Press Notices

NEW YORK CITY "That he is a fine musician as well as instrumentalist was revealed by his Bach performance. The enormous G minor fugue challenges the bravest of organists, and Mr. Swann's clear, steady playing of it (from memory) proves that he was both able and willing to take the risks involved."

NEW YORK CITY "Frederick Swann has a gift which too many organists seem to lack these days: real musicality. Everything he plays turns into a convincing and moving musical experience."

CHICAGO "Swann played with rip-roaring zest!"

Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON DC "Frederick Swann played the most impressive program ever heard on the Kennedy Center organ - one that demonstrated his brilliant technique and great musical sensitivity...."

LOS ANGELES "His playing was splendid, probing, brilliant and entertaining, as usual..."

PHILADELPHIA "Swann generally lets the music speak for itself, and his ample technique serves the music instead of being the paramount consideration."

CLEVELAND "....Frederick Swann is a colorist at the keyboard. He is a master of his instrument's resources. He plays romantic music without a hint of sentimentality. He has bold ideas about registration, interpretation and program building. He performs with rhythmic energy and technical security."

SAN FRANCISCO "His playing projected a genuine sense of musicianship, supported by a total command of technique. The rhythmic security of Swann's performance stood head and shoulders above the average organ recitalist."

BUFFALO ORGANIST SWANN'S VIRTUOSO TOUCH ENHANCES FESTIVAL CELEBRATION"

MIAMI "Swann is a magnificent technician who uses all possibilities of the instrument and does it with finesse and subtle mastery. He is a scholar as well as a technician."

MINNEAPOLIS "....he is without doubt one of the premier organists of our time."

SHREVEPORT "Swann was not just a powerful and consummate performer. Much more, he was a communicative player, masterfully explaining his selections in terms his audience could understand, appreciate...."

CALGARY "Organist Frederick Swann is an eclectic organist par excellence, a marvel of technical and musical fluency, able to encompass the broadest range of music imaginable with astonishing ease."

SANTA BARBARA "SWANN'S BRILLIANT RECITAL ON ORGAN..........Swann is an artist of consummate technique, good taste in registration and sound musicianship."

TOLEDO "Mr. Swann....performed here in the grand manner, with boldness and sweep and, of course, with the assurance of his technique. A seasoned performer, Mr. Swann plays with an enviable fluency and energy."

GARDEN GROVE "Swann was given a standing ovation when he concluded the first half of his program. He is that kind of organist."

SALT LAKE CITY "Swann made the organ soar to glorious sonic heights"

“Swann is very well known as a performer and recording artist, and his performances are consistently top-notch. His playing is extravagant in expression and colorful in registration. He has an intrinsic sense of the huge capabilities of the organs and how to display them in an entertaining manner for his listeners…Definitely a must-have recording”

American Record Guide

Recording of Special Merit: Franck Pièce Héroique and Trois Chorals

"This is a powerful program....a superb performance of the potent Willan work...."