Maestro Piotr Gajewski....admirably managed the onstage masses, attaining throughout the evening a well-balanced sound...Under Gajewski’s hands, the orchestra surged now and then from candlelit prayer to roaring pyre.

Working under social distancing regulations, the National Philharmonic celebrated Beethoven with a remarkable performance that astounded the audience even through a computer screen.

On Saturday at Strathmore, the National Philharmonic and conductor Piotr Gajewski marked Black History Month with a concert of “Black Classical Music Pioneers,” featuring African American composers past and present. The program offered intriguing stylistic variety. Sometimes, it challenged the orchestra. In the end, it occasioned a wish for freer movement across classical music’s historical and institutional borders.

White’s playing was absolutely breathtaking. I have no other words for the grace, precision, and warmth she brought to the stage.

African-American violinist Melissa White, while an anomaly to some, continues to enchant audiences around the world as both a soloist and a chamber musician. And to illustrate that she’s deserving of the many accolades showered upon her, White, a winner of the prestigious Sphinx Competition, will be a featured soloist with the National Philharmonic Orchestra in an exciting Black History Month celebration, “Black Classical Music Pioneers.”

"Age of Anxiety" paired with the famous Fifth in a National Philharmonic concert commemorating Bernstein's birth and Beethoven's death 

Strathmore’s National Philharmonic is commemorating two composers for whom major anniversaries flank this anno Domini 2019: Leonard Bernstein (who would have turned 100 last year) and Beethoven (born in 1770); Saturday’s concert was the first of two.

In Piotr Gajewski's hands, a mighty Requiem, beautifully played and sung

All orchestras worthy of the name have personalities, and no two are alike. Compared with some American orchestras — the 177-year-old New York Philharmonic, for instance — the National Philharmonic is still a relative toddler. But it most definitely has a distinctive personality, as I am pleasantly reminded once or twice a season, when I hear them at Strathmore.

The National Philharmonic, led by Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski, is easily one of the most beloved symphony orchestras in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area...It cannot be stressed enough that it’s one thing to hear a piece performed to perfection live, but it’s another thing entirely to watch highly trained orchestral musicians who actually enjoy performing. 

In the Washington Post on October 15, 2017, Joe Banno writes, “The performance of Beethoven’s ‘Egmont’ overture by the National Philharmonic under music director Piotr Gajewski, at its season-opening concert at Strathmore on Saturday, revealed a second-tier orchestra in first-rate shape. If their playing sounded somewhat cautious, and if winds and brass lacked that last ounce of personality you find in upper-echelon ensembles, their discipline, tight execution and elegant string tone would be the envy of any regional orchestra.” The concert’s featured soloists were violinist Sarah Chang and cellist Zuill Bailey.

Interviewed for an article published June 1, 2017 in Washington FAMILY magazine, National Philharmonic Music Director Piotr Gajewski stresses the critical importance of childhood music training, early exposure to live music, and the Philharmonic’s “All Kids, All Free, All the Time” program, an initiative he launched twenty years ago at the Philharmonic.

National Philharmonic’s performance of Pictures at an Exhibition was exquisite. Musical director and conductor Piotr Gajewski demonstrated expert command of the orchestra and created an atmospheric sound that, without question, stayed true to Mussorgsky’s musical intentions.

Returning after an immensely successful appearance at last year’s [Northwest Bach Festival] was conductor Piotr Gajewski to conduct four works for chamber orchestra ... From the opening bars of the concert, [he] displayed the same mix of artistic virtues that made such a strong impression at his last appearance here, most notably his uncanny ability to find and maintain not only an appropriate tempo, but the perfect tempo for every part of every piece he conducts.

Ganz and Gajewski make a perfect pair. Separately they are such passionate performers, together they are infectious – filling the space with their energy and pure love for music. The entire performance was beautiful, energetic, and incredibly inspiring – a fantastic way to kick-off the season.

In both, a cello section of just four players produced impassioned expanses of gorgeous color while the upper strings, sounding clean and transparent, floated above them. Piotr Gajewski’s conducting style encourages this. He rarely uses a baton, leading instead in generalized sweeps that outline large phrases and dynamics that pretty much leave the details to the players.

The National Philharmonic displays commitment, elegance and precision that add up to some of the most gorgeous orchestral playing this listener has heard lately, from ensembles resident or visiting. Gajewski’s impeccable technique sets him apart from most of the local competition.

Gajewski’s appearance was notable not only for the outstanding musicianship he demonstrated, but also because [Northwest Bach Fesitval Director Zuill] Bailey is hoping to see him become a vital part in future festivals.

"The orchestra was in good shape, well balanced and alert. Conductor Piotr Gajewski presided over a sympathetic ensemble with Bailey in the concerto and an elegantly shaped and graceful performance of the Mozart “Prague” Symphony No. 38 to end the evening."

"In the Tchaikovsky, the Fourth Symphony, the entire orchestra played with an extra degree of precision, in part due to Mr. Gajewski’s crisp conducting; this was a considerable accomplishment..."

All in all, a worthy crowd-pleaser.