Barton and Thomas Give 'Extraordinary Performances' in Roberto Devereux

September 14, 2018

Photo by Cory Weaver for San Francisco Opera

““Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and tenor Russell Thomas…both gave extraordinary performances. Fresh from winning performances as Fricka and Waltraute during last summer’s Ring, Barton proved herself one of opera’s great chameleons. Is there anything she can’t sing? With her velvety voice, she sailed through the arias and duets… Thomas made the difficult title role sound like a child’s play and he imbued his performance with swagger and confidence.””

— Parterre Box

Mezzo Jamie Barton and tenor Russell Thomas are receiving critical acclaim for their respective role debuts as Sara and Roberto in San Francisco Opera’s production of Roberto Devereux alongside acclaimed Elisabetta interpreter Sondra Radvanovsky.

Conducted by Riccardo Frizza, the Stephen Lawless production plays through September 27 at the War Memorial Opera House; tickets can be purchased via San Francisco Opera.

Read reviews:

Photo by Cory Weaver for San Francisco Opera

“As in every other appearance in San Francisco, Barton impressed greatly with beauty of tone and effortless projection in the huge, 3,200-seat War Memorial. The role of Sara is almost pure bel canto, and Barton’s floating of melodic lines was nonpareil. Vocal beauty was a hallmark of Thomas’ performance. Thomas’ vocal performance in duets and a splendid ‘Come uno spirto angelico’ were to be treasured.”
Classical Voice North America

“Splendid mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, as Sara, the Duchess of Nottingham, meltingly and sweetly expresses her guilt-ridden love for dashing Roberto Devereux, Earl of Essex. As the object of both women’s desire, tenor Russell Thomas made an endearingly strong first appearance in the title role. He unfurled lyric charm and verve in his arias and duets, and was particularly moving seeking to defend Sara’s honor in the touching Act 3 aria ‘Como uno spirto angelico.’”
San Francisco Examiner

“Radvanovsky had valiant, expressive colleagues by her side — mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and tenor Russell Thomas, the same ensemble that had contributed to the splendor of that ‘Norma’… Barton, as Sara, gave a performance rich in pathos and cloaked in the thickly upholstered vocal colors that make her singing so irresistible. Thomas brought tonal clarity and rhythmic vigor to the title role…”
San Francisco Chronicle

“As Sarah, Jamie Barton deployed her velvety, richly colored mezzo with beauty and urgency to limn the character’s desire and anguish. In the title role, tenor Russell Thomas made an indelible impression. His sturdy physique and clear, unforced tenor yielded an ardent Act I duet with Sarah, and he sang with elegant line in his Tower of London aria, ‘Come uno spirito angelico’.”
Opera News

Photo by Cory Weaver for San Francisco Opera

“As Elisabetta’s friend and innocent rival Sara, Jamie Barton deploys a richly layered, tightly controlled voice that she makes delicate or harsh to suit the drama. In a den of nasty personalities, Barton’s Sara is touchingly sincere. Russell Thomas’s Roberto Devereux [is] a smirking, conceiting poppycock, speaking noble-sounding words while flaunting the ring he knows will save him. He is at his most sympathetic in the third act, when he realizes he may not escape his fate. There, Thomas’s hefty, mobile voice gains a buttery softness and breaks off achingly at the end of phrases.”
San Francisco Classical Voice

“Barton set the tone with liquid phrasing and her signature burnished sound. With a pure, focused tenor sound, remarkably even from top to bottom, Thomas managed to convey both the nobility and anguish of the title character…He created a time-stopping moment as he awaited his execution with his Act III aria, ‘Bagnato il sen di lagrime.’”
Seen and Heard International

“The whole ensemble delivers near flawless singing and acting. Jamie Barton, as Sara…provides a warm, round, mellow mezzo voice with great resonance. Russell Thomas shows his versatility as the proud yet anguished Roberto. He extends his expertise with a clear voice that bridges styles and ranges, with highlights including his duet ‘Nascondi freni i palpiti’ with Radvanovsky and his prison lament ‘Come uno spirto angelico.’”
Berkshire Fine Arts 

Jamie Barton is 'La favorite' of Madrid Audiences, Critics

November 2, 2017

Photo by Javier del Real

Mezzo Jamie Barton made her Teatro Real Madrid debut in the theater's bicentennial celebration gala, singing her first Léonor in La favorite alongside tenor Javier Camarena.

