“The young Moldovan conductor impressed with his interpretative maturity, clarity of gesture and ability to control the orchestra, confirming his status as an authentic talent and an already fully formed musical personality.”

“Armasar managed to avoid all easy folkloric rhetoric and any picturesque reading of a score so often banalised by its popularity. His interpretation instead delved into the complexity of Dvořák’s writing.”

“The final triumph bestowed by the Reggio Emilia audience above all consecrated the young conductor, the true protagonist of an evening destined to leave its mark.”

“He showed that one can interpret and be successful without necessarily making noise.”

“Armasar already has the ability to hold the threads of musical discourse and to convey emotional gradations — qualities that many ‘top students’ on the podium still lack even after years.”

“In Dvořák’s New World Symphony, he staged a drama of softness and impulsiveness, of light and density, without mannerisms or exaggerations, treating this score as European musical theatre rather than as a tourist excursion.”

“With his reading of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, Stepan Armasar demonstrated a clearly defined interpretative character, avoiding both routine and easy monumentalism, and instead favouring an effective play of contrasts between rhythmic energy and cantabile expression.”