“Lovely, expansively heartfelt … a musician able to summon a wonderful modicum of harmonic tension, musical lyricism, and architectural coherence.”

- New York Concert Review (USA)

5 out of 5 stars

“‘She’s exquisite!’ whispered my companion to me, as I sat there in awe, only able to nod mutely. We were talking about Grace Nikae, who kept her whole audience entranced during this concert at the Wigmore Hall…The first piece that we were treated to was Scriabin’s Sonata No. 2 in G Sharp Minor, Op. 19… Nikae made this fiendishly difficult Chopinesque piece sound effortless. The mellifluous tone was created through the warm, chocolaty bass, combined with the way that Nikae’s fingers delicately fluttered over the top range of the piece. She made the heavily romantic nature of Scriabin’s Sonata genuine, without unduly emphasising rich harmonies, which came out naturally and honestly…the Presto which followed showed Nikae’s versatility…We heard in her playing the power of the water and were swept along in the current of her attack, through a vivid aquatic turbulence and seamless dynamic changes.

Nikae’s next offering was Granados’ Quejas O La Maja Y El Ruiseñor from Goyescas… After the Scriabin, the hall was filled with electric anticipation for what was to come. We weren’t disappointed as Granados’ heart-aching chromaticism ascended from the piano, all chords perfectly together and the trills magically radiant. Again, the highly romantic music was played with mature reserve. Nikae succeeded in revealing the deeply intimate subject matter of the musical material whilst maintaining a sense of privacy… Most notable were the trills at the end of the piece. It was as though the Nightingale had come to life and Nikae was watching it fly away as she played…[In Ravel’s Jeux D’eau] Nikae summoned up the glacial brilliance of the music’s white light as the notes seemed to reflect off the innumerable surfaces of the water. She was so immersed in everything she played that her through her finishing pose, with her arms spread after having being launched off the most extreme ends of the piano, she painted the picture of a fish diving out of the water. We were in for yet another treat in the form of Ginastera’s Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 (1937). They were also suitably vivacious and packed a rhythmic punch…The Liszt and the Bartók were performed with the flawless technique that we had come to expect of Nikae. Both performances captured the styles perfectly. The second half was as immaculate as the first…it was an afternoon of piano playing of the highest standard.”

- Music OMH (United Kingdom)

“There is no doubt she is a fast rising star in the international music world.”

- Island Trends (USA)

“Moved by her superb technique and powerful expressiveness, the hall was enveloped in thunderous applause… The audience was carried along by a performance that ranged from the softest, most delicate and dreamy sounds to exciting lion-like roars that shook the piano.”

- Ohshima Newspaper (Japan)

“The piano responded with a profusion of lyrical scales of great musicality …what prevailed was the lady’s subtlety, and the large applauses she received at the end was deserved.”

- Heraldo de Aragón (Spain)

“The lithe Nikae wore a brilliant, strapless red dress, and her long arms danced spectacularly above the piano keys. Despite her small size, the piano she was playing literally shook at times from the energy she was pouring into it… her concentration and delivery were astonishing to watch.”

- The Flathead Beacon (USA)