"Once again, the young virtuoso placed his technical mastery at the service of poetry and the singing line. Vladimir Horowitz famously said, 'There is no shortage of pianists, only a shortage of composers.' In the new 24 Preludes by Talon Smith (Op.1) – an astonishing collection of pieces with varying styles and emotions – one had a renewed hope for the future of new music, music that speaks to the hearts of the common men and women, unencumbered by the demands of academia."
— Truman C. Wang, Editor-in-Chief of Classical Voice
Talon Smith’s “24 Preludes, Op. 1 are a stellar addition to the piano repertory. I foresee them as quickly being popular and becoming a must-study for serious students of piano and composition.”
— Laura Brodian, Announcer/Producer KMozart Radio
"Talon Smith's 24 Preludes are a tour de force for the piano, featuring a wide range of dynamic and technical demands that Talon Smith transcends throughout his passionate performances."
— Broadway World
“Very impressive composing—bravo! Beautiful melodic writing throughout! Talon’s piano writing is very natural and idiomatic—it is evident that he knows the instrument well and knows how to make it sound great. He is able to naturally shift between related and distant key signatures by the use of modulation, which is wonderful. I really enjoyed his economic use of material: two main ideas carry an 8-minute piece, which is very impressive! The ‘Andantino’ section is particularly beautiful. It transported me to a Chopin-like world.”
— Juan Pablo Contreras, Composer & Conductor
“And the honor is ours. I can't tell you how impressed I've been with Talon Smith (artistically, composure on and off stage, integrity). Talon is a very special human being. Looking forward to hearing his music again.”
— Young Composer’s Guild
“Excellent work. Talon Smith has a tremendous talent and a promising career! I hope to hear more music from him in the future.”
— Young Composer’s Guild
“This is a very impressive work. I really enjoyed it. The scope of the work is impressive and held my attention throughout. Beautiful recapitulation to the opening material ending with a dramatic grand finale. My only problem is that it ended. I wanted it to keep going! Bravo!”
—US Open Music Festival
“Wonderful talent! Amazing composition and performance too.”
— Dr. James Gardner
“Wow. A very mature movement and very carefully and concisely crafted. Beautiful use of modulation and rhythmic interest, very idiomatic and careful delineation of the sonata form.”
— Young Composer’s Guild
“Impressive talent! Talon Smith shows a deep understanding of the technique and language of the Romantic era. To compose a piece of this length that is cohesive and with such strong technique at this age is incredible.”
— Young Composer’s Guild
“Thank you, Talon, for sharing your art. I like the way you think in colors. BRAVO!”
— US Open Music Festival
