Songbird at Glimmerglass a fine piece of fluff - rain optional.
"The fluid and sensitve playing by principal clarinet Pascal Archer practically turned his instrument into another character."
Joseph Dalton, Times Union (Albany, NY)
July 31, 2021
Princeton Pro Musica Opens Season with All-Mozart concert
"...Brandau led a chamber-sized orchestra and guest clarinet soloist Pascal Archer in a spirited performance of Mozart’s three-movement concerto. Archer, currently acting principal clarinetist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, demonstrated not only his command of the instrument and the works technical demands, but also how demonic Mozart’s solo writing could be. Following a delicate orchestral introduction, Archer’s playing topped off the string sound like rich icing. The solo clarinet’s quickly-moving lines emerged clearly from the orchestral texture, as Archer achieved the same dynamic contrasts as the orchestra. He maneuvered the octave melodic leaps cleanly and showed shifts in musical character that gave the impression at times that he was carrying on a humorous musical conversation with himself, accompanied by the orchestra. (...) Archer took his time on long phrases, showing strength of air.”
Nancy Plum, TownTopics (Princeton, NJ)
November 6, 2019
Princeton Symphony Orchestra Opens Season with Monumental Beethoven Symphony
"...in the third movement Adagio, a movement which featured graceful clarinet playing from Pascal Archer."
Nancy Plum, TownTopics (Princeton, NJ)
September 20, 2017
War beautifully sung in "The Siege of Calais"
"The long and elegant interlude played by Pascal Archer, the new principal clarinetist, carried forth like it was a story in itself."
Joseph Dalton, TimesUnion.com (Albany, NY)
July 22, 2017
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I also gave an interview at the Glimmerglass Festival about this opera.
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Princeton Symphony Orchestra Presents Stellar Soloist in Tchaikovsky Concerto
"...the soloist was accompanied by a variety of well-executed sonorities, including a smooth wind quartet of clarinets and bassoons in the first movement, clarinet and oboe duet in the second movement (played by Pascal Archer and Nicholas Masterson, respectively)"
Nancy Plum, Town Topics (Princeton, NJ)
November 8, 2014
Jonathan Berger’s ‘Visitations,’ at Stanford
This Is Your Brain on Opera
"The instrumental score, driven by the impassioned playing of the St. Lawrence Quartet and the outstanding clarinetist Pascal Archer, moved in and out of tonality like a vision that briefly pulls into focus before dissolving into a blur."
By CORINNA da FONSECA-WOLLHEIM, NY Times
Published: April 15, 2013
Princeton Symphony Orchestra's Winter Concert Journeys through Russia with Three composers
"The orchestra fabric still left room for poignant wind solos, such as that of clarinetist Pascal Archer..."
Nancy Plum, Town Topics (Princteon, NJ), February 8, 2012
Program and Performers Shine at"Music of Our Time-Tribute to Hoiby" Concert
"They were joined by another outstanding and talented DVCO performer, Pascal Archer, who was in total command and is a great "communicator". This world class clarinetist performed with WCM (Weekend of Chamber Music) in July and it was a great pleasure to hear and see him again."
Barry Plaxen, The Catskills Chronicle, October 6, 2011
Perfection and Brilliance Once Again at Weekend of Chamber Music
"WCM newcomer, clarinetist Pascal Archer, joined with regulars Tannis Gibson on piano and Caroline Stinson (cello) for a massively moving performance of Brahms’ “Trio in a minor, Op.114.” Archer, a last minute replacement, played as if he and his colleagues have been performing together for years. These three master musicians made the performance of this work one of the standout highlights of the WCM concerts that I have been attending since 2004. The deeply intense Brahmsian piece succeeded in moving many in the audience, including myself, to tears with its passion and its melodic and harmonic inspiration(s). A true masterpiece. After the intermission, Archer delighted the audience with solo clarinet music from the pen of Manuel De Falla (Béla Kovács: Hommage à Manuel de Falla). In the Brahms trio he excelled with his phrasing mastery and with De Falla’s music his charisma and whimsical nature was most entertaining. The very lyrical “Two Arias arranged for Clarinet and String Trio” by Ottorino Respighi was another much appreciated work. Again, Archer, Pacht, Scheindlin and Stinson gave us another example of perfection, bringing forth all that was inherent in the music."
Barry Plaxen, The Catskills Chronicle, August 7, 2011
Violin superstar Koh returns to Richardson, plays masterfully with Princeton Symphony.
"The violin solo was often paired with winds, particularly well played by oboist Caroline Park and clarinetist Pascal Archer."
"Mr. Archer played a chipper clarinet solo as part of this musical parody" (Bartok concerto for orchestra)
Nancy Plum, Town Topics (Princeton, NJ), March 23, 2011
NEPA Philharmonic kicks off its Chamber Music Series on a high note
"Archer is an artist of exceptional talent and his warm tones and clarity of instrument were beautifully on display during Mozart's piece. The quintet's melodies and famous second movement (Larghetto) were magnificently interpreted by all five of the musicians. Archer carefully crafted every note to take the listener on a magnificent journey of solemnitude and solace."
Alexander Choman, Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA), October 6, 2010
LI Philharmonic celebrates with 30th birthday concert
"...the musicians presented the so-called “Unfinished” Symphony in B Minor by Franz Schubert. The performance demonstrated beautiful phrasing, dramatic and compelling silences, and wide dynamic contrasts. Particularly notable were principal oboe Diane Lesser’s oboe solos and Pascal Archer’s clarinet playing."
Bruce Von Bryan, The LI Press, November 14, 2009
Clarinetist shines in Philharmonic's Masterworks performance
"The program's highlight was truly splendid, as principal clarinetist Pascal Archer gave a talented, exceptional interpretation of Mozart's "Clarinet Concerto." Archer's performance on a clarinet was particularly luminous and nearly error-free, an accomplishment not easily reached in Mozart's piece.
It was easy to see Archer was well-rehearsed and rarely tentative as he aptly worked through the three-part concerto. In the opportunities in which the piece allows, Archer displayed chromatic figurations and dramatic creativity that showcased an uninhibited artistic expressionism on his part. His artistry was bold yet well-defined.
After a standing ovation and multiple curtain calls, Archer treated the audience to a rarely seen encore at a Masterworks performance. It's probably good this was the only performance of the weekend because it is hard to believe Archer could have topped his artistic showpiece.
Archer is truly one of (Lawrence) Loh's anchors in the woodwind section. Archer's supple tones and inspirational artistry were breathtaking. On Friday evening he proved why he is worthy of such accolades."
Alexander Choman, Citizen's Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA), November 7, 2009
Musicians from Marlboro Perform Music from Three Centuries at the Gardner Museum (Boston)
"Clarinetist Pascal Archer exhibited a great range of musical skill in the expressive cantabile melodies, agile ornamental figures and runs, in addition to a great tone and breath control, resulting in smooth melodies and subtle dynamic changes throughout the piece. (Serenata in Vano by Nielsen) Also impressive was the synchrony between the bassoon (played by Jennifer Collins Monroe) and clarinet, their ability to weave in and out of the ensemble’s sound." [...] "The highlight of this concert was certainly the performance of Schubert’s Octet in F Major for winds and strings. [...] Once again, clarinetist Pascal Archer performed magnificently. As (Ferdinand) Troyer was a talented musician, Schubert’s clarinet part in this piece encompasses the entire range of the instrument; throughout the six movements, the clarinet leads the ensemble through its use of its highest tonal register, sweeping lyrical melodies, as musical substitute for both the flute (lengthy melodies in the high register) and trumpet (repetitive leaping fanfares), as well as through its solo virtuosic runs, trills and other embellishments. Archer mastered each of these challenges in turn: his upper register sang poetically without any strain, his cantabile melodies were full of longing and passion, and his ornaments were always played with ease, though quick in tempo."
Elizabeth Perten, Classicalscene.com, May 12, 2009
Princeton Symphony
"The opening Šárka was marked by well-handled tempo changes, clear trombones, and a smooth clarinet solo played by Pascal Archer"
Nancy Plum, Town Topics (Princeton, NJ)-March 18, 2009
Princeton Symphony
"A rousing performance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9 closed the afternoon's program. [...] A haunting clarinet solo by Pascal Archer, later joined by fellow clarinetist Sherry Hartman Apgar and flutist Jayn Rosenfeld, made the second movement especially effective."
Nancy Plum, Town Topics (Princeton, NJ)-November 11, 2007
Schoenberg's Surreal Masterpiece (Pierrot Lunaire)
"This performance was notable for its precision and passion. The five instrumentalists (Alex Sopp, flute and piccolo, Pascal Archer, clarinet and bass clarinet, Colin Jocobsen, violin and viola, Eric Jacobsen, cello, and Steven Beck, piano) were totally invested in this high-powered music making, digging in strongly during exciting ensemble passages - such as the stirring conclusion of "Die Kreuze" - and individually bringging out the vivid colors that make this music both appealing and disturbing at the same time."
Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun, October 22, 2007
“…the second half was given over to music of direct timelessness: the Clarinet Quintet of Johannes Brahms. One of that composer's last pieces, it's usually assumed to be elegiac and autumnal, but the performers -- clarinetist Pascal Archer, violinists Adela Peña and Jesse Mills, violist Tawnya Popoff, and cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer -- weren't going gentle into that good night: It was a fiery, operatic performance, exciting sections ringing with emphatic vibrancy and gentler passages harboring the preternatural stillness of a break in the storm. Archer found the bel canto line in an intense, magical slow movement; the final variations climaxed with unaffected breadth. It was, to put it mildly, memorable.”
Matthew Guerrieri, Boston Globe-July 16, 2007
“The performance had everything that this Mozart masterpiece required — a master of the instrument in Archer. […] Archer's clarinet playing, from the treble top to the bass, always had impeccable tone. Here was a clarinetist who wanted the beauty of Mozart's notes to be what you remembered, not the virtuosity of the player. In the second movement — one of Mozart's most beautiful — there were passages of the most delicate pianissimos that made you simply hold your breath.
Jim Pegolotti, News-Times Music Danbury CT-March 20, 2005
“Only the playing of pianist Stoytcheva and clarinetist Pascal Archer rose above the mundane. Archer, a first-class musician whose rich-toned, personality-plus clarinet playing has contributed much to the New World (Symphony’s) performances during the past few seasons, will be greatly missed.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-May 6, 2004
“The score offers some of Bartok’s (Miraculous Mandarin) most visceral and electrifying music. Under de Leeuw’s incisive and pungent direction, the ballet sparked forcefully combustible playing, spotlighted by Pascal Archer’s wonderfully sleazoid clarinet solos, graphically painting the girl’s enticements.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-March 5, 2004
“Pascal Archer – an impressive 27-year-old clarinetist from Quebec, Canada – found the lyrical ariosos and the jazzy thrust in Aaron Copland’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra… Archer’s lovely tone and expressive command of the instrument produced a beguiling performance. The beautifully shaded hues of the first movement were given full measure in Archer’s glowing performance… Archer brought terrific rhythmic thrust to this jazz inspired movement… His duo with the double bass had wonderful rhythmic bounce and give and take in the best jazz improvisatory manner. With his gorgeous tone and spontaneous musical personality, Archer is a wonderfully gifted musician.”
Lawrence Budmen, Coral Gables Gazette-February 26, 2004
“Clarinetist Pascal Archer’s rounded purity of tone and seamless rhythms provided the performance’s highlights.”
Sandra Ewon Kim, Sun-Sentinel-January 27, 2004
“The Witches Sabbath Finale (Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique) went with Dionysian abandon without sacrificing humor, as with the wonderful clarinet work by Pascal Archer in the theme’s ditsy guise.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-April 21, 2003
“Pascal Archer’s musicianship has provided several highlights over the last three seasons and so it proved once again in the Kegelstaat clarinet trio. Archer’s ebullient clarinet playing and liquid phrasing entered completely into the spirit of the gracious music.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-March 11, 2003
“The supple tones and squeals emitted by New World (Symphony) first clarinet Pascal Archer perfectly captured the wacky creativity of the composer’s imagination.”
Alan Becker, Sun-Sentinel-April 16, 2002
“Pascal Archer’s lively clarinet playing has contributed much to the New World (Symphony’s) finest performances the past two seasons, and it’s always a delight to encounter this gifted musician stage front in a solo role. […] Archer proved a rich-toned and characterful protagonist, riding Weber’s soaring passages with fluent agility and bringing an audaciously wide dynamic palette to his lyrical playing. The Adagio, with its echoes of the slow movement of Mozart’s concerto for the same instrument, was rendered with lovely poised expression, and Archer’s nimble virtuosity in the closing Rondo provided the requisite slam-bang finish.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-February 5, 2002
“…from the second movement on (Borodin’s Second Symphony), the Borodin built steadily in clarity, precision, well-shaped expressive ideas and exuberance. Clarinetist Pascal Archer was the most striking and artistic of the wind soloists.”
Sharon McDaniel, Palm Beach Post-January 18, 2002
“New York Counterpoint, from 1985. provided a nice contrast, with Pascal Archer’s sassy echoings on clarinet of the Richard Stoltzman-inspired work’s dozen clarinet and bass clarinet tape loops.”
James Roos, Miami Herald-March 5, 2001
“Clarinetist Pascal Archer provided the most engaging performance of the evening with his solo turn in New York Counterpoint. Playing against a recorded tape of 10 clarinets and bass clarinet, Archer was a wonderfully communicative soloist, playing with full-bodied tone and giving great kick to Reich’s syncopated lines.”
Lawrence A. Johnson, Sun-Sentinel-March 5, 2001
