In the end it was Frenchman Aurélien Pascal who took home the Grand Prix as well as two other prizes – deservedly so, for he had demonstrated an unparalleled level of virtuosity and musical intuition throughout. From Poulenc’s Sonata for Piano and Cello to Popper’s Fantasy on a Little Russian Song (a signature Feuermann work), he commanded attention from the outset. In the finals with the Kammerakademie Potsdam he had no problem taking the reins in the Schumann Concerto while indulging in a range of dynamic shadings. In the Toch Concerto he brought the orchestra’s musicians to a level of intensity unseen in the performances by his fellow competitors Ioniţă and Enderle, now blending with the twelve–piece chamber orchestra’s expressionist textures, now etching out a polished line.
Source : The Strad, 14 Juin 2015.