PRESS
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Feature: Amanda's performance of Niloufar Nourbakhsh's Forward Music Project commission, "Veiled"
– The New York Times, October 16, 2022
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“This is cello playing at its height; delivering art.”
– The WholeNote, February 2022
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“…exploring areas of true passion. All of that comes through in the music, loud and clear.”
Best Of 2021: Classical
– anearful, January 29, 2022 -
“Both releases contain music of immense power, and that the performances are almost entirely by her alone testifies to her belief in the difference a single individual can make.”
– Textura, January 2022
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“this is a premier example of feminist advocacy done right.”
– I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, December 15, 2020
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The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2020: “The effect is akin to what you might feel inventing a new dance on the spot”
– The New York Times, December 17, 2020
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“The performances clearly reflect Gookin's virtuosic command…but the playing is always used in the service of bringing the composer's material to its optimal realization.”
– Textura, September 11, 2020
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"It is the highest level of artistry that can realize a message, a story or an emotion while seeming to have not performed it at all. This was my takeaway from my introduction to cellist Amanda Gookin."
– The WholeNote, August 25, 2020
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"Listen to Amanda’s curated ListN Up playlist for ListN Up, a sonic portrait that showcases the diverse & stylistically varied music that influences her creative practice."
– ListN Up, August 21, 2020
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“What gives the Forward Music Project 1.0 interest beyond specifically feminist circles, however, is the direct, even fervent quality of the music, and especially of Gookin's cello.”
– AllMusic, August 7, 2020
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“exactly the kind of effort that can guide our community toward sincere personal connection by centering the earnest interests."
– I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, July 14, 2020
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“Rest assured that everything here exists on a level of glorious musicality…you will be [even more] floored by what Gookin has achieved here.”
– AnEarful, July 10, 2020
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“communal joy embedded in a music of cooperation…the joy of transmitting knowledge is perceptible.”
– The New York Times, July 9, 2020
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“With a cello and a cohort of female composers, Amanda Gookin pushes classical forward.”
– The Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2019
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Angela Myles Beeching featured Amanda’s work in the latest edition of her influential book, Beyond Talent.
– Beyond Talent, 2019
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“Gookin is carving out space for fresh narratives and providing a much-needed dose of reality.”
– I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, March 29, 2019
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“She displays a supple determination to illuminate all the deep personal truths shared by these composers.”
– Escape Into Life, May 2019
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“Classical music is not generally associated with political activism, but that’s what Amanda Gookin hopes to change...”
– Distract Fray Magazine, March 28, 2019
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“Gookin’s focus and ferocity—coupled with her expert technical work—made her message unforgettable.”
– The Strad, March 1, 2017
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“Consistently self-possessed, and alternately delicate and fierce in her musical approach, Gookin displayed impressive reserves of emotional and technical energy.”
– San Francisco Classical Voice, March 7, 2017