“…not just a pianist, but a sonic gardener, coaxing strange blossoms from familiar soil."

"Xenia works within a musical field whose boundaries seem, with each passing year, to expand, both literally and metaphorically. Between instrument and body, between action and listening, an artistic practice has emerged in which music and life breathe in tandem… Taken together, she is an artistic voice that resists apprehension."

“Pestova Bennett... enhances the sound world and draws the listener in, through dips and heights of pianistic gesture. The effect is akin to watching slow-moving landscapes in isolated, unfamiliar parts of our globe."

“Pestova Bennet brings proper feelings”

“absolute precision and commitment"

“Bathed in vivid blue light, Pestova Bennett plays delicate sonorities that float long and gentle like falling snow… [with] moments of tenderness exploding into hammering violence. It is with the virtuoso third movement that her musicality really shines, a flurry of fast fingers and dense low tones in the midst of which shapely melodies snake and glide.”

“['Avalanche Thoughts'] was exquisite in its nuance of
touch... Your touch and tone from the very first moment seduced the audience. I couldn’t quite believe it."

★★★★★ superb precision and sensitivity

“…my heartfelt thanks for the beautiful, thoughtful and subtle performance of those two pieces. Red Mesa sounded so resonant, and meditative, spacious. RCSC full of energy and surprises. I feel so lucky to have them under your very sensitive hands, channeled through your mind.”

“This concert was all about connections: from well-crafted programming to audience participation, Xenia kept us engaged from start to finish. Her technical command was evident from the opening notes of the Debussy and throughout the concert.”

“Xenia Pestova is a powerhouse of contemporary keyboard repertoire, and Non-Piano displayed her wide-ranging expertise as well as showcasing new composition. Her knowledge and artistry are the perfect guiding force for the uninitiated to the world of the toy piano.”

“Xenia Pestova is a pianist with a rare combination of talents: a refined and sensitive technique, powerful musical perceptive and an imaginative sense for musical adventure.”

“A brilliantly free-thinking and fearless pianist”

“Dynamic energy but also crystalline precision… brilliant playing”

“A remarkably sensitive, thoughtful and totally involved interpreter at work, whose understanding of the there-and-then of each piece seemed as potent as her awareness of its connections with the past or the future… magical and elusive… The more Bach she played, the more I wanted her to continue!”

“A first-rate contemporary pianist”

“Xenia Pestova is a concert pianist with a difference, an uncompromising artist resolutely committed to bringing the music of living composers to life and who enthusiastically embraces the potential new technologies offer to her particular realm of activity…”

“One of the leading performers of contemporary nonconformist music”