall debut with three movements from Bach's Second Lute Suite. They set out his artistic curriculum at once. A cool poise, achieved from the assurance of a rock-hard technique coupled with an intense sense of drama in the music making, went on to compel attention and interest throughout his program. His even control of presure and vibrancy in every string provided him with a wide palette of timbre colour
Hilary Finch
London Times