Press quotes

It is with the Scriabin that Gröndahl is thrilling. . . . He has everything to play this music wonderfully; the way his fingers are flying on the keyboard and his way of projecting the sound in the hall are quite extraordinary. He has certain emotional fragility together with sovereign mastery of the instrument to make him one of the favorite candidates. A hyper-sensitive candidate.” (Francois Mardirossian, Crescendo Magazine, May 2013)

The obsessive delirium of Alexander Scriabin’s 10th Piano Sonata forces one to think, what is the real level of pathology behind this work. Gröndahl’s interpretation was one of the most elegant I’ve ever heard. Trills and tremolos didn’t burn out but rather had some butterfly-like lightness in them, which created an impressionistic dream world alongside the expressive swerving and chromatic vertigo." (Jukka Isopuro, Helsingin Sanomat 16.04.2013)

[The Ravel concerto for the left hand] corresponded to the disposition of the twenty-three year old Finnish pianist very well. He intoned powerfully the rumbling lower register and also brought out the percussively rousing thematic blocks with transparency. Especially in the higher registers Roope Gröndahl reflected the melodic lines with sensual sound, set entertainingly grumpy movement patterns in motion and formed powerful culminations with precision." (Silvia Thurner, Kulturzeitschrift 08.04.2013)

It’s a pleasure to hear Roope Gröndahl’s playing for a variety of reasons. It lacks completely the self-absorbent bragging so typical for young virtuosos. Ravel’s piano concerto, written for the left hand only, was performed by Gröndahl with a soundwise polished touch and natural ease. Nothing sounded artificial or clumsy." (Johanna Tiensuu, Turun Sanomat 20.01.2013)

The concert’s highlight was Camille Saint-Saens 2nd piano concerto with Roope Gröndahl as soloist. . . . With a total commitment which also included some lively, compelling gestures, Gröndahl impressed both with the virtuosically dynamic runs across the keyboard and with the calmer passages." (Egil Green, Borgåbladet 22.05.2012)