‘The contribution of unassuming and beautifully phrased musicianship that Joseph Middleton brought to the accompanists role must impart confidence to a singer in no small measure … Having reviewed these artists in a largely identical recital around a year ago, I had a fair idea of what to expect. Committed singing and nuance of line from both performers in Haydn, a near ideal sense of scale brought to Rossini, apt darkness of vocal colour in Rachmaninov and idiomatic interpretations of Montsalvatge … In some respects it was the set of six Grieg songs that proved the highlight of the recital. Despite serious advocacy from artists such as Soile Isokoski and Barbara Bonney in recent years, Grieg's songs remain somewhat neglected in the wider public consciousness. Mouriz and Middleton proved to be unafraid of their illustrious elders and provided a coherent reading of the songs that was imbued with vitality. Both performers brought out the shifting moods of individual songs to clear effect, without neglecting to demonstrate Grieg's clear debt to the heady atmosphere of Austro-German Romanticism. Replete with images of nature, dreams, love and longing, the link between Bayreuth and Norway appeared remarkably immediate … Exciting times are ahead for this talented musical partnership.’

Wigmore Hall
Recital with Clara Mouriz for Kirckman Concert Society
Musical Pointers, Evan Dickerson

‘The other spotlit instrumentalists were clarinetist Andrew Harper and pianist Joseph Middleton . Jonathan Harvey's clarinet-piano piece Be(com)ing gave us strength, variety and beauty, and you couldn't beat Brian Ferneyhough's bass clarinet blockbuster Time and Motion Study 1 for molten shrieks and burbles.’

Purcell Room
Recital with Andrew Harper (clarinet) for Park Lane Group
The Times, Geoff Brown

‘I was captured…delighted in the first half with a wonderfully executed, stylistically aware account of Haydn’s D Major Piano Trio Hob XV No 24. A rare outing of Sir Malcolm Arnold’s 1956 Piano Trio Opus 54 kept me in my seat to the end of the concert. … pianist Joseph Middleton played the work with such dedication, enjoying the score as much as I was. … The jazz influences were fun and the dextrous writing in the Vivace energico was fast and finely co-ordinated. … worthy of any concert-goer’s ears.’

St. John's, Smith Square
Piano Trios
Musical Opinion, David Alker

‘Joseph Middleton provided a sparkling performance, powerful and steely fingered.’

Great Hall, University of Birmingham
Shostakovich's Second Concerto
Birmingham Post, Christopher Morley

‘This was the third lunchtime concert by students of the RAM in the festival and it was yet another delight … The sudden changes from the forceful proclamations to more delicate accompaniment demonstrated Middleton’s great command over his instrument.’

Norwich and Norfolk Festival
Violin Sonatas by Mozart, Debussy, Ravel and Malcolm Arnold
Eastern Daily Press, Edward Sutton

‘in a busy, hour-long recital concentrating on English Song, pianist Joseph Middleton, once a fellow student [with Katherine Allen] at the Royal Academy of Music, was more than a nominal accompanist. In Britten’s The Birds and Ireland’s The Holy Boy he particularly showed that sensitivity to the keyboard as well as the voice is what marks out the ideal duo performer.’

The Riverfront Centre, Newport
Live Music Now! Recital
South Wales Argus, Nigel Jarrett

‘…a late night recital of Shostakovich given by German soprano Christine Bracher. The Five Satires (op. 109) and Seven Romances on Alexander Blok (op. 127) are frightening, cruel pieces originally performed in inimitable music-hall-diva style by Galina Vichnevsky… In the Seven Romances, Joseph Middleton’s edgy piano was joined by cellist Rebecca Knight and violinist Cerys Jones. All the instrumentalists rendered difficult parts with great style, their intense voices of equal importance to Bracher’s brilliantly gutteral Russian..’

Oxford Lieder Festival 2006, New College Oxford
Late-night Shostakovich Recital
Opera Now, Julia Hollander

‘Eastbourne Camerata presented a recital by Clara Mouriz, mezzo soprano and Joseph Middleton, piano…In a varied and interesting programme of classical arias and Spanish songs, both artists showed that they were already mature and accomplished musicians … The accompaniments were similarly fiendishly difficult but played by Joseph Middleton with style and panache. Indeed, the whole programme showed that he could transform the piano into a guitar, bass drum, or full orchestra with a wide range of tone, always sensitive to the demands of the music, words, and, of course, the voice. Enthusiastic applause demanded an encore and this for me was the most moving performance of the evening. It was the beautiful Rachmaninoff song The Soldier’s Wife Op.8 No.4. A memorable recital.’

Eastbourne Camerata
Richard Lewis Prizewinners' Recital
Eastbourne Herald, Ieuan Roberts

‘The work [Peter Maxwell Davies’ Missa super L’Homme Armé] concluded with an impassioned burst from Vick, who tore off his habit and leapt off the stage to riotous rag-piano from Joseph Middleton … one got the feeling that some of these young performers were relishing sticking their teeth into such a titan of a piece [Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire] of modernism … pianist Middleton superbly delivered Schoenberg’s frighteningly calm dissonance.’

South Bank Centre 'Max' Festival 2005
Recital with Royal Academy of Music Chamber Ensemble
classicalsource.com, Josh Meggitt

‘Sequenza is a professional ensemble … performers who are ‘rising stars’ … devoted to programming contemporary and traditional music side by side. Hence the astounding programme … The song [Shepherd on the rock] is a complex dialogue between voice and clarinet, underpinned by an assertively commentary piano … The pianist, Joseph Middleton, supported the voice and clarinet with ease … It is proof that a group of inspired individuals can get together and produce wonderful results, keeping the genre alive, personal and exciting.’

Oxford Lieder Festival
Recital with Sequenza, Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, Suckling: An Lon Dubh (world premiere), Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
Seen and Heard: www.musicweb-international.com, Anne Ozorio

‘As I re-read the above I am conscious of several things. My lack of mention of Joseph Middleton’s accompaniment, for one. His ability to alight on the specific inflections in the piano line to support Mouriz and create backgrounds of presence with confidence should be noted: the urgency he brought to Montsalvatge’s Chévere or his clarity of line throughout the Haydn [Arianna a Naxos] were good examples of this.’

The Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music
Richard Lewis Prizewinners’ Recital
Seen and Heard: www.musicweb-international.com, Evan Dickerson

‘Burgess describes her accompanist, Joseph Middleton, as 'fab - a tremendously musical pianist, wonderfully sympathetic to work with', and is looking forward to joining forces with him again after a successful collaboration on a masterclass and recital at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where Middleton is employed as College Musician. He has also recently won two of the most prestigious prizes available to accompanists in the UK - one at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the other at the Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition - and Burgess hopes that they will have further offers to give recitals together in the future.’

Extract from interview: Sally Burgess - 'Art is an adventure'
www.musicalcriticism.com, Dominic McHugh

‘Throughout, she received the most admirable partnership from Joseph Middleton’

Wigmore Hall Recital
with Clara Mouriz
Musical Opinion

‘Delights from duo: Ashok Klouda and his accompanist Joseph Middleton are two award-winning young musicians of prodigious talent. Their excellent rapport became evident in Beethoven's Sonata in C, Opus 102 with an expressive andante which led into a vigorous allegro vivace. There was even more fine playing in the second movement with its even richer contrasts . Britten's Sonata in C is an extraordinarily inventive work which represents a challenge to any musician. However the duo made light work of the quirky scherzo with its array of pizzicato and unusual sounds from the cello. Music by Schumann, Rachmaninov and Dvorak completed the programme.’

Parish Music - Worcestershire
With Ashok Klouda
Gloucestershire Echo and The Citizen