"Vardan brings his own sound and ingredients... I have never heard any musician quite like him in terms of harmonic awareness and melodic power. I suspect that he will prove to be quite a sensation..."
PETER ERSKINE
"He is a singular musician that is developing a highly personal and sophisticated expression, and is one of the few musicians of his generation that will help define the future course of jazz."
FRANK CARLBERG
"Having had the chance to play with him, (and to record with him) I can only say that he is 'the real deal, and the whole package."
MICK GOODRICK
“Beautiful sound design...wall to wall melody…ingenious incorporation of the piano into the ensemble”
DREW GRESS
about VOCE (Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble)
“…All CDs demonstrate Ovsepian's fondness for bringing European classical and other outside influences to jazz improvisation to create music both elegant and uniquely his own…”
BOSTON GLOBE
- BY BILL BEUTTLER
“…Anyone with an allegiance to the ECM sound will find a great deal to like on these two quartet albums - the windblown pastels, the serious dramas and the clear thematic arcs…”
DOWNBEAT.COM
- REVIEW OF 'AKUNC' & 'SKETCHBOOK'
- BY GREG BUIUM
“…What this album does, very successfully, is integrate jazz and classical into a form of music that is simultaneously cerebral and soothing…”
JAZZREVIEW.COM
- REVIEW OF 'AKUNC'
- BY ROMAN ST. JAMES
“…There's a pianist out of Boston who made a beautiful record for the Fresh Sound label called 'Sketch Book'; his name is Vardan Ovsepian…”
JAZZREVIEW.COM
- BRAD MEHLDAU
“…When Ovsepian improvises on keyboard, his style has the sort of precise expansiveness of players such as Keith Jarrett, who rides upon uneven tempos, searching for moments to burst the bubble of form. Ovsepian's music shifts easily between passages that reveal his classical technique and those that showcase his obvious affection for the interpretive opportunities of jazz…”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
- BY STEVE FEENEY
“These exercises are so inventive and modern sounding that they immediately propel you into the language of the 21st century.”
JERRY BERGONZI
- about "Mirror Exercises"
“Elegant and ingeniously constructed contrapuntal exercises that will stretch your hands, head, and heart.”
RUSSELL FERRANTE
- about "Mirror Exercises"
“Playing through this collection of musical vignettes feels like looking through a prism of musical hues, each reflection a boundless canvas of improvisational and orchestral possibilities. These are no mere exercises, more like individual pearls of inspiration.”
ALAIN MALLET
- about "Mirror Exercises"