Read reviews: 

“Jamie Barton and Javier Camarena were the two triumphant protagonists last night. Camarena roused the audience, as did Leonor’s aria “O mon Fernand,” in which Barton achieved the high point of the night, in an interpretation with personality, quality, variety of expression, authority in the extremes of the registers, and daring assurance. The cabaletta finished with bravura, where before there was smooth introspection and always potent expressive concentration.”
ABC Cultura

“Jamie Barton stole the show with top-notch singing and vibrant acting. Her sumptuous mezzo is based on a solid centre, with fresh colours and a beautiful, quick vibrato, crowned with powerful high notes. She does not just live off these natural gifts but she strives for technical excellency, displaying very nuanced and contrasted phrasing, always coloured by a rich palette and by exciting chest notes. She excelled in all her duos, trusting her good form and a deep knowledge of the role. In the ecstatic “O mon Fernand” she showed how well she can control her voice with extraordinary piano singing and smooth legato. Marietta Alboni now has a worthy heiress.”
Bachtrack

“Debuting with an already fully developed interpretation, the justly deserved standout among the vocal cast was the American mezzo-soprano, Georgia native Jamie Barton, who offered a magnificent Leonor. A big voice – meaty, with generous volume and extensive range, and velvety. It’s also delicate, with an attractive timbre and impeccable placement, and a homogeneous lined-up sound. Likewise, the American singer is a great vocalist, possessing a good singing technique, dominating legato singing, dynamics, and style. All this was on stupendous display in her interpretation of Leonor’s grand scena in the second act, “Oh mon Fernand” and the subsequent cabeletta, in which she sang a high C the size of a house, that filled the theater and contributed to the celebration by adding to the theater’s history one of those memorable sounds that are heard there from time to time. A magnificent vocal performance.”
Codalario

“In the titular role, the mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton displayed a whole paragon of virtues: a big, extensive, and homogeneous voice, with a meaty round timbre, an interpretation with character, technical support, and perfect stylistic accuracy. Her Leonor had personality, magnetism, and moments of unparalleled vocal intensity, like her brilliant and vibrant cabaletta. She dominates the smooth singing just as she does the more vigorous passages and this double debut – with the role and at the Teatro Real – was a complete success for her. In her singing there is control, color, and temperament. Without a doubt, it’s a voice to follow – though certainly young, it has much to say.”
Platea Magazine

“The American mezzo Jamie Barton is the center of the action with a juicy and clear voice, in charge of attracting and engrossing the others.”
El Mundo

“Oren highlighted the extraordinary quality of the cast, led by Barton y Camarena.”
El Sombrario

"In Madrid we had the debut of Javier Camarena in the role, as well as the presence of mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Léonor. Both were excellent, though one must acknowledge that La Favorita del Re was also the audience’s ‘favorita’. Jamie Barton, who was making her debut in Madrid, has a wide and very beautiful voice, well-handled and expressive, and an outstanding top register. Her Léonor was superb from start to finish, and her interpretation of ‘O mon Fernand’ and the subsequent cabaletta were the highlights of the concert. She represents the continuation of the great tradition of American mezzo-sopranos, following in the footsteps of Marilyn Horne and Dolora Zajick. There’s really no comparison to Jamie Barton in this role today..."
Seen and Heard International

“Camarena and Barton carry the opera on their backs. She is a young diamond…and will do wonders in this and other roles. Her Leonor will surely be well-placed as the next in the line of those created by Stignani, Barbieri, Simionato, Cossotto, Verrett and Horne. The opposite of the usual, her voice shines most in the extreme registers of her range than in the middle voice, and in her much applauded debut at the Real – and in this particular opera – she has left an unbeatable impression.”
El Pais

Barton's Role Debut as Jezibaba Bewitches Audiences

February 4, 2017

Mezzo Jamie Barton, fresh from being named winner of the 2017 Beverly Sills Artist Award, makes her role debut as Jezibaba in a new production of Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera.

Directed by Mary Zimmerman and conducted by Mark Elder, Dvorak's Czech fairy tale stars Kristine Opolais in the title role, Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince, and Eric Owens as the Water Sprite.

Performances run through March 2, and tickets can be purchased via the Met website. The February 25 performance will be streamed live in cinemas worldwide via the Met's Live in HD program.

