"The first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata no.7 in C minor in the hands of American Laurel Gagnon, 31, was robust but never heavy, with a sustained intensity. Her clear articulation brought out the intricacies that make the piece such a fascinating bridge between the Classical and the Romantic. In the second movement she displayed a different, grander, strength, which let even hemidemisemiquavers speak…Gagnon’s Violin Concerto no.4 in D major had clear musical intentions, and she placed importance on even the smallest of details, such as the top notes of trills. She put the score first rather than blindly obeying the rules – particularly the idea of ‘purity’ – associated with interpreting Mozart. When edge was needed, she delivered…In the Brahms Concerto, Gagnon had a captivatingly warm G-string tone, and retained vibrance and core in the stratospheric heights of the E string."
"Clarinetist Nicole Martin, violinist Laurel Gagnon and pianist Joseph Vaz played the last movement of the work, entitled Sebes, which is Hungarian for ‘fast’ (as is the boys’ dance on which it is based). In addition to Gagnon’s brilliant performance of its blazing cadenza, she had to switch between two differently tuned violins, as did Martin with clarinets."
"Bassoonist Marty Tung, bassist Marguerite Cox and percussionist Oliver Xu joined Gagnon, Pogossian, O’Connell and Seder in this colorful musical mashup. Gagnon turned up the heat, not only by wearing a scarlet dress but also with her red-hot fiddling."
"Gagnon, Mi, Smith, Ariza and pianist Jospeh Vax produced a sound of remarkable depth suffused with a muscular grandeur. Throughout, Gagnon impressed with her impassioned playing on the violin, especially the singing, throbbing tone she employed in Shostakovich’s melodies."
“Gagnon played with impeccable intonation in all registers and a passion that was both moving and expressive.”
"Gagnon stood out with her performance of Bartók’s Second Concerto, which she played on her uncredited instrument with poise and maturity."