Gilman and So give [the Korngold Violin Concerto] a stature that makes it fit right in with the Barber. This is not merely a “good” performance or even one that’s a bit better than the earlier ones. This is a moving, resplendent performance, with the right balance of lyricism and introspection in [the first two movements] and plenty of virtuosity in [the finale]. Finally, a recording of this concerto that I’ll listen to because I want to, not because I have to for a review! ”
Lawrence Hansen, American Record Guide
Das Orchester von Kapstadt unter der brillianten und überlegenen Leitung von Perry So trägt wesentlich zum Starken eindruck bei. ”
Pizzicato Magazin (Luxembourg)
Perry So’s performance [of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony with the New Zealand Symphony] had an immediacy and a sense of being heard totally afresh that I found it both illuminating and inspiring. Without indulging in excessive dynamic oscillation or rhythmic elasticity, he brought a sense of delight to the performance that is rare.
The first movement arrested with its finely judged dynamics and rallentandi, speed that never seemed hurried. Perry So lit each of the distinct motifs of the second movement with clarity while creating a sense of continuity and architectural integrity: again I was enchanted by the way he so visibly sculpted each phrase and used the dynamic palette so enchantingly. The speeds were brisk without sacrificing definition, individual instruments had their moments of stardom – oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and the dancing third movement, the storm, the gaiety, the pensive moments, created an ecstatic expression of fulfilment. ”
The first movement arrested with its finely judged dynamics and rallentandi, speed that never seemed hurried. Perry So lit each of the distinct motifs of the second movement with clarity while creating a sense of continuity and architectural integrity: again I was enchanted by the way he so visibly sculpted each phrase and used the dynamic palette so enchantingly. The speeds were brisk without sacrificing definition, individual instruments had their moments of stardom – oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and the dancing third movement, the storm, the gaiety, the pensive moments, created an ecstatic expression of fulfilment. ”
Lindis Taylor, "Middle C"
Perry So, who secured from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra players plenty of energy and focus throughout, enabl[ed] one to fall in love all over again with Antonin Dvorak’s most well-known symphony, one whose familiarity might just as easily have prompted a routine, all-purpose makeover. Instead, here was a fresh, urgently-delivered sequence of responses which made the notes sound as though they really mattered... ”
Peter Mechen, "Middle C"
An articulate, precise conductor,... So gave individual players within the orchestra the freedom they needed to shape the haunting melodies of "Pavane for a Dead Princess" without letting the expressive playing tug at the tempo. He conducted Stravinsky's "Suite From 'The Firebird'" with the piece's complex rhythms firmly in hand and a clear understanding of the piece's constantly shifting layers of sound... Their take on the final movement was clean, disciplined and crackling with energy. ”
Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
