Conducting Reviews
“There was no feeling of small in Saturday's performance of Tchaikovsky's famous C Major Serenade, Opus 48. The string sound was broad and rich and, led by Hopkins, the orchestra played the work with depth, passion and understanding.”
- Times Argus
“Every nuance and note rang clear in the quietest passages, and yet the sound of the small ensemble swelled to fill the hall magnificently when the music required….The near-capacity crowd delighted in the diverse, diverting program, enthusiastically led by Music Director Michael Hopkins. Simply put, the BCO rocked.”
- Seven Days
Articles about my piece, From Revenge to Forgiveness
Review of From Revenge to Forgiveness
“…the poetry selected by Hopkins fit well with the music he composed…Hopkins clever meshing of poetry with the frame of his requiem were definitely worth a listen.”
“The intricacies of the piece were not only plentiful, but also haunting, as they eerily mirrored the many phases of human emotion during wartime.”
— Vermont Times Sentinel
Commentary from Colleagues
“…a keen ear for harmony…his use of meter, isorythm and ostinato infuse his work with propulsion and drive.” — Troy Peters, Music Director of the Vermont Youth Orchestra
“Hopkins works in the most contemporary musical idioms, using clear and comprehensible forms, leaving the listener beguiled and enchanted.” — David Neiweem, Music Director of the Burlington Choral Society
“The Sonata for Violin and Piano is very well conceived for the instruments…with well-judged proportions and memorable rhythm and melody.” — Thomas L. Read, award-winning composer and professor of music at the University of Vermont.
Press and Commentary