Taylor conducted Handel with nobility and vigour
“Daniel Taylor conducted Handel’s Dixit Dominus with his own hand-picked vocal and instrumental ensemble from Toronto. The Dixit is such a dramatic, striking work that it’s easy for conductors to exploit extremes of dynamic range and tempo. Taylor’s version had nobility and plenty of vigour, but stayed well within the bounds of sane execution. The […]
Butterfield receives Rubies 2019 Opera Canada Awards
Big congratulations to Benjamin Butterfield for receiving the Rubies 2019 Opera Canada Awards for his exemplary contribution to the industry! Selected by a committee comprising of leading opera professionals from across Canada, Benjamin and two other honourees will be celebrated at a gala award evening on November 4, 2019 at First Canadian Place in downtown […]
Adams “delivered a supercharged” Mercutio
“As Romeo’s friend Mercutio, Hadleigh Adams delivered a supercharged performance, whether leaping up on a table or wielding a sword. His strong baritone was ideal for the ballade about the fairy Queen Mab…” Read more at Cincinnati Business Courier
Panthaki “a new, trailblazing” singer of old music
“Sherezade Panthaki sings her most daring and brilliant aria in this performance of Haendel’s ‘Samson’—and thereby totally delights colleagues and audience alike. No wonder that this woman—according to the libretto—slays seemingly invincible Samson’s strength: with her exuberant virtuosity, with her elegance and her powerful radiance, Panthaki is a new, trailblazing type among the female singers […]
Molomot’s “humor and lightness” in Dido and Aeneas
“Marc Molomot led the sailors’ song with aplomb…” —Read more at Operawire “Tenor Marc Molomot’s sailor injected a touch of humor and lightness in the tragedy with his boisterous singing of ‘Come away, fellow sailors’.” —Read more at Seen and Heard International
“Kelly declaimed the poet’s despondent musings in a high, oaken baritone”
“Michael Kelly declaimed the poet’s despondent musings in a high, oaken baritone, strongly inflecting the long phrases, biting off the words with fierce diction. “If these were not the most cuddly songs ever written, one could certainly admire their craft and restraint, and Kelly’s ability to sustain a long line.” —Read more at New York […]
Adams “especially excellent” at San Francisco Symphony’s Carmina Burana
“Soloists for Carmina burana were baritone Hadleigh Adams, tenor Nicholas Phan, and soprano Nikki Einfeld. All were excellent, perhaps especially Hadleigh Adams, whose robust baritone rang forth with great command and fine Latin and German diction. Adams also negotiated beautifully the vocal shift into falsetto in Dies, nox et omnia/Day, night and all the world. Moreover, Hadleigh Adams initiated some […]
Kelly’s “big rich” and “mellifluous baritone handled the difficult dramatic moments surreptitiously on transgender.”
“We meet Hannah performed by Michael Kelly, a big rich baritone, who is pedaling around on his delivery bike tossing newspapers on doorsteps. He shows us the soft silky blouse with a bow that he wears under his masculine windbreaker. From time to time, as he sings, he stuffs socks where his breasts should be. […]
“Dobson encapsulates a distinctly dark, sinister side”
“Alexander Dobson confidently captured my attention immediately as the story begins when he sings in his rich baritone voice. “Mr. Dobson encapsulates a distinctly dark, sinister side to The Master’s character which sent a chill down my spine.” —Read more at ONSTAGE BLOG
“Bach given uplifting treatment” by McGegan, Bragle, & Panthaki
“McGegan is a jolly man who clearly loves his work and engages with the performers and audience with utmost geniality. It is impossible not be drawn into the general air of ‘isn’t this all fun?’ that radiates from face, his demeanour, and his conducting. This very ‘up’ view of life spilled over into the music […]
