'Middleton, the cream of the new generation.'

Purcell Room
The Times

'Joseph Middleton, who is already established as an outstanding accompanist of some distinction, showed his burgeoning reputation is fully deserved. He would seem to have a flawless technique and provided Wolfgang Holzmair with nuanced support that was alert to his veteran singer's every whim.'

Westminster School with Wolfgang Holzmair
Musicweb International

'Joseph Middleton is as classy a Lieder pianist as can be found anywhere in the world… McGreevy and Middleton's first half built inexorably to a magnificent climax with "Mignon: Kennst du das Land." Goethe's headily ecstatic vision of a paradise in the south was powerful stuff indeed… the final selection of characterful and lively Chabrier songs again brought out the best of both performers' musicianship, humour and stagecraft.'

Pembroke College, Cambridge with Geraldine McGreevy
www.bachtrack.com

'Their wonderfully supportive pianist Joseph Middleton, so sensitive and subtly shaded in the quieter numbers, dashed off the glittering Hexenlied (Witches' Song) with virtuosic relish.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts with Sir Thomas Allen and Geraldine McGreevy
Birmingham Post

'Joseph Middleton was an outstanding accompanist throughout, providing musical and sensitive support with a formidable pianistic technique.'

BBC Recital at Belfast Festival with Andrew Kennedy
Belfast Telegraph

'Sir Thomas's performance of this raw and direct depiction of young love [Schumann's Dichterliebe] was exactly tailored to the intimate Holywell ambience, with every note and gesture considered and made to count… Prizewinning young accompanist Joseph Middleton provided excellent, unshowy support throughout.'

Oxford Lieder Festival with Sir Thomas Allen
The Oxford Times

‘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 … Exciting times are ahead for this talented musical partnership.’

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

‘What is it about the UK that produces such good accompanists? … Following the immortal steps of Benjamin Britten and Gerald Moore, we now have the likes of Malcolm Martineau and Roger Vignoles. How far will Joseph Middleton go? Very far, I hope. He seemed equally at ease with Schubert and Debussy … May his promising early career continue to flourish ’

Adrian Boult Hall Birmingham
Yamaha Birmingham Accompanist of the Year Prize-winners' Concert
with Julia Sporsén (soprano)
Seen and Heard: www.musicweb-international.com, Geoff Read

‘The burbling accompaniments inevitable for northern scenes were sensitively matched by pianist Joseph Middleton, never underplaying any truly dramatic moments: a genuine partnership of musical talent … covering all emotions from the no-holds-barred, angst-ridden fortissimo piano in Soul and Landscape to a truly delicate interpretation of A Wish …Three generous encores rounded off an unusual and delightful evening.’

Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Recital with Katarina Karnáus (mezzo-soprano)
The Birmingham Post, Maggie Cotton

‘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

plenty of authentic, restrained fire to the Granados and Turina sets and Joseph Middleton'€™s accompaniments are full of colour.

Canciones, Memories of Spain
recital CD with Clara Mouriz
Classic FM Magazine

'Extraordinary young player … the delicate accompaniment demonstrated Middleton’s great command over his instrument.'

Norwich and Norfolk Festival
Eastern Daily Press

'… pianist Joseph Middleton showed that sensitivity to the keyboard as well as the voice is what marks out the ideal duo performer.'

Swansea Festival
South Wales Argus

pianist Middleton superbly delivered Schoenberg'™s frighteningly calm dissonance… 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.'

South Bank Centre 'Max'
[Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Festival] Festival
classicalsource.com

'Pianist Joseph Middleton was with both his partners in every bar, helping to highlight their performances but never remaining in the background as an apology for a pianist; a fine and intelligent musician… A stunning show well appreciated by the Monday night audience.'

Wigmore Hall recital with Julia Sporsén and Ashok Klouda
for the Worshipful Company of Musicians Concordia Prize.
Musical Pointers

Burgess describes her accompanist, Joseph Middleton, as 'fab - a tremendously musical pianist, wonderfully sympathetic to work with'. He has 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'

Extract from interview: Sally Burgess - 'Art is an adventure,
Chelsea Schubert Festival
MusicalCriticism.com

Catherine Hopper and Joseph Middleton made near ideal recital partners throughout this varied programme. The first half, consisting of German lieder, demonstrated just how at home they were with some staples of the core repertoire… Excellence of touch was matched by excellence of diction and tonal assuredness&helllip; Throughout finely spun lines and floated tone from Hopper were balanced by Middleton's adroitly judged and always unforced accompaniments… Two numbers from One Touch of Venus completed the evening: Speak Low was suitably sultry, whilst I'm a Stranger Here Myself underscored the point once more that both performers were thoroughly at home on the Wigmore's stage. A highly enjoyable evening.'

Wigmore Hall recital with Catherine Hopper
Seen and Heard:
www.musicweb-international.com

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

Shostakovich's Second Concerto at the Great Hall,
University of Birmingham
Birmingham Post

'the Oxford audience was especially receptive to the programme. This was in no small measure due to the artistry of the two performers who had clearly prepared the songs with tremendous care and had adjusted their performance to the intimacy of this wonderful eighteenth century venue… Joseph came into his own in the dramatic accompaniment to the youthful Son fra l'onde (I among the waves) which seemed to anticipate Der Erlkönig … Both Clara and Joseph had an excellent rapport both with themselves and their audience, who clearly appreciated their artistry and acclaimed them with numerous bravos.'

Oxford Lieder Festival recital with Clara Mouriz
Seen and Heard:
www.musicweb-international.com

Mouriz has given several recitals which Musical Pointers reviewers have been privileged to attend (tempted by unusually interesting programmes) and this one, worked up with expert and sensitive pianist Joseph Middleton, was the most recent and best of those I'd heard… Choosing three dark maja dolorosa songs of Granados was a cunning stroke, Joseph Middleton's introduction to the first of them arresting and they brought the first half to a strong end with an audience interval "buzz"…'

Wigmore Hall with Clara Mouriz
Musical Pointers

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

… 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..'

Late-night Shostakovich Recital at Oxford Lieder Festival
Opera Now