Read reviews:

“What makes this show bearable, if not indeed indispensable, is the presence of the magnificent mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Jezibaba. It’s hard to find adjectives superlative enough to describe her voice: huge and sumptuous, but with such broad possibilities of color that the singer can chill the blood with just a glint of steel in the tone. Though I didn’t care for the jokey take on the character Zimmerman imposed on her, I was flabbergasted at how passionately Barton threw herself into the performance. Lurching, heaving and writhing nonstop, she looked as if she might any moment explode out of sheer malevolence. If everyone involved in this Rusalka were operating at Barton’s level, the Met would have its biggest hit of the decade. As it is, the company might be better off condensing the opera to a single hour-long act called Hello, Jezibaba!”
New York Observer

“The real marvel of the cast was Jamie Barton, who was absolutely sensational as the sorceress Ježibaba. Her voice was a wonder in itself, a full, shady mezzo with harrowing power, and fierce fire in her chest. Of everyone in the cast, she had the most success in navigating the cartoonish aesthetic of the production, hamming it up just enough to embrace the comic elements of the role, but never forgetting its essential darkness. Barton brings tremendous presence to the stage, coupled here with a specific and deliciously wicked vocal characterization.”
New York Classical Review

"As Jezibaba, Jamie Barton, in a wonderful spiderweb dress, blended comedy and cruelty, her pungent mezzo taking on a fierce brightness."
Wall Street Journal

“Barton is a lot of fun here. Her low mezzo is irresistibly rich and colorful, epic in size and effortless. (I’ve seen a lot of Rusalkas and hence a lot of Jezibabas and she is the best by a large margin.) She also shows real comic flair in a villain mode.”
Likely Impossibilities

“Jamie Barton, a recent winner of the Beverly Sills Artist Award, is a delightfully campy villain as the witch Jezibaba. Her meaty mezzo is wonderfully deployed, especially during the transformation set piece, in which Zimmerman likens Rusalka’s metamorphosis to a surgical intervention. The only drawback is the role’s brevity in a rather long evening, leaving the audience craving more of Barton’s superlative work.”
Parterre Box

“Barton, a mezzo from Georgia who is becoming a Met mainstay, is wickedly devious as Jezibaba.”
Huffington Post

“Jamie Barton as Ježibaba was gloriously demented as the wily witch. She gets to play some delicious comedy and sings with such skill, you feel like she is really capable of casting spells with sound.”
NY Theatre Guide

"Jamie Barton’s devilish Ježibaba was the highlight. Surrounded by half-human/half-animal henchmen, Barton brought such electric charisma that it was hard not to find affection for the wily sorceress."
Classical Source

"The extraordinary Jamie Barton is the vocal star of this production and outshines even Eric Owens, just as she outshone Plácido Domingo in the Met’s Nabucco this winter. Barton and her critters are terrifying: Her cackle froze the auditorium’s giblets."
New Republic

“As the crusty witch Jezibaba, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton dug into her lower range with some dramatically appropriate guttural effects, but more than her predecessor Dolora Zajick, maintained grace and musicality no matter how nasty her sentiments.”
Operavore

Corinne Winters Makes Much-Anticipated ROH Debut

September 22, 2016

“A great actor, Winters had a regal calmness about her, which suited the gorgeous, rich warmth in her sound. Her ‘Per pietà’ was phenomenal, paced beautifully; she always found room for her best sound, and still she had lovely agility saved for the end. Winters negotiated extraordinarily long lines in a slower-than-necessary quintet. [Her] singing is top-notch, full of style and individuality…”

— Schmopera

Photo by Stephen Cummiskey

Corinne Winters makes her much-anticipated Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut in her adopted hometown as Fiordiligi in a new Jan Philipp Gloger production of Mozart's Così fan tutte.

Conducted by Semyon Bychkov, the production also stars Angela Brower, Alessio Arduini, and Daniel Behle. The production will be simulcast in cinemas around the world on October 17, with future showings throughout the season.

Read more reviews: 

“Winters has a very pretty soprano voice, with warmth, real character and not a hint of wobble: her Act I aria “Come scoglio” (Like a rock) applied rather more correctly to Winters’ singing technique than to Fiordiligi’s constancy.”
Bachtrack

“This success is no doubt also down to a shining cast: Corinne Winters’s rich-toned Fiordiligi…”
The Stage

"Corinne Winters is superb in Fiordiligi’s famous aria “Per pieta” as she falls in love with the man who in real life is her sister’s fiance."
Daily Express

“Corinne Winters’s superbly conflicted Fiordiligi and Angela Brower’s more easy-going Dorabella — are well aware that they are falling for each other’s men.”
The Times

