CONCERT TESTIMONIALS:

“Oni Buchanan is a species unto herself. Already a published poet, her intellectual curiosity is exceeded only by her determination. Her playing is informed by a persuasively lyrical touch in the service of great poise and charm. No less affable than intelligent, her combination of brains, devotion, and personality produces a highly principled and attractive approach to art and to music.”

--Russell Sherman, Distinguished Artist in Residence,
New England Conservatory

“Oni Buchanan is a lovely person and a great artist, and it was a pleasure to have her playing in our Auditorium on May 22nd. The audience responded with the warmest applauses and a nice opinion of her interpretation of all the pieces, particularly in regards to the Villa-Lobos. Her interpretation of Rudepoêma was completely full of passion; I've never heard someone play that piece bringing this variety of sound and character as she did. Absolute success!”

--Riva Fineberg, Diretora Cultural ,
Instituto Brasileiro de Administração Municipal (IBAM)
Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL

“On November 14, 2007, Oni Buchanan gave a solo piano recital on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series in Chicago which was broadcast live on WFMT Fine Arts Radio and the City’s cable TV station. The concert hall held an audience of approximately 500 music lovers. Ms. Buchanan gave a very fine performance of a carefully crafted program exploring music associated with nighttime, ranging from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata of 1801 to a piece composed in 2000 by Kelly-Marie Murphy. To enhance the audience’s experience, she provided extraordinarily informative program notes. She is an excellent young musician whose poetic sensibilities come through in her playing and her programming. Her interpretations of the two nocturnes and the Moonlight Sonata were sensitive and affecting, while she brought the necessary verve and ethereal quality to her playing of the Murphy piece. She was deservedly greeted at the end of the concert with enthusiastic applause and bravos, many of the audience members standing to deliver their praise of what they had just experienced. This fine young artist is exactly the kind of musician the Myra Hess series is designed to showcase, and she would be an asset to any recital series.”

--Ann Murray, Executive Director, International Music Foundation
Chicago, IL

“Buchanan is a true artist, full of creativity and unique interpretations. Her technique is meticulous, dazzling and powerful, and her spirit is generous and alive. All this comes through in her music.”

--Geoffrey Peters, Founder and Current Director of University Hall Concert Series,
Harvard University

“I could not have hoped for a better event to open our annual Arts Series and to coincide with Homecoming weekend than Oni Buchanan’s “Moonlight Recital” piano concert. It was mesmerizing to listen to and spirited to watch. Her technique was animated yet her presence was refined. Novice students as well as seasoned patrons were all entertained and challenged, given precious moments of both awe and delight. Hosting a College Arts Series, as we do, I look for unique performers with talent and character—ones who are able to express in their art that which is transient but tangible—performers who are capable of uncovering universal human truths. In theatre, I refer to it as the moment of the “other”—when the viewer is suddenly and unexpectedly removed from their surroundings and transported to another realm; where an unspoken connection occurs between the audience and performer. It is difficult to anticipate, but it is felt through the entire house when it happens. The encounter that happened during Oni’s concert was sublime. It was the closest to perfect that we can hope for…”

--C. Daniel Shaw, Director, Washington & Jefferson Arts Series,
Olin Fine Arts Center, Washington, PA


“Oni’s performance overall was marked by a true virtuosity, one that is born from the music itself. To say that Oni is a colorist is almost to miss the point; rather she understands and conveys the essence of the music. Oni Buchanan is also a poet, and we might say simply that, in her playing, she approaches the piano as a poet might. But what this really means is that Oni’s playing goes beyond the piano, and beyond artistry, to reach the heart of the matter, to art itself.”

--Dr. Richard Greene, Chairman of the Music Department,
Georgia College & State University

“Oni Buchanan's ravishing Poetry in Piano presentation was a highlight of the Whittier Writers' Festival, a fascinating blend of virtuoso performance and incisive discussion of the structural principles that carry over from music to poetry and from poetry to music. I was pleased as well by her generosity of spirit as shown in the care she took with student after student in individual meetings with poetry writing students and in her visit to our writing workshop. She is a truly original act, a fine poet, and a wonderful musician.”

--Dr. Tony Barnstone, Professor of English and Founder of Whittier Writers' Festival, Whittier College, Whittier, CA

“Bringing pianist and poet Oni Buchanan as a featured artist to a writers' festival that also featured Maxine Hong Kingston and Gerald Stern was both risky and fun. Her presentation and personality more than matched the others and added a wonderful twist to the entire event. Oni has a wonderful grasp of the history of both music and literature and is able to create lovely, lyrical connections between the two. Well chosen material, wonderful and expressive style - Oni, you were great!”

