Peter Stumpf, Principal Cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, gave his first recital in Indiana since being announced as a new full-time professor of music at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  The review of the Jun 29th concert in the  Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana)  was unequivocally glowing, with Peter Jacobi calling Mr. Stumpf “a musician of outstanding talent and heart. . . .  There can be no doubt about Stumpf’s artistic stature following his program on Wednesday.”  Additional quotes regarding each of the specific pieces that the cellist, along with accompanist Chi-Yi Chen at the piano, performed:

• Debussy — D Minor Sonata for Cello and Piano:  “Technically tricky to handle, the piece, even during its lighter late moments, was meant to leave a melancholy impression . . . Stumpf had the music’s moods and measures.”
• Britten — Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello, Opus 72:  “. . . extraordinary, a brilliantly realized presentation.”
• Brahms —  Sonata in F Major, Opus 99:  “There’s passion in its music. There’s turbulence. There’s allure. Stumpf, with Chen a complementing partner, offered an interpretation gratifyingly finished and intense.”
• Chopin — Introduction and Polonaise brillante:  “The planned ending for the concert served like an encore, a selection meant to give listeners a final taste of the performer’s virtuosity and send them home happy. . . . as Stumpf and Chen played it, did just that.”