Reviews
"Özgen’s playing is stunningly versatile and expressive throughout."
Acoustic Guitar
"Troubadour CD is a shining example of this guitarist's great talent."
Guitar Review
"Mesut Özgen delivers performances that are forceful and convincing even when the music is dauntingly difficult."
Soundboard (Guitar Foundation of America)
"This is the finest music DVD ever to have come my way at the time of writing...both the sound and the vision are of pristine quality...the quietly authoritative Özgen comes over as being fully in control of the diverse and demanding brief he has set himself...remarkable achievement..."
Classical Guitar (England)
"Özgen displayed his dazzling classical guitar playing...Crystalline notes glistened in "Variations on an Anatolian Folk Song" by Carlo Domeniconi. Here, sensitive phrasing delineated various treatments of the haunting tune..."
Santa Cruz Sentinel: Classical Beat
"... impressive high level of musicianship, artistry and professionalism...with impeccable understanding of technique, musical structure and detail of melodic line in roles both as soloist and accompanist."
Register-Pajaronian
"Mesut Özgen is a highly accomplished and exciting player; he gets the most out of the music he performs... The phrasing is immaculate and his technical capabilities are considerable."
Classical Guitar (England)
"...an exceptional talent who breathes freshness into every piece he plays."
Acoustic Player Magazine
"Mesut Ozgen's "Anatolian Fantasy" is a wonderfully unique recording, with his own gorgeous folk inspired compositions acting as an ideal showcase for his expressive and virtuosic guitar playing. Bravo!"
Michael Nicolella (guitarist/composer)
"Anatolian Fantasy CD includes a wide range of musical aesthetics that creates beautiful landscapes of sound. Your expression of meters of 5 and 7 with a strong emotional quality pulled me in to your world."
Matthew Grasso (guitarist/composer)
"Anatolian Fantasy CD is an absolutely beautiful recording!"
Brian DuFord (guitarist/composer)
"...an extremely gifted guitarist."
Rosalyn Tureck (keyboardist/conductor, Julliard School)
"This is a great virtuoso who will dazzle audiences for years to come."
Benjamin Verdery (guitarist/composer, Yale School of Music)
Concert Reviews
"Keman ve gitarin muhtesem uyumu: Aksak Duo" (Magnificent togetherness of violin and guitar)
e-gazete (Turkey)
"Özgen displays spectacular classical guitar at Distinguished Artists concert"
Santa Cruz Sentinel: Classical Beat
"Colorful 20th-century musical extravaganza pleases Mello crowd"
Register-Pajaronian
"Classical and Contemporary Merge in Faculty Performance"
City on a Hill Press
"Klasik Besteleri Görsel Hikayelere Çeviriyor" (Converting Classical Compositions into Visual Tales)
Zaman (Turkey)
"...moving performance by Mesut Özgen...Robert Beaser's Shenandoah followed, and Özgen played this very difficult piece extremely well. Every voice was clear, even in the densest textures... Next in Anthony Newman's Gigue his playing was precise and energetic."
Soundboard (Guitar Foundation of America)
"well-balanced program, including Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and 20th century works, expert performance, and excellent communication with the audience"
Hürriyet (Turkey)
"...Next came the American premier of Beaser's Shenandoah for solo guitar, masterfully performed by guitarist Mesut Özgen"
Soundboard (Guitar Foundation of America)
"2001: A Guitar Odyssey"
City on A Hill Press
Articles
“Turkish Delight: Guitar master Mesut Özgen's use of classical Turkish melodies inspires a local following”
Metroactive Music
"The Wizardry of Oz"
Metroactive Music
"Classical Guitar Unleashed!"
Santa Cruz Sentinel
"Faculty collaborate for innovative, multimedia classical guitar concert"
Currents Online
"A Glimpse Inside the Future of Concert Art"
GuitArt International January/March 2004, no.5
"The guitarists and the basketball player"
Santa Cruz Sentinel
"Mesut Ozgen: A Guitar Odyssey"
Light Millennium