Review5

Sheng Cai, Soloist " Old Warhorse " a Stallion in Young Hands "

A brilliant young pianist, a soothing string-orchestra interlude and a sweeping symphonic outpouring rewarded a Kamloops Symphony audience on Saturday, Edward Grieg's Concerto for piano Op. 16 in a minor is considered a staple among pianists, often described as an old warhorse along the lines of Beethoven's fifth Symphony. Sheng Cai, Shanghai-born Canadian pianist gave it a fresh sparkle, his hand seeming to float effortlessly over the keys in quieter moments, his whole body quaking with force during strident parts.

He was tempted to perform a Liszt rhapsody to punctuate the concerto, but felt it was better to contrast the mood of the concerto with Sergei Rachmaninoff's somber Elegie in E-flat minor.

---Mike Youds, Daily Staff Reporter of BC Kamloops News, 2011

Ming Bao Press Reviews

Sheng Cai has Depth of interpretation in music and maturity beyond his age, and is rarely to be seen among talented pianist today.

---Ran Guo, Reporter of Ming Bao Press, July 2003

Press Reviews

Any pianist who has mastered Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes and is ready to record them must be admired. He or she must not only have a transcendental technique but also bring out the character and expressive content of the pieces, which are excellent musical tone poems. In both of these new releases the artist rise splendidly to this challenge. The young Chinese-Canadian Pianist is impressive with the Liszt etudes... plays with great clarity and delicacy (when appropriate) ..., it's a fine recording that I enjoyed listening to.

American Record Guide, September/October 2019, pages 107-108

The Concerto by Montero, whose piano part was played by Chinese-Canadian pianist Sheng Cai, showed us a new orchestral formation with strings. The sound, dynamics, and balance in relation to the soloist were exceptional. His role as accompanist was very well achieved...The soloist, crystalline and detailed, offered a heartfelt interpretation of this work.