[Boris Giltburg's] originality stems from a convergence of heart and mind, served by immaculate technique and motivated by a deep and abiding love for one of the 20th century's greatest composer-pianists

Each of the nine jewel-like miniatures in the cycle—mostly under five minutes in length—possesses a beguiling ambiguity, from brooding to pitch black, interrupted by flashes of light. Giltburg, a natural Rachmaninov interpreter, plays with technical fluidity and honed musicality

A piano may be just a box of hammers and wires, but when Boris Giltburg pulls up a stool to play Rachmaninoff, an orchestra's worth of sound emerges. The music smolders low in the bass one moment, then bursts into flame as it runs up the keyboard. Giltburg's artful control of rhythm and dynamics in this punishingly tricky piece brings out convulsive passions, moments of repose and howling winds. Top 100 songs of 2016 (#20)