Since its inception in 1990, the Russian National Orchestra has provided a vigor and professionalism that makes for appealing stage performance. Saturday's appearance at the State Theatre in New Brunswick was no exception; conductor Alexander Vedernikov... led a bristling evening of Russian works full of sound, fury and even a few sublime moments.

"[An] RNO performance is no longer just a thrilling ride of unrestrained musical enthusiasm, though certainly there was still the feeling of joyous self-confidence in Saturday's performance. There is subtlety emerging in its string sound, a more mediated unity in its blend. The winds have developed into a more regulated, cohesive division with a bright, projecting, almost aggressive presence; they are rivaled only by the brass ... [T]his young ensemble is still in a phase of youthful ardor, which is, luckily, a charming and seductive trait.

February started off with the proverbial bang at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. And what a thrilling and commanding experience it was for the capacity audience Sunday as Alexander Vedernikov led the Russian National Orchestra in a powerful concert ...

"For the opening work [Shostakovich's Festive Overture], Vedernikov summoned breathtaking agility and tight ensemble from his players. The conductor captured every bit of the glow in [Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3] while also attuning his players to Grimaud's radiant account of the piece. [And] he guided his troops through a [Shostakovich Fifth Symphony] of crystalline textures, with wind solos sounding in soft pastel tints and focused dynamics.

The crack Russian National Orchestra showed off its virtuosity at Carnegie Hall Tuesday night with a pair of roof-raising Shostakovich works and Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3, in which soloist Hélène Grimaud demonstrated comparable virtuosity.

"[This] isn't your father's stereotypical Russian orchestra: the strings were warm but not overly thick and with plenty of bite, the brass forceful but without shrillness, the winds eschewing nasality, the percussion section fearlessly dynamic, never wimpy, the full orchestra sleekly polished, relishing powerful fortissimos without sounding raw.

"Those virtues were heard throughout the evening, making the oft-heard Shostakovich Fifth Symphony a memorable experience. Conductor Alexander Vedernikov led a tight, disciplined performance, its slightly understated opening setting the stage for a no-holds-barred emphasis on the work's dramatic potential...

It's clear that the super-orchestra Pletnev formed in 1990 remains a remarkable machine. The tensile brilliance of the strings, gleaming brass, and rich-toned winds attest to the turn-on-a-dime virtuosity in every section... One will rarely hear the instrumental timbres [of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances] so cleanly displayed as in this performance. Vedernikov was consistently scrupulous and reliable in eliciting clear textures, with the wind lines that follow the plaintive saxophone solo, all beautifully played...

The Russian National Orchestra was born in Moscow in 1990, barely after the death of Soviet Communism. It became Moscow's first free, independent major musical organization, and it has become a living symbol of the best in Russian art amid the uncertainty and joy of creating democracy in Russia...

"The mood was certainly joyful at the Gleason, and the playing was superb. [There] was a refinement in the phrasing, a brassy sheen too often lost on ensembles East of the Danube. The strings, too, made the most of the [Shostakovich Festive Overture's] short, affecting melodies with precise articulation and a warm, luscious tone. This may be a young orchestra, but it is also a great one.

"The orchestra shone [in Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3] as well, with dynamic shadings expertly controlled by Vedernikov. It was a shapely performance of a sprawling score. The same could be said of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5... The lower strings were stirring, and the balletic waltz at the symphony's heart left the melancholy impression of keeping up appearances while holding back tears. [A] truly majestic interpretation of a great Tchaikovsky score.

It would be hard to imagine a more dynamic, deeply probing interpretation of [Bartók's Piano Concerto No 3] than Hélène Grimaud offered in concert with the Russian National Orchestra under Alexander Vedernikov... Grimaud took Bartók's sprawling musical paragraphs and brought a riveting, almost magisterial eloquence to the concerto... Vedernikov and the Russian National Orchestra were equal partners in this magnificent performance of Bartók's swan song opus... The silken Russian National strings captured the eerie gloom of the 'night music'... Every subtle gradation of string tone matched Grimaud's glowing waterfall of tonal hues. In the finale Vedernikov's manic rhythmic propulsion drew every ounce of excitement from the music. His wind, brass, and percussion played with dizzying, kinetic brilliance. A great Bartók performance!

"[In] Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5...the violins (led by concertmaster Alexey Bruni) really gave their all to the waltz melody. They played with golden tone and a full, rich vibrato -- a string section filled with Heifetzs and Milsteins. The often discursive movement had a rhythmic tightness and drive that made the music sound fresh. Vedernikov understood the balletic quality of the Valse: Allegro moderato. One could see the dancers in the mind's eye. For once the Finale: Andante maestoso was not an overblown anticlimax but the real apotheosis of Tchaikovsky's musical argument. Vedernikov traced the agony and the ecstasy of this music with an unerring sense of rhythmic energy, dynamic contrast, and lyrical ebb and flow. The musicians responded with colorful, sensitive playing from every orchestral choir. The gorgeous sound of the cello section (under Principal Alexander Gotgelf) was exceptionally beautiful. [There] is nothing quite like Tchaikovsky played by a top rank Russian orchestra.

A first-rate program of Russian music performed by a first-rate Russian orchestra: That is what was heard Wednesday when the Russian National Orchestra visited the Kravis Center... The music was spellbinding from the opening gesture - a percussive explosion followed by almost inaudible sustained strings. Vedernikov used very expressive motions, and the orchestra responds in a most sensitive manner. The string sound was warm, the brass sound mellow... The standing ovation was quick and enthusiastic...

"Many orchestras come to the Kravis Center stage. But none is more musical or more disciplined than the Russian National Orchestra.