“He goes way beyond just playing the notes of Prokofiev’s Sarcasms, while his Debussy ‘Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut’ from Images Book II and L’isle joyeuse fused colourful allure and palpable rhythmic backbone. Many years ago the late Earl Wild told me that he conceived Liszt’s Dante Sonata in terms of orchestral foreground and background, as opposed to a huge octave étude. As such, he would have appreciated Choni’s like-minded aesthetic as much as I did.”

“In “Les collines d’Anacapri” Choni wrapped warm singing in plays of colors of crystalline clarity, also let the moonlight glitter with pin-sharp clarity in “Et la lune descend…” and masterfully kept the exuberant sensual rush in “L’Isle joyeuse” under control . The highlight of the program was Scriabin’s fourth sonata, which polarized and combined introverted and extroverted playing. It’s great how Choni transformed the longing pull of the notes into virtuoso drive.”

“His art of phrasing, his lyricism, the nuances and the perfect control of dynamics, the transparency and, if necessary, the stupendous virtuosity are outstanding. His playing thus always emanates the aura of the highest artistic goal and finest sensitivity.”

“A whirlwind named Dmytro Choni, 28 and from Ukraine, made Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major leap off the page in a stunning display of musical intelligence and keyboard athleticism. Sitting poised and upright, Choni executed feats of gnarly passagework, leaps, and interlocking hands, all the time with the neoclassical Prokofiev of the First Symphony looking over his shoulder, demanding transparent textures and articulation that projected to the back of the hall. And whatever the pianistic hijinks, an unerring sense of direction and line animated every bar.”