“For audiences and aspiring young musicians, hearing a completely improvised concerto is a unique and inspiring opportunity. It is a wonderful concept brilliantly executed by the gifted Mark O'Connor.”  -Marin Alsop (Conductor, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra)

"It's utterly groundbreaking…a concerto like this is totally unplayable by the vast majority of conservatory grads.”  -Paul Haas (Conductor/Composer, Music Director of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, founder/Artistic Director of Sympho)

"Mark O'Connor's  'The Improvised Violin Concerto' is a innovative way to approach the musical interaction between soloist and orchestra. It also requires a new set of skills that will encourage young virtuosos to develop high level improvisational skills.  The string world welcomes this addition to the repertoire that supports one of our national standards for music education, improvisation." -Bob Phillips - President, American String Teachers Association