Baley's own "Sculptured Birds" -- the first movement, "The Jurassic Bird," composed in 1979; "Eagle," "Bird in Glide," and "The Chinese Nightingale" added in 1984, for Mr. Powell -- struck deeply. The imagery was keen, the musical thought original.

"My most vivid memory of the afternoon, however, is Virko Baley's Violin Concerto No. 1, quasi una fantasia. Conceived as a requiem, the concerto squeezes the elements of the mass into sonata-allegro form, with the Lacrymosa as the exposition, Dies Irae as the development and the Lux aeterna as the recapitulation. The fourth movement stands apart as a festive wake, quoting folk figures with abandon and giving precussion free reign. Baley's music has been described as 'multilingual with a Slavic accent', and I can do no better. Somewhat reminiscent of the mystic minimalism of Gorecki and Part, the concerto takes almost cliched near-quotes from Kreisler and Paganini and turns them into an effectively haunting texture."

"This is a very evocative work that kept me quite enthralled for its incredible length...I recommend it to your attention; I suspect contemporary music of heading in the direction of this kind of all encompassing work. Baley does it with flair."

"This was the second series of concerts in Russia for Virko Baley, the multi talented American composer, conductor, pianist and critic...
The featured form of both concerts was the symphony - Mahler's First and Bruckner's Ninth - each emerging as broad monumental canvases full of contrasts and grandeur. Baley is a true master of the large form. He convincingly shapes large segments of a work and then unites them to create an almost tangible architectural sense of the music. Especially memorable was the Mahler finale, a stumbling block for many conductors. In Virko Baley's interpretation, it was captivating in its directness and the logic of its musical expression... Most striking is his magnetism, the romantic inspired interpretation, which leaves neither the audience nor the orchestra players feeling indifferent."

"CONDUCTOR COAXES FLAIR FROM PHILHARMONIC. In speed skating, a squandered fraction of a second can spell the difference between an Olympic medal and a disappointing flight back home...It all comes down to nuance of expression...Las night, under the baton of guest conductor Virko Baley, the Lexington Philharmonic's members finally mastered the nuance that allowed them to sustain a full evening of musical olympics...Baley's control conjured brilliant fortes with the intimacy of a chamber work and hauntingly soft dynamics that never sounded tenuous."

"...a terrific virtuoso, Virko Baley"

"Gemlike performances...A deeply resourceful pianist, the Ukrainian born musician applies the full range of keyboard colors. His readings are thoughtful, pertinent and fluent. They never lack for conviction or a sense of communication."