--David Palmer, Manager, Shannon Center for the Performing Arts
Whittier College, Whittier, CA

“We were delighted to have hosted Oni Buchanan as part of our 2007-2008 West Shore Community College Performing Arts Series. Ms. Buchanan’s master-class/workshop for music and poetry students on Friday and her public “Moonlight Recital” concert on Saturday evening were both transcendent. Oni Buchanan is one of the most gifted young pianists I’ve heard in years. She has the talent to become a major emerging concert artist. In my forty years of studying artists and their art, rarely have I experienced a musician as articulate as Oni in her ability to describe in detail her creative process. Ms. Buchanan possesses a keen creative imagination and has the artistry to bring her musical vision to light in the concert hall. Her playing is masterful and inspiring. She plays with power, emotion, and fluidity. Her rendering of both Romantic and contemporary styles was melodious, with strong fortissimos and delicate interpretations of pianissimos. Her playing of Fauré, Debussy, and Chopin Nocturnes was poignant, insightful, and spiritually-charged; her interpretation of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor was beautifully rendered and brought a rapt, appreciative audience to its feet in grand admiration of her talents. I especially liked her emotional interpretation of the new work, “Star Burning Blue.” The entire evening was simply luminous!”

--Dr. Rick J. Plummer, Director,
West Shore Community College Performing Arts Series, Scottville, MI

“Recently we had the pleasure of presenting Oni Buchanan in recital on our campus. The sonic realms of her “Poetry in Piano” program are inhabited by many characters – from the mischievous Puck to the murderous Edward – and many moods: reflective, passionate, capricious, and even barbaric. Oni was able to engage the audience by first explaining the nature of each piece, and then by bringing the inherent drama of each piece to life. While many pianists possess impressive technical abilities, Oni distinguished herself through her ability to make the piano sing. It was truly a pleasure to have her on our campus.”

--Dr. Brian Watson, Founder and Current Director,
Mount Olive College Recital Series, Mount Olive, NC

“Oni Buchanan's performance on our Winter Concert Series brought just the right intimacy that we strive from in presenting these concerts in private homes. Her program, which included Debussy, Brahms, Villa-Lobos, and Scriabin, brought a perfect balance to the evening, and Oni was able to draw the audience into the spell she created with her playing. Her rapport with the audience went beyond the playing with her concise comments about the works she performed. Her forceful reading of Villa-Lobos's Rudepoêma was the talk of the reception after the performance.”

--Michael Cannon, Artistic Director,
Honest Brook Music Festival, Delhi, NY

“I am writing to recommend Oni Buchanan, who recently performed for the University of Dayton's Arts Series. Presenting a selection of works by Debussy, Brahms, Scriabin, Liszt, and Villa-Lobos in the context of a program entitled "Poetry in Piano," Buchanan played with grace, sensitivity, and, when called for, great passion. It was a concert of great beauty. I would also note that Ms. Buchanan was a consummate professional--well prepared and always pleasant to work with. Moreover, she demonstrated her artistry not only with her playing, but with her conception of the program. The musical selections reflected her own background with and sensitivity to literature, and made fine use of poetry as a way of illuminating a composer's composition and possible intentions. It was a pleasure to present her on the campus of the University of Dayton, and I would encourage others to take advantage of Oni Buchanan's exceptional talents as well.”

--Eileen Carr, Arts Series Coordinator
University of Dayton, Dayton, OH


“Ms. Buchanan was a wonderful feature to our Free First Thursday programming. Her ability to tie the beautiful music to one of our most popular exhibitions was exemplary. This performance made the evening a wonderful experience for our visitors and helped to make the evening a great success!”

--Kateri Harried, Public Programs Manager,
Baltimore Museum of Art


“Above and beyond! From the moment she sat down at the piano bench, Oni captured our First Sundays Classical Concerts audience. As her fingers glided over the keys, we were swept away by the beauty of the music. In addition to her flawless talent, Oni has a remarkable rapport with her audience onstage and off. She took the time to speak with people individually during the intermission and after the concert. After most people had left the meeting room, Oni even took time to demonstrate technique to a young student!”

--Kathy Cryan-Hicks, Head of Community Services Department,
Chelmsford Public Library


“Oni Buchanan performs in a way that leads the listener to a greater understanding of the composer’s poetic and dramatic intent. She goes beyond the notes and rhythms and finds where the music resides on an emotional level. The result is a fresh and refreshing performance that makes the composer a living and breathing part of the performance. You can picture Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin standing over her shoulder nodding their approval as she interprets with sensitivity and emotional honesty the music they intended.”

