“…It may be that many who attended Rutman’s recital at Alice Tully hall came primarily to hear Tony Randall narrate Poulenc’s ‘Story of Babar the Little Elephant,’ but by the time Mr. Randall appeared after intermission, Rutman had won the audience over for himself with exquisite performances of Mozart and Schubert, both commanding and full of character.”
– New York Times
“Rutman is indeed a sensitive musician, it’s just that his sensitivity happens to be on a larger than life scale. His tone was full, his phrasing alive and continually interesting.”
– New York Times
“HIGH VOLTAGE KEYBOARD!…Superb performance…his spotless articulation gave this French set—indeed, the whole program—unusual polish and virtuoso marks.”
– Washington Post
“Hats off, gentleman- a genius!”
– San Diego Reader
“To virtuosity he adds remarkable intelligence, to musical line an absolute mastery…. His performance of Liszt’s b minor Sonata confirmed again forcefully that one gladly takes note of this pianist.”
– Le Bien Public, Dijon, France
“Between major works of Schumann performed masterfully, Rutman narrated Robert and Clara’s life together, memorizing extracts from their letters, marriage diary, and other documents, adding a phenomenal dimension to the music for professionals and laymen alike.”
– St Louis Post Dispatch
“A vivid sense of color characterized Rutman’s performance at the Academy of Music…he created a compelling frenzy for Ravel’s ‘La Valse,’ rendered fevered, superheated, and drenched in keyboard color.”
– Philadelphia Enquirer
“This Poulenc disc finds Rutman at his sensitive best, with a finely polished performance.”
– Fanfare Magazine
“The evenings soloist, pianist Neil Rutman, played for us an elegant performance of Mozart’s Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K.442. We learned from his bio information that Rutman during his college years was a distinguished collegiate boxer and today coaches the University of Central Arkansas Boxing Team. Although he appears fit enough to be a bouncer at any Santa Cruz or Monterey downtown jazz club, his approach to the piano was never forced or overwhelming, for it appears that Rutman harnesses his virtuoso technique and uses it only in service of the music he performs. However, the sparks flew in the faster movements of the concerto, but in the lovely slow movement we heard the sensitive, soul-searching side of Rutman that produced lovely shades of sound that blended in a magical way. Especially moving was the hushed, tender coda of the second movement, which was a marvel of expressive freedom and subtle rubato. The final movement was a dazzling display of effortless virtuosity. Not recognizing any of his cadenzas or improvised “lead-ins,” I went backstage at intermission and discovered that he had composed them himself (and very stylish they were, too).”
– San Francisco Peninsula Reviews