“Così is nothing if not an ensemble piece, and this cast is unusually well-matched vocally. Even so, there are standouts in the shape of Daniel Behle’s volatile Ferrando, and in the sheer spirit with which Corinne Winters’s by that point almost suicidally troubled Fiordiligi attacks every note of Per Pietà.”
The Guardian

“Winters is a splendid tormented Fiordiligi and sings her two highpoint arias with panache.”
Plays to See

“Winters’ Fiordiligi is indeed as ‘steady as a rock’ vocally: she has a bright, ringing top and she agilely leapt through ‘Come scoglio’.”
Opera Today

“American Corinne Winters was an indecisive Fiordiligi with a warm and beautiful soprano. She was particularly good in the arias ‘Come scoglio’ and ‘Per pietà’, delivered with touching sensitivity and sadness. Fantastic.”
Fanáticos da Opera

“Probably the best sung Così that I have ever seen. With American soprano Corinne Winters glorious as Fiordiligi…it produces a wonderful evening.”
Daily Express

“When Fiordiligi (Corinne Winters) pours out her torment in “Per pietà” and then succumbs to the rapture of forbidden love in the duet “Fra gli amplessi”, it’s clear Mozart isn’t being ironic but the staging doesn’t quite support this emotional truth. With her impressively weighty voice, Winters isn’t perhaps an ideal Fiordiligi, but she has a thrilling stage presence and offers an intriguing and detailed performance.”
Blouin Art Info

“As the two with the most stage time, Dorabella (Brower) and Fiordiligi (Winters) have the most daunting of vocal tasks. But carry it they do, with Winters’ mastery of melisma and technical delivery being particularly noteworthy. This is a young cast, but one that carries the mantle of Mozart’s great work without strain.”
Exeunt Magazine

“Three performances stand out in particular, and the first is that of Corinne Winters as Fiordiligi. This may be her Royal Opera debut, but she seems totally at ease as she ensures that ‘Per pietà, ben mio, perdona’ becomes a definite highlight of the evening. Her voice is extremely rounded so that the high notes almost do not seem to be because they feel so rich and full.”
musicOMH

“Both Corinne Winters and Angela Brower give delightful accounts of the young women. Winters in particular sings a Fiordiligi of rare range and beauty, with surprisingly strong mezzo notes as well as a radiant upper range.”
What’s On Stage

Rolando Sanz to Make Metropolitan Opera Debut

June 24, 2016

Photo by Kristin Hoebermann

Tenor Rolando Sanz makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2016/17 season in Mozart's Idomeneo, under the baton of Maestro James Levine. The production will be simulcast in cinemas worldwide via Met Live in HD.

Sanz returns to the Met roster for productions of Verdi's La traviata, Strauss's Salome, and Beethoven's Fidelio. Sanz also sings Beethoven works in concert as tenor soloist in the Mass in C Major and Choral Fantasy with Spoleto Festival USA and as tenor soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Asheville Symphony.

For tickets and more information, visit www.rolandosanz.com.

Jamie Barton Makes Acclaimed Royal Opera House Covent Garden Debut

June 9, 2016

Photo by Catherine Ashmore for Royal Opera House

This month, mezzo Jamie Barton made her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut as Fenena in Verdi's Nabucco, opposite Plácido Domingo in the title role.

The second performance was shown via live, free outdoor relays as part of the BP Big Screens initiative, and was watched by fans around the world via the ROH YouTube live stream.

The cast also stars Liudmyla Monastyrska, John Relyea, and Leonardo Capalbo. Conducted by Maurizio Benini, performances run through June 25. Tickets are available on the Royal Opera House site.

Domingo, Monastyrska, and Barton will also appear in the Metropolitan Opera 2016/17 production of Nabucco, conducted by James Levine.

Read reviews:

"Jamie Barton is a first-rate Fenena."
The Guardian

"Jamie Barton as Fenena reveals a rich and full mezzo-soprano that is also capable of displaying great sensitivity."
musicOMH

“Making her Royal Opera debut as Nabucco’s true daughter, the American mezzo uncovered a good deal more in Fenena, impressing with her warmth and richness of tone matched by a purposeful line and convincing dramatic engagement.”
Opera

"I wish the score had provided more opportunities for the young lovers Ismael and Fenena – what little Jean-François Borras and Jamie Barton did as Ismaele and Fenena was very fine."
The Telegraph

"Jamie Barton made a promising Covent Garden début as Fenena, showing good timbre and nice control of line. Fenena and Ismaile are considerably lesser roles than the other three, but Barton and Jean-François Borras made a good fist of them, particularly effective in ensemble."
BachTrack

"Jamie Barton and stand-in tenor Jean-François Borras play lovers Fenena and Ismaele; the former in beautiful voice…"
Londonist

"Making her debut with the Royal Opera, American mezzo Jamie Barton seizes her lyrical opportunities as Nabucco’s true offspring Fenena."
The Stage

“Monastyrska’s Abagaille had a worthy rival for once. Admittedly Fenena is a sketchy role: Verdi had not yet fully realized the value of contrasting or opposing females, the structure that grounds Trovatore or Aida. But this Fenena was Cardiff Singer of the World in 2013 and the winner of last year’s Richard Tucker Award, the redoubtable Jamie Barton in her Royal Opera debut. This was luxury casting indeed, affording the extraordinary pleasure of watching and listening as, in the finale of the first act, each ‘sister’ anchored opposite sides of the stage and soared over the ensemble.”
Opera

Corinne Winters to Bookend Her 2016/17 Season at Royal Opera House

April 6, 2016

Corinne Winters will open her 2016/17 season with her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut this fall as Fiordiligi in a new Jan Philipp Gloger production of Mozart's Così fan tutte.

She will return to close out her season as Violetta in the beloved Richard Eyre production of La traviata, marking her first London Violetta since her explosion onto the international opera scene in the 2013 English National Opera production.

Così fan tutte performances will run September 22 – October 19, 2016, and will also feature Angela Brower as Dorabella, Daniel Behle as Ferrando, and Alessio Arduini as Guglielmo. The October 17 performance will be screened live in cinemas in over 35 countries.

Winters will appear in La traviata June 27 – July 4, 2017, alongside Atalla Ayan as Alfredo and George Petean as Germont. The July 4 performance will be featured as a live, free relay to several outdoor screens as part of BP Big Screens.

Tickets for both productions will be available via the Royal Opera House website.

Jamie Barton to Sing First Eboli at Deutsche Oper Berlin

March 17, 2016

Photo by Stacey Bode

Jamie Barton will make dual role and house debuts as Princess Eboli in the Italian version of Verdi's Don Carlo at Deutsche Oper Berlin in the 2016/17 season.

Conducted by Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, the cast also stars Liudmyla Monastyrska as Elisabeth, Teodor Ilincai as Don Carlo, Etienne Dupuis as Rodrigo, and Giacomo Prestia as King Philip.

Performances will run June 24 – July 6, 2017, and can be purchased via the Deutsche Oper website.

Learn more >
 

Jamie Barton sings "O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlo with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2016.

Jamie Barton to Star in Two Metropolitan Opera Productions in 2016/17

February 17, 2016

Photo by Elise Bakketun

““Jamie Barton is dazzling as Fenena, with a showstopper Act IV aria that displayed the lyricism and agility of this remarkable voice.”
SEATTLE TIMES”

Jamie Barton will return to the Metropolitan Opera for two productions in the 2016/17 season; both will be transmitted live to cinemas worldwide via Met Live in HD.

Barton will make her role debut as Ježibaba in a new Mary Zimmerman production of Rusalka, alongside Kristine Opolais in the title role, Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince, and Eric Owens as the Water Sprite, under the baton of Mark Elder. Performances will run Feb 2 – Mar 2, 2017.

Barton will also bring her celebrated Fenena to the Met stage for Nabucco, opposite Plácido Domingo and Željko Lučić in the title role, with James Levine conducting. The cast also features Liudmyla Monastyrska as Abigaille, Russell Thomas as Ismaele, and Dimitry Belosselskiy as Zaccaria. Performances will run Dec 12, 2016 – Jan 7, 2017.

Tickets for both productions are available via the Met site.

Corinne Winters Debuts as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello

February 13, 2016

Photo by Annemie Augustijns 

““Corinne Winters as Desdemona was by far the star of the evening. She showed a very bright lyrical soprano ranging to spinto, a beautiful colour, lavish projection and a dynamically varied delivery. The Willow Song and the fight duet with Otello were undeniably the highlight of the evening.” LEIDMOTIEF”

Corinne Winters is earning critical acclaim for her first run as the iconic Desdemona in Opera Vlaanderen's new Michael Thalheimer production of Verdi's Otello. Admist an atmosphere that is dark both literally and psychologically, Winters is receiving raves for her "stunning, intense, and heartbreaking" Desdemona (Flemish Classical Radio), as well as her strength balanced with "grace and nuance." (La Libre) 

Also starring Ian Storey in the title role, Vladimir Stoyanov as Iago, and Adam Smith as Cassio, Otello is conducted by Alexander Joel. Performances run until March 15th with tickets available through Opera Vlaanderen's website.

Read reviews: 

"In all that darkness, the light of this performance is Desdemona. In Corinne Winters, Michael Thalheimer has found a stunning, intense and heartbreaking Desdemona, who draws you in with her arias. "
Klara Classical Radio

"With a creamy timbre and a clear underlying gravity, the young North American soprano Corinne Winters delivers an enveloping Desdemona, fascinating with superbly controlled fil di voce."
Anaclase

"In all that lusciousness a sublime Corinne Winters, in her role debut as Desdemona, is a breath of fresh air in the last act: small and intimately she sing her lament ‘Willow Song,' after which she sings the Ave Maria. The American soprano is the bright light of this very old fashioned staging."
Concert News

"Corinne Winters as Desdemona was by far the star of the evening. She showed a very bright lyrical soprano ranging to spinto, a beautiful colour, lavish projection and a dynamically varied delivery. The Willow Song and the fight duet with Otello were undeniably the highlights of the evening. We’ll happily believe she sang an outstanding Donna Anna and we’d love to see her again in Verdi or Puccini repertoire."
Leidmotief

"Corinne Winter’s Desdemona suited all the black around her. Her Willow Song sounded beautifully fragile..."
Place de l'Opera

"Last year, Corinne Winters sang a fantastic Donna Anna. Her Desdemona succeeds, especially in her piano sounds and textual interpretation in the 'Willow Song' and her internalized expression of the 'Ave Maria'."
GOpera

"Corinne Winters offers both the girlish lightness and the desperation for a convincing Desdemona."
Online Musik Magazin

"Winters' fragility shone through in her "Willow Song", but her saving grace turned out to be a luminescent Ave Maria, brightening Thalheimer's darkness [with] a dynamic intensity and honesty in her voice."
Bachtrack

"The Desdemona of Corinne Winters plays marvelously with the stillness of a doll, which the director imposed on her. This doesn’t prevent her voice from unfurling into a maturity and warmth rare for her age. Not a single interval is cheated and the soprano manages to fly over the choir in act III with the ease of a dove."
ForumOpera

"Corinne Winters, a fragile Desdemona, sings her Willow Song with a perfect sense of effect and timing. Conductor Alexander Joel lets the airy notes of her “Ave Maria” flow straight into the growling basses of the finale."
De Standaard
 
"The way Desdemona and her purity are portrayed can only be described as breathtaking. Corinne Winters (Desdemona) gets to the essence of her fragile character."
Cutting Edge

"Desdemona is played by Corinne Winters. Young and petite, but blessed with an impressive voice."
PodiArt

"The Desdemona of the American soprano Corinne Winters, in her psychological righteousness, is compelling from her first appearance. Her voice is luminous and her technique considerable, with a beautiful legato that works wonders in the last act during the famous "Willow Song" – and the rejection of any external effects makes it deeply moving."
Classique News

"As Otello, Ian Storey is an overwhelming power, facing the Audrey Hepburn-esque Desdemona of Corinne Winters, who is just as strong vocally, but with grace and nuance."
La Libre

Jamie Barton Makes Mainstage Debut at Opera Frankfurt

February 12, 2016

Photo by Barbara Aumüller

Nearly a decade after singing a winning "Priva son d'ogni conforto" during the finals of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Jamie Barton is making her much-anticipated debut as Cornelia in Giulio Cesare.

Critics are praising Barton's ability to "cast a spell with her heartfelt mezzo" (Frankfurter Neue Presse), as well as her "big voice, expressivity, and charisma." (Opera Nederland)

Barton is joined in the Oper Frankfurt production by a stellar cast that includes Andreas Scholl in the title role, Louise Alder as Cleopatra, Nina Tarandek as Sesto, Matthias Rexroth as Tolomeo, and Simon Baily as Achilla.

Performances run February 12 through March 26; tickets are available through the Oper Frankfurt site.

Read reviews:

“Jamie Barton vibrates the room with her phrasing.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“The American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton got the biggest applause of the evening. Her big voice, expressivity and charisma gave great expression to Cornelia’s sadness and her stately figure offered the noble grandeur of Pompeo’s widow.”
Opera Nederland

“Also debuting is Jamie Barton as Pompeo’s widow Cornelia, who cast a spell with her heartfelt mezzo.