“… Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, which brilliantly illustrated each movement’s structural force, zapping out the extra stops with judicious timing while integrating striking contrasts between the weighty and the wispy. The players sounded on fire at times and were at one with the podium technically and conceptually. More, please maestro.”

Sam Olluver, South China Morning Post, October 2012

“…the orchestra’s firm grip on rhythm added colour to the lovers’ struggle with paternal dominance and the inexorable march towards their tragic destiny (Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto).…It has been suggested that under Jaap van Zweden’s stewardship, the Hong Kong Philharmonic could become the “Berlin Philharmonic of Asia”. By demonstrating a strong affinity with Chinese culture, he has found a clear path towards distinguishing the orchestra from many of its counterparts in other parts of the world.”

Alan Yu, www.bachtrack.com, September 2012

“And the finale laid out its set of variations like a swiftly dealt hand of cards, each with distinctive colour and character…The orchestra (HKPO) responded to van Zweden’s grip on the soul of the piece with an impressively disciplined performance.”

Sam Olluver, South China Morning Post

「荷蘭指揮范瑞韋頓（梵志登）功架大放光芒，把港樂的水平神奇地轉化成歐美一流樂隊，真不愧剛被選為美國二零一二年度最佳指揮…下半場的布拉姆斯第四交響曲可說是港樂的歷來代表作之一…讓在場的觀眾都為港樂高素質的戮力演出引以為傲。」

周光蓁，《亞洲週刊》

「弦樂像在布拉姆斯第四交響曲中一樣出色…銅管樂昂然高奏，表現出俄羅斯民族的豪邁奔放。在范氏（梵氏）的推動下，港樂的弦樂水平不亞於世上任何一隊交響樂團，實在是神奇的蛻變。在次樂章，音樂進行的速度極快，各樂手都全情投入，發出緊湊而刺激的音效。」

程瑞雲，《CUP》

[With Chicago Symphony] “The sheer intensity of the performance earned him a roaring ovation on a blissfully cool night at the park. What's more, it added another triumph to the notable list of successes van Zweden has achieved with the orchestra downtown since his Chicago début in 2008.”

John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, July 2012

[With Chicago Symphony] “I mean it as the highest praise when I say that the Beethoven Seventh Van Zweden and the CSO produced was exceptional enough to efface from memory any number of mediocre readings I've heard over the years…Van Zweden kept each element in harmony with the other, and the orchestra members played as if possessed.”

John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, May 2012

[New York Philharmonic Début] “In the Mahler Mr. van Zweden put a higher priority on musical character and dramatic impact than on flawless execution and textured sound.”

Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, April 2012

[With Boston Symphony] “Rachmaninoff’s piece has a well-earned reputation for sounding weighty and distended. Yet van Zweden, conducting with coiled intensity and sharp, clear-cut gestures, made it into something improbably lean and dynamic. Accents were crisp and precise. Melodies that usually wander had shape and definition. Big moments never sapped the music of forward momentum.”

David Weininger, Boston Globe, February 2012

[With Chicago Symphony] “Erupting like a great cry of a wounded heart, the finale was all fire and purpose, built across a wide sound-spectrum, from piercing piccolos and flutes to glowering trombones and tuba. There was a noticeable pulling-back midway through to allow the violins ample space in which to soar; Van Zweden managed this so deftly that the long line never lost direction. After the last jubilant bursts of brass, the audience leapt to its feet in cheers.”

John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, December 2011