“Indeed it’s hard to fault any aspect of the orchestra’s performance…The one thing that was abundantly evident throughout this concert was the good rapport that existed between the conductor and the players…” – Adrian Smith, The Journal of Music 

“…great work by the young cast and the ICO…the vividness of the contribution of the Irish Chamber Orchestra under the alert baton of Stephen Barlow” – Michael Dervan, Irish Times 20 September 2017

“The ensemble, members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, brings out the colours of Britten’s score beautifully….” –  Golden Plec

“Musically, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, under conductor Stephen Barlow, is exquisite, releasing the full richness of Britten’s often difficult score with great success” – The Arts Review

“Owen Wingrave delivers several such moments of beauty, along with a top class orchestra and ensemble.” – The Arts Review Sept 17

“A thrilling recording from the first to the last bar” –  Chris Vratz, CD-Journal Fono Forum

“A lith, disciplined performance of Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony, played on modern instruments with the lean-toned sensitivities of period instrument players, is followed by a shape-changing orchestration/re-writing of the Andante from Mendelssohn’s early Clarinet Sonata.  Classy musical time-travelling.” – Michael Dervan, Irish Times 

“Appetite duly whetted, expectations raised, this was a Radamisto securely rooted in David Brophy’s sure footed, sensitive and sleek conducting of an Irish Chamber Orchestra on ravishingly idiomatic form”.  – Opera Magazine

“The Irish Chamber Orchestra, under David Brophy’s flowing direction, play as stylishly as ever, though the smooth sound of their modern instruments inevitably adds to the sense of a meanly-sliced expressive palette”. – Michael Lee Golden Plec

“The Irish Chamber Orchestra under David Brophy played with terrific verve and élan in support of the seven strong cast all who seem very comfortable in their roles”.

“This collaboration with the renowned Irish Chamber Orchestra was received with great enthusiasm in Limerick…”

“Brophy and the ICO were crisp and double-dotted from the start, not as frantic as is the current Brito-Hibernian fashion, but fully in tune with the pathos and particular colouring of this piece; I’d not heard Brophy conduct Handel before but this was gorgeously and sensitively phrased, sparkling and fiery where required (and with some excellently jagged lightning-bolts and fireworks in the cascading da capos) but giving and tender at those places where Handel holds out a comforting hand to his suffering characters in the form of a cello or oboe to guide them through their grieving”.  – Robert Thicknesse Critics Circle

“What they have in common, though reasonably popular choices all, is that they are a refreshing combination of serious musicianship, well away from the comfy-cozy coterie of the ever-same, predictably marketable but often musically boring artists that invariably clog much of the circuit with that nice, grinning, PR-smooth and utterly unoriginal feeling” – Jens F. Laurson, Forbes

“But beyond loud and fast, dynamic extremes and pointed phrasing, the whole performance was so articulate as to have breathed a whole new interpretative air this, Mendelssohn’s third-most ignored, symphony.” –  Jens F. Laurson, Forbes

“the orchestra is an experimental orchestra with an innovative conductor”. – The Wienar Zeitung Katarina Wappel

“A vivid account of the Reformation Symphony brought a spell-binding evening to a close”.

“There is a taut vivacity to the playing of this orchestra that’s easily traced to the geniality of the group”  – George Hamilton, The Irish Independent

“It was the conductor, Widmann, with an orchestra, who took over the dominant part with the opening of the opera and the strings. Levit himself entralled his audience with an extraordinarily velvety stroke, which was more like a delicate pushing of the keys, which with a delicate tone design a wonderfully fine-spun sound language”.

“Widmann and the players of the ICO matched him (Levit) in scale and style wherever he chose to go” – Michael Dervan, Irish Times

“Rarely has the music by Mendelssohn sounded more fresh: The works by Jörg Widmann appeal even to concert goers who have difficulties with contemporary music”

“Here the wealth of melody in Mendelssohn’s music becomes a resounding feast of sound which remains compact and detailed throughout due to the precise and refined playing by the Irish Chamber Orchestra.”

“Obviously the creative communication between Widmann and his ensemble (Irish Chamber Orchestra) works extremely well which makes for an exciting future” – Spiegel

“Widmann gives a sparking account of the two Mendelssohn Symphonies Nos 1 and 4” – Pizzicato

“The Irish Chamber Orchestra sounds ring with vigor and freshness” – Crescendo Magazine

 “In Mendelssohn’s symphonies, the musicians have their opportunity to shine: captivating music making combining sensitive tenderness, sharp attacks and a vibrant sound production always serves great clarity in the music; it gleams and sparkles everywhere”. – Klassik-heute.com