IN PERFORMANCE
"Stephen Aron's program showcased both his personality and impeccable musicianship. ...I always look forward to hearing Mr. Aron perform any of his Chopin arrangements. It has been said that the mark of a great arranger is when the music sounds as if it were written for the instrument being played; this certainly holds true for Stephen Aron."
- GFA Soundboard
"A cultivated and musical young guitarist...his phrasing and dynamic shading were exemplary"
- New York Times
"The slow pieces were delightfully melodic; the fast pieces left the audience in awe; a standing ovation brought him back for an encore"
- GFA Soundboard
"Notes were gorgeously edgy, stunning the audience with their evocation of regret and lament"
- Daytona Beach News Journal
"Stephen Aron thrilled the capacity crowd...spectacular renditions soared gloriously"
- The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
"Spirited performance...most effective playing...a fine recital"
- GFA Soundboard
"A stunning concert which demonstrated the virtuosity of both performers"
- GFA Soundboard
"It was an exciting concert. Aron has the ability to play with such precision that no matter how soft a passage gets, the notes literally zing out into the audience. His style, while full of romantic vibrato, was also delicate and lyrical"
- Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Expert and entertaining"
- GFA Soundboard
ON RECORD
"His sense of how to handle the material on guitar is completely convincing. The lines are beautifully phrased, with a sweeping rubato almost never heard on guitar recordings...The effect is voluptuous and mesmerizing. The fast pieces are impressively virtuosic, the slow ones are full of subtlety and nuance. The overall effect is breathtaking...Mr. Aron has not only managed to create the most convincing case yet of Chopin on the guitar, but he has gone a very big step further. He has produced what must certainly be regarded as the most important contribution to the repertoire (by arrangement) in recent years: a fully unified major cycle of works by a major composer." (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Guitar Review
"Inspired" (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
"An impressive feat" (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Acoustic Guitar
"There are many reasons to like this superbly produced CD...it is one of the best discs to cross my desk" (In My Heart)
- GFA Soundboard
"Warmly recommended" (Shine On Harvest Moon)
- Fanfare Magazine
"JoNell Aron has a youthful quality and crystal clear diction; Stephen Aron plays well with vitality and wit. This CD will obviously have strong appeal." (Shine On Harvest Moon)
- Classical Guitar
"Exceptional and appealing; get this CD" (Shine On Harvest Moon)
- The Rag Times
"Aron's playing is clean, crisp and understated...he gets into the spirit of the music and gives interpretations that sing with vibrant rhythm, subtle color and a feeling of intimacy" (Sketches)
- Cleveland Plain Dealer
IN PRINT
"Well thought-out and fun to play...an interesting and beautifully-produced edition" (Kinderszenen-Schumann)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
“This wonderful piece is imaginitive, adventurous, effortlessly entertaining and a great deal of fun to play. It would be fabulous when played by a top class guitarist in concert and deserves to do well.” (Rockport Stomp)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
"This is a book to be ignored at your peril. If this music or at least some of it is not played by lots of performers in the next few years, then there simply is no justice in the world of music...fascinating." (Complete Guitar Works of Burle Marx)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
"Where to begin? The word 'monumental' does not seem to give justice. Stephen Aron's exhaustive work...would seem to require a life's work, but there it is. I hold it in my hands and am amazed...His 3-CD recording of the entire work is deserving of a seperate review and must be used as a reference to grasp the magnitude of this carefully realized, historic, and important new work." (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Guitart
"Stephen Aron has arranged the guitar accompaniment with skill and sensitivity..." (The Soprano Arias from Messiah)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
"This colorful collection is truly something new and interesting. The volume is beautifully done...these songs with guitar accompaniment would be a great deal of fun" (On a Sunday Afternoon)
- National Association of Teachers of Singing Journal
"A perfect example of how it really should be done...Mr. Aron’s artistic integrity and moreover love of his subject shines out for all to see...the best attempt yet to make the works of Chopin available to the guitarist." (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Classical Guitar Magazine
"Very exciting" (Complete Chopin Mazurkas)
- Acoustic Guitar Magazine
"La Danza, that intoxicating tarantella once so splendidly sung by Caruso...is a little masterpiece...the music lies surprisingly well on the guitar. Seemingly virtuosic, the piece is not so very difficult to perform, and is a remarkably idiomatic addition, by a major composer, to the...19th Century repertoire." (La Danza--Rossini)
- GFA Soundboard
"Incontestablement sonne fort bien." (Kinderszenen--Schumann)
- Les Cahiers de la Guitare et de la Musique
"The entire suite is at last available in a wonderful guitaristic arrangement suitable for any kind of program" (Kinderszenen--Schumann)
- American Music Teacher