"Ms. Montero's playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power in climactic moments, soulful lyricism in the ruminative passages and, best of all, unsentimental expressivity. That she is also a tall, dark and lovely young woman can only help her career." –- New York Times

"The 20th century became a time of specialization. The tasks of composing and performing were increasingly divided. For the most part, classical music ceded improvisation to jazz players, who brought the art to perfection. But now the classical music scene can claim the prodigiously gifted Venezuelan-born pianist Gabriela Montero, who has made free improvisation a major element of her artistry. When playing the standard repertory Ms. Montero is an exciting pianist, as she proved with her brilliant, wonderfully imaginative performances of Schumann’s “Carnaval” and Ginastera’s Piano Sonata No. 1 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Thursday night. Yet since childhood Ms. Montero has had a knack for improvisation. Her EMI recordings of improvisations on Baroque themes have topped the classical charts. As she often does, this charismatic pianist devoted the second half of her program on Thursday to improvisations. She asked audience members to suggest themes by singing them, then used them as starting points for elaborate improvisations: seven in all, lasting about 45 minutes." –- Anthony TomassiniNew York Times

"ein Talent wie es lange keines mehr gegeben hat" -- FAZ

"I have rarely come across a talent like Gabriela’s. She is a unique artist." -- Martha Argerich