Testimonial Quotes

“For any music department that takes its composition and orchestration classes seriously, the use of Ravel Virtual Studios should not be a luxury, it should be a necessity.”

Robert S. Hekemian, Jr.
Board of Directors, New York Philharmonic

“Having been a producer/engineer for over 30 years, it was my great fortune to have discovered the services of Ravel Virtual Studios. What they are offering is not only cutting edge but, as important to me, their attention to detail through the entire project. In the music production business, a project will require stages of modification before its completion, and the staff of Ravel is there with you every note along the way. In fact, they are not satisfied until the client is completely satisfied with the results.

“What I also value highly about their service is that, besides being technically and musically proficient, they are able to take it to the next level of realism with the subtle nuances of musicality, which can be quite elusive. The end result is a product that can be easily compared to a conventional recording of a work. I have witnessed many attempts at reaching this goal by others in my career, but this is the first time I can truly say that ‘we have arrived,’ thanks to Ravel Virtual Studios!”

Don Hunerberg
Producer & Engineer;
Chief Recording Engineer, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

“Ravel Virtual Studios is an amazing virtual orchestra which provides students and composers with inspiring new opportunities. The performances and demos sound splendid!”

Jay Reise
Robert Weiss Professor of Music Composition, University of Pennsylvania;
President, Orchestra 2001

“Your realization of my piece is full of subtlety and richness that I did not expect to hear. Ravel Virtual Studios has overwhelmingly satisfied a need for composers that I had thought was impossible to fill.”

Lane Harder
Adjunct Professor of Music, The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University;
Faculty, European American Musical Alliance Summer Music Programs

“You produced a beautiful recording, that sounds really ‘real.’ Your fine musicianship is evident in your product.”

J. Eric Schmidt
Composer, Conductor and Orchestrator for Film, Television and Concert;
Faculty, Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, USC Thornton School of Music

“Ravel Virtual Studios brings an invaluable service to composers. The state-of-the-art technology, combined with the great sensibility and artistry of the music director, Ron Artinian, produced a high-quality performance, comparable to a good session with live musicians. They gladly and easily can make needed changes to draft versions of performances. The final performance is very satisfying, and can be used promotionally to increase the chances a piece will be performed live.”

Dan Lazarescou
Composer

“The people at Ravel Virtual Studios simply could not have been nicer. Within an hour of uploading my piece, I received a personalized email greeting with details about how and when my project would be completed. Their work was fantastic—the orchestration sounded professional and wonderful, and they were able to bring out details I never imagined I would hear in a virtual realization—they even faithfully reproduced a section of my music that was aleatoric. Throughout the process, they kept in touch with me, asking for and responding to my opinions. Every detail, both musical and otherwise (including the artwork they selected for my CD) was of the highest quality. I can’t wait to work with them again in the future.

Alec Schumacker
Composer

“Thanks not only for the very convincing realizations, but also for being so accommodating; the obvious sincerity of your desire to meet my needs has been highly gratifying.”

Dr. Scott Robinson
Professor of Composition, Eastern University;
Founder, Mandala Band

“There is no doubt that the authentic sound quality of Ravel Virtual Studios’ recording contributed to the success of my composition, “Rachel’s Dreams,” at the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Competition, where the piece was awarded out of 680 applicants. Without Ravel Virtual Studios, I would not have been able to submit my orchestra piece to this competition, as I would never have found the time or resources to hire a live orchestra to rehearse and record the entire piece. The excellent sonority of Ravel’s recording sounded like a live orchestra performance!”

Eleanor Bragg
ASCAP Foundation 2009 Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipient;
2009 Pikes Peak Young Composers Competition winner

“I needed an audio recording of my composition, very quickly. I understood that I didn’t have time to rehearse with a trio group and knew that MIDI files would only produce a general interpretation of the piece, with a ‘mechanical’ sound.

“I thought to myself, there couldn’t possibly be a way to create an audio file with realistic dynamics, but also with perfect technique and understanding of the notes. In addition, it had to be completed within a few days.