--Dr. Stephen J. Mulder, Director of Music Ministries,
Griffin First United Methodist Church, Griffin, GA


“Oni Buchanan has the soul of a poet, the intelligence to know how to shape her expression, and a fabulous technique with which she can realize her most subtle as well as her most extroverted musical ideas and feelings. What's more, she has the humility to recreate as closely as possible what was in the composers' minds. She met each composer's work on its own terms, demonstrating passion, power, clarity, and a wide variety of expression, and demanding from herself nothing short of perfection. I was enraptured by her performance. As a very discriminating former music director of a professional orchestra and now a composer, I experienced something very rare, indeed. I left wanting to hear more.”

--Micah Levy, Composer
Former Music Director / Conductor, Orange County Chamber Orchestra


“Witty, insightful, fluent playing by a remarkably gifted and mature young talent. Her technical prowess allowed her the freedom to explore the music with obvious and venturesome delight, and with such ease and expressiveness that the disparate images each composer limned in sound emerged entirely vivid and individual.”

--Paula Barthel, Director of LiveARTS “Concerts in the Meetinghouse”,
Franklin, MA


“I never heard any pianist of this day and age be so integrally connected not only to the music she is playing but also to the composer. Buchanan is also unique in that she doesn't follow a ‘traditional concept’ of interpretation. She is her own person and that makes all the difference. It is through that attitude that these works come alive again.”

--Sir Thomas Zaiko-Zajkowski
Founder and Current Director of Paderewski Piano Series, Boston, MA


“Oni Buchanan's recital was delightful, creative, and inspiring. Her sense of balance in programming, attention to stylistic nuance, and flawless execution made the experience nothing less than wonderful. The audience left well satisfied but still wishing they could have heard more.”

--Dr. Raymond Weidner, Director of Music
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, Severna Park, MD


“I am happy to take this opportunity to relate the positive musical experiences I have shared with my friend and colleague, Oni Buchanan. I know Oni from her undergraduate days at the University of Virginia, where she distinguished herself as both a gifted writer of poetry and a truly poetic musician. At my invitation, she appeared as a soloist with the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, performing Chopin’s E minor concerto. Collaborating with her on this occasion remains one of my most fondly remembered musical experiences. Her playing contains both lyrical and dramatic qualities in ever-varying proportions, intuitively reflecting the ebb and flow of the composition at hand. She also has a most engaging and pleasant disposition, and I found her a real pleasure to work with. I am fortunate to count her among my musical circle of friends, and I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

--Eric Stassen
Music Director / Conductor, Waynesboro (VA) Symphony Orchestra


“Oni Buchanan's recital at Derry church was one of emotion, mature playing, and relentless energy! What a grand pianist!! The recital was exciting from beginning to end!”

--Helen Anthony, Director of the ARTS ALIVE! Cultural Series
Director of Music/Organist Derry Presbyterian Church, Hershey, PA



MASTER CLASS AND OUTREACH TESTIMONIALS:

“Learning and laughter are not always deemed compatible in our profession, but Oni Buchanan’s master class was an object lesson in how they can reinforce and enhance one another. Her comments were incisive without being the least bit corrosive, and my students benefited greatly from her teaching. Both her performance and the master class were superb! We certainly look forward to having her back in the future and wish her every opportunity to share her artistry and pedagogical skills in the meantime.”

--Dr. Gregory Pepetone, Director of Keyboard Activities
Georgia College & State University


“Oni Buchanan presented excerpts from her program on Poetry and the Piano for our students at Caldwell College on Monday, May 7, 2007. The program itself was very intriguing and fit perfectly with our Music and the Arts course. Oni Buchanan’s preparation was very apparent and the program and notes she sent ahead were most helpful as I was able to discuss some of the works in class. Her comments and personal insight into the works were fascinating and very engaging, and the relaxed, informal way she spoke really connected with our students. Ms. Buchanan’s playing was so sensitive and expressive, especially after her wonderful descriptions, that it led the students through the works and helped them to follow the musical ideas quite easily. These students are not accustomed to classical concerts and they were listening with rapt attention. Ms. Buchanan’s “map” to Rudepoêma was very interesting, and guided us through a work that might otherwise have been more challenging to follow. The range of musical styles, from Romantic to Impressionist to Twentieth Century, was quite accessible with just enough contrast, and the variety of the relationships to poetry was truly fascinating. It was a pleasure to work with Oni Buchanan, and a joy to meet her and hear her perform. Her passion for the music and the instrument she plays is obvious and contagious. We are grateful to her for sharing it with our students, and we wish her continued success!”

--Dr. Laura Greenwald, Music Department Chair and Concert Series Director,
Caldwell College, Caldwell, NJ


“What a beautiful combination of poetry, music and personality! Oni Buchanan was truly outstanding in her outreach program for our local fourth, fifth and sixth graders. The connections that she made between the poetry she chose and the music that expressed these poetic themes were extremely well done. I honestly believe that the students - and teachers! - came away from this program with a new found respect for poetry and music, and the strong bond that exists between the two. Thank you, Oni!”

--David Palmer, Broadoaks School Outreach Coordinator,
Whittier, CA


“Oni Buchanan really related well to our Charlottesville High School students. I could see a lot of them in her! She shared her impressive talents with our students, and certainly inspired many.”

--Jeffrey Suling, Fine Arts Coordinator, Charlottesville City Schools
Charlottesville, VA


“Erect posture and wide open eyes were very visible as Oni Buchanan quickly ran her fingers on the piano. The students from OMPH School were in awe as this talented pianist performed. Ms. Buchanan captured the attention of our youngsters as she gave the background of her selected pieces and then skillfully played each piece. The children were simply amazed by the unique sounds, melody and music that the pianist produced. Our thanks to Ms. Buchanan for sharing her gifts and talents with all of us at OMPH School in Ephrata, PA.”

--Sister Marie Gayda, School Principal, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School
Ephrata, PA


“Oni Buchanan took the stage with the quiet grace and confidence of an artist who intended to speak through her program. What ensued was a wonderful dialogue between audience and performer as this remarkable program came to life. Ms. Buchanan's relationship with the repertoire she performed was intimate and clearly passionate. She shared not only the stories and images behind the pieces but also gave glimpses of her rationale for assembling them in one program, bringing the audience closer to her own preparatory process. By the end of the performance, the audience not only appeared amazed at her considerable passion and technical facility, but they also seemed appreciative of her efforts to relate relatively complex musical concepts in user-friendly terms.”

--Robert Riker, Music Department Chair, Moravian Academy Upper School
Bethlehem, PA


“Oni Buchanan’s performance at the Moravian Academy High School was absolutely outstanding. Her performance inspired me to have faith in myself as a pianist. Through her explanation and story of her career, she demonstrated how fruitful a career can be if it is diligently pursued with passion. The master class that she held after her performance showed her ability to connect with the students. She brought an atmosphere of intimacy to her teaching that allowed for a true interaction between student and teacher. She gave valuable suggestions to each student while never forgetting to value the interpretation of the performer. I feel newfound confidence in the decisions I make when sitting at the piano to play, in large part due to her suggestions in the master class. She showed me how to listen much more closely to the different harmonies and tonal qualities of the music while I am practicing, and my ears are becoming more sensitive to details. Oni Buchanan’s experience at the high school was meaningful, insightful, and most of all truly inspirational.”

--Ashish Thakrar, Sophomore piano student, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA


“Oni Buchanan’s magnificence stems from her ability to educate and inspire the audience, bridge the gap between composer and listener, and at the same time demonstrate her own brilliant and exceptional talent. With her brief introductions, she takes to the keyboard to paint characters in movement with Ginastera’s Argentinean Dances, brings to us the gentle evening air at a palace in Granada via Debussy, and stirs in our minds the majesty of the Great Gate of Kiev following a short tour of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. She educates the audience with tidbits of background material, and is skillful in her programming, choosing just the right combination of music which will inspire her audience to visit places far away, to imagine new feelings and to appreciate all that they hear and visualize. Refreshing is an apt description of Oni’s magnificent performance, her musical interpretation, her youthful vitality, and her connection with the audience. It is both refreshing and satisfying to know that a brilliant, young pianist, fueled by her own love and passion for classical music, will continue to serve us all.”

--Thomas Bross, Science Department Chair and Physics professor
Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA


“Oni Buchanan’s exceptional level of skill and sensitivity make even well-known classical ‘Greats’ like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition come to life in a completely new way. With her performances couched in an educational context, Buchanan first verbally outlines the basic form and inspiration for the piece, which she then follows up with her magically transformative musical interpretation of it. Oni’s brilliant talent and musical genius give her the gift of being able to take her audience along with her as if we were transported back in space and time. She is a true treasure that must be shared to be believed.”

--Susan Maurer, Fine Arts faculty, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA