"What impresses me about Theofanidis... is his ability to blend several musical languages once thought to be mutually exclusive... there are elements of Asian music, minimalism, high chromaticism, and a sort of brightly colored impressionism... the results are enormously attractive."
-The Washington Post

"Theofanidis is an unusually skilled, communicative composer." -The Baltimore Sun

"Not too often does the premiere of a work for a symphony orchestra elicit a standing ovation that is genuinely heartfelt, not obligatory. The rapturous sounding Rainbow Body (2000) by Christopher Theofanidis recieved that accolade Saturday... an authentic hit." -The Houston Cronicle

"... accomplished and appealing. The musical effects are shimmery.. the orchestral writing is piquant and colorful." -The San Francisco Chronicle

"The piece is a pageant of orchestral color, some of it deliciously subtle, much of it unabashedly joyful, all of it economical in its use of modal, rhythmic, and timbral resources."-The Boston Globe

"... lyrical, exotic soul-searching. The acoustical echo created solely by means of instruments is fascinating." -The New York Times

"... ambitious, funny, and remarkably engaging."-Andante.com

NPR Morning Edition

www.npr.org July 8, 2003

NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr reports on a new Atlanta Symphony recording that features the works of two young American composers, Jennifer Higdon and Christopher Theofanidis. ASO Music Director Robert Spano compares Higdon's "Blue Cathedral" and Theofanidis' "Rainbow Body" favorably to the other two compositions on the CD, Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and Samuel Barber's 1st Symphony. (Rainbow Body is on the Telarc label.)

In the Press

Christopher Theofanidis: Wider Than a Concept, Deeper Than a Sound
Transcribed by Julia Lu Condensed and edited by Molly Sheridan, NewMusicBox
November 1, 2010

A whimsical world premiere of Theofanidis' 'Summer Verses'
By Sumi Hahn, The Seattle Times
Published: July 17, 2009

Review: The ASO sets Rumi whirling
By Porter Anderson, CNN
Published: March 31, 2008

Not From Here: An Opera for Houston’s Immigrants
By Ralph Blumenthal, The New York Times
Published: November 12, 2007

WYNC interview (entire interview)

- parts: one, two, three (mp3)

During this interview with New York's WYNC, Christopher Theofanidis answers questions about the 2003 Masterprize competition and his then-nominated later-winning work "Rainbow Body". The interview is available as either one large file (16.6 MB) or as three smaller files.