The Cincinnati Post, November 3, 2001

Friday morning's trip to Italy with the Cincinnati Symphony at Music Hall included a stopover in Germany. Guest conductor was CSO favourite Carlos Kalmar. Making her CSO debut in the Bruch was Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John, whose elegant performance convinced this listener that she should return to our shores more often.

It's easy to turn up the heat in Bruch's romantic showpiece - often too much so, leaving it a bit scorched around the edges. Not so with Ms. St. John, whose controlled flame brought out all the concerto's flavor. This was apparent from the opening bars, where she spun a glossy ribbon of sound from a perfectly tuned open G on her 1779 Guadagnini violin. The same uncanny, soft touch marked her entrance in the second movement, all of which gave the work's passion more punch when it boiled up.

Ms. St. John handled virtuosic passages with spark and assurance, but never did she milk the concerto for effect. All was stirred together with elegance and self control, earning the tall, blonde violinist well deserved "bravas" at the end.

Mary Ellyn Hutton, Post music writer