“Led by maestro John Yaffé, the forces on the Tully Hall stage performed with transcendent concentration, exemplary preparation, freedom and commitment.”
— Opera News

“…a magnificent conductor with indescribable sensibility for the art form of operetta, and especially for Viennese music.”
— The Robert Stolz Festival Committee, Vienna

“It was glorious to witness how Yaffé was able to summon up a heretofore unheard of sound from the orchestra: the entirety had richness, luminosity and drama.”
— The Remscheider Zeitung

“John Yaffé sustained the musical momentum admirably. Under his baton, the orchestra was at its crispest and most precise in recent memory.”
— The Detroit News

“Music Director/Conductor John Yaffé skillfully led an excellent twenty—one—piece orchestra through the tricky twists and turns of both scores.”
— New York Times

“His performance paid close attention to line and phrasing and had that cumulative quality of development that is among the most satisfying manifestations of a knowing conductor.”
— The Miami Herald

“On technical grounds alone, his efforts were notable; there was assurance, fluidity and keen attentiveness in his conducting throughout. More significantly, he brought personality and abundant expressive nuance to each score.”
— The Sun—Sentinel

“The Philharmonic gave him a performance at Gusman Center that was as clean as a whistle — with verve. There was a good deal of crackling playing from the musicians in Dvorak’s New World Symphony, too. Especially in the Scherzo and fiery finale, Yaffé took the music at an invigorating clip, without loss of control. His conception of those movements had eloquence and urgency.”
— The Miami Herald

“Artistic director John Yaffé led a propulsive account, and chorus and orchestra acquitted themselves splendidly.”
— Opera News

“Conductor John Yaffé synthesized grace and clarity most felicitously.”
— Opera News