Press
“An alluring compilation... rendered with passionate, soulful conviction.”
- New York Times (on East of Melancholy)
“You can hear the layers of her heritage…which she brings to the concert halls of Los Angeles and New York. In her new album "East Of Melancholy," she guides us along the 1,200 mile border that Iran shares with Russia…This is classical music with a backstory...an exquisite album.”
- Jacki Lyden, National Public Radio
“A true Romantic spirit... Intellectually and inspirationally, this is a captivating recital.”
- American Record Guide
“… composer Tara Kamangar explores other sonorities, standing halfway between a modernity influenced by the American minimalists – the rhythmic energy of John Adams and the melodic insistence of Philip Glass – and music suitable for a shared daydream.”
- Musicologist Alain Duault (on “Once There Was and Once There Wasn’t”)
“... a luxuriously lovely recital of virtuoso piano music—and executed it with spectacular aplomb—she has curated it with an acute and subtle awareness of the connections between musical traditions... Kamangar also makes the intriguing proposition that composers from outside Russia, seeking to define their home countries musically, looked for their reflection in this same deforming, scintillating mirror of exoticism, and her program here makes a strong case for it... Of course, it is easy to believe that these pieces share a musical lineage when they are unified by pianism as consistent as Kamangar's. Her softly shaded chiaroscuro technique lends depth and warmth to the work of every composer in this collection, from the well-known Soviet masters to her singular Iranian finds.”
- WQXR (NYC Classical Radio) - Q2 Music Featured Album
“Huge talent…”
- The London Standard
“Pianist Tara Kamangar closed... with a spectacularly skillful performance of the Rachmaninoff. Playing one of the more fiendishly difficult pieces in the piano repertory—Rachmaninoff, one of the piano virtuosi of his age, found it daunting, and according to legend slugged down a glass of crème de menthe before performances to facilitate his playing—Kamangar led us through finger-twisting passages, pausing at the 18th variation to thoughtfully and tenderly play its most lyrically beautiful and famous motif.”
- Repeat Performances
“Ms. Kamangar gave us a Saint-Saëns Two that was warmly sensitive and yet detached, not given to emotional indulgence nor excess of feeling, clearly chiseled though gently arching in the lyrical passages... Her second movement was full of charm and light, sprightly, playful and lilting, and then rumbling full-throttle into the finale with its brilliant bravura. Ms. Kamangar is a multi-tasking, multi-talented musician of many genres and media... She is an artist we want to know better.”
- Dianna Ch'an-Moriwaki
“A sensitive, dedicated pianist with lots of fire and depth.”
- Loris Tjeknavorian, composer and former Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra principal conductor
“She is not only a great pianist, but has proven to be a wonderful collaborator—the real thing.”
- Michael Morgan, former Oakland Symphony Conductor, as quoted in The Berkeley Daily Planet
“A world-class pianist who excels at blending the best of Western and Middle Eastern compositions…superlative standard of performance”
- Gulf News
"Pianist Tara Kamangar was the soloist in the Piano Concerto No. 2 by [Aminollah- Andre Hossein]…Kamangar was a skilled advocate, playing with the same nimble technique and lustrous phrasing that she had brought in the first half to Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
- San Francisco Chronicle
"[Pianist Tara Kamangar] greatly impressed...her fingers moved like liquid gold…Softer passages were especially lovely and poetic…”
- San Francisco Classical Voice
“The summer breeze through the palm trees surrounding the amphitheater at Darioush’s modern Persepolis blended with the sound of Angel Romero’s guitar and Tara Kamangar’s piano.
Guests — including Donna Summer, David Foster and Babyface — were said to be spellbound.”
- San Francisco Examiner
“Tara played to a full house and rapturous applause... An impeccable performance of the cycle of Tjeknavorian's Danses Fantastiques proved particularly popular.”
- Harvard Club of the United Kingdom
“With her elegant fingers flying over the ivory keys, [Tara] had the room captivated... Some may say that classical music is not their 'thing' but Tara is capable of converting you. She puts her entire being into her music.”
- Asian Woman Magazine
“Miss Kamangar has full command of the keyboard... Spellbinding.”
- Audiophile Audition
“Tara's expressive playing will speak to listeners of any nationality.”
- BBC Persian
“David Foster, Melissa Etheridge, Kenny G, Josh Groban, classical pianist Tara Kamangar and Nina Whitaker featured in musical performance... The event raised $1.3M for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.”
“Tara Kamangar enters on the piano glittering the listener with technique and passion, transporting us to a new land... If it were not for Tara Kamangar’s superhuman abilities as an artist, Namjoo covering Namjoo would not have been as plausible.”
- Socially Conscious Arts (on Mohsen Namjoo’s Useless Kisses)
“Billboard has the exclusive premiere of the video for [Triptyq's] song ‘Murphy,’ which pulls from eclectic influences: Kamangar’s violin technique on the track draws from traditional Kurdish music.”
“The [Festival del Sole Opening Gala] featured knockout performances by… pianist Tara Kamangar.”
- San Francisco Chronicle
“Triptyq is the innovative side project of three well-established artists... The group fuses together classical and urban sounds, juxtaposing classically driven instrumentals with punching vocals and beatboxing.”
“The classically trained and classically beautiful Tara Kamangar falls in on violin and piano.”
- Okayplayer
“With musical backgrounds that span R&B, pop, hip-hop, and classical, [Triptyq] has created a unique sound of their own.”
“If you’re one of about 3,000 ticket holders filing into the inaugural TEDxLA conference at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood… you’re in for big ideas. The actor Harry Hamlin will talk futurism, while astronaut Anousheh Ansari speaks about space exploration...and “Fuller House” star Juan Pablo di Pace teams up with pianist Tara Kamangar to perform ‘Imagine.’”
- Los Angeles Daily News
“Fabulous playing... deep and emotional… captivating.”
- Morning Light with Michael Wolch, Classic107.com
