June 23rd, 1997, Enrico Colombo, La Regione Ticino (Lugano) Igor Longato inaugurated the 20th Ceresio Estate festival with a lovely recital dedicated to 4 great Romantic composers. The differences in the technical difficulties of the 15 pieces were disguised by Longato's confidence and freedom of interpretation, along with a rigorous respect of the written music. The elegance of the rubato and the exquisite changes in tempo in the pieces by Chopin, the rhythmic imperiousness of the toccata by Schumann, the epic character of Brahms' rhapsody, all of these must be called upon to describe the excellent performance given by Longato. The warm applauses that filled the hall were, needless to say, very well-deserved. June 23rd, 1997, Armando Libotte, La Rivista di Lugano "Ceresio Estate" could not have started on a better note: Igor Longato presented a program dedicated to the great Romantics. This impressive and distinctive pianist lent himself with olympic serenity to the fancy of the composers, (Schumann-toccata, Brahms-rhapsody op. 119, etc.) playing for over two hours. November 23rd, 1998, The Republican American, Waterbury (Connecticut) The guest pianist Igor Longato received the enthusiastic applause of the audience that filled the Naugatuck Valley Community Hall. Longato played Mozart's concert KV 467, earning ovations that brought him back onto the stage several times. The concert, with its very technically intricate first movement and its more simple and expressive second movement, was a splendid performance. Longato took on the exuberant melodies of the first and third movements with the same delicate simplicity that he applied in the slower and more thoughtful second movement. The concert changes character several times throughout the different movements, going from playful to reflective, but Longato keeps the pace by constantly adjusting his pianism to the changing spirit of the composition. January 15th 1999, La Rivista di Lugano, Lugano A brilliant Igor Longato thrills the Campione Lions. The pianist starred in a benefit concert entirely dedicated to Chopin. The excellent execution of every single piece was clearly fruit of solid technical and interpretative maturity and ended with the irresistible surge of octaves of the Polacca op.53 also by Chopin. February 15th 1999, La Provincia, Sondrio (Italy) Longato's performance of Beethoven's Appassionata seems to be anchored in tradition, but in fact his is a very precise and profound interpretation... in the execution of the Pictures of an Exhibition he created enchanting atmospheres and a structured sounds that showed great intuition... Gnomus' finale and the solid octaves of the Great Door of Kiev are all passaggi da manuale... The execution of Chopin's Walzer was enthralling. February 15th 1999, Il Giorno, Sondrio Igor Longato fascinates the "Torelli" theatre... He brings to light, as never before, the importance of the piano as an expressive instrument... Pianist and piano become almost a single unity... Igor Longato gave the "Pictures" a close reading of the original text; its sharpnesses and certain shrillnesses wanted by Mussorgsky were rendered with impeccable mastery.