“I thought that a beautiful CD case, a personal MP3 file sent by email, and maybe a student discount would be nice. I kept imagining very warm-hearted, knowledgeable, and reliable staff, but I kept reminding myself that there couldn’t possibly be a company that can do all of this. But there is, with Ravel Virtual Studios.“

Seho Young
ASCAP Foundation 2010 Morton Gould Young Composer Award honorable mention

“Ravel Virtual Studios is an outstanding tool with which high school and college composers can showcase their talents. Their service is easy to use, and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and professional.

“For the musically inclined high school student preparing college applications, Ravel Virtual Studios’ services are a must. Their work has already helped students’ applications stand out, leading to acceptance into the country’s top schools. I highly recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to my advisees interested in pursuing music composition at college and beyond.”

Edward Dugger
Director of College Counseling, Friends Academy

“The simulated performances of submitted notation files made possible by the research of Ron Artinian and Edmond Ho are remarkable. Unlike other formats, their realizations provide natural-sounding nuance not only by using premium sampled sound libraries taken from real performers, but also by tweaking individual lines on demand. The technology that they have developed is significant because it enables composers to experience timbral conceptions before laboring to copy the parts, before committing to the expense of rehearsals, and before subjecting audiences to aesthetically compromised orchestrations. I also believe their work may have the potential to enhance the study of performance.”

Dr. Eugene Narmour
E. J. Kahn Distinguished Professor of Music, University of Pennsylvania

“The demos sound fantastic—I particularly like your realization of Nuages. I think you are providing a great service to composers!”

Dr. Kevin J. Kelly
Assistant Professor of Music, Los Angeles City College

“I am absolutely amazed. You would never know that they are a series of samples. The phrasing, feel and ‘[human touch]’ are truly astounding... I look forward to many more unbelievable performances.”

Peter Hazzard
Choral Director, Lawrence Academy

“Ravel Virtual Studios recently produced a small piece of mine in a way I found thoroughly professional and convincing, and this for what seemed to me a very affordable price. I recommend it to those who cannot afford to hire the London Philharmonic!”

Hendrik van Oordt
Composer

“I recently contacted Ravel Virtual Studios to help with a very strict deadline for the submission of a portfolio. I received a quote, which seemed very fair, and a commitment from Ravel that the job would be completed in the time remaining before the due date. From the very start of my communications with Ravel Virtual Studios, I was impressed by their seriousness, professionalism and efficiency throughout the process. The person in charge of my project was very courteous and pleasant to deal with.

“This was my first attempt at writing for full orchestra, and I needed quite a lot of technical advice pertaining to the writing for specific instruments. I was treated patiently and provided with the answers to all of my queries. The job was finished and delivered a day earlier than the due date. I am extremely pleased with the end result. One can certainly appreciate the attention Ravel Virtual Studios has given to the finest of details.

“In light of what I mentioned above, I would like to highly recommend the services of Ravel Virtual Studios. They have gone beyond the call of duty in order to help me complete my assignment. I have made a point of mentioning my good experience to my colleagues and will continue to promote the name of Ravel Virtual Studios wherever I can, whenever I can.”

Micu Narunsky
Jazz and Classical Pianist & Composer

“Thank you so much! My project ‘Crazy Pig’ surely benefited from your fine work.”

Juan Francisco de la Guardia
Filmmaker

“Thanks to Ron Artinian and all of the folks at Ravel Virtual Studios for facilitating such a wonderful project. I was at my wit’s end in trying to find someone to transcribe and produce some bagpipe music, not a popular instrument today.

“When I approached Ron about “Twelve MacGregor Solos for Bagpipe,” he was delighted. He ensured that the entire project met my expectations. Ron consulted and communicated with me throughout the project. They were very professional and the outcome was fantastic!

“The response of the family and MacGregor clan is that the music is amazing. I could not have achieved such a milestone without Ravel Virtual Studios and their dedication to music.”

Keith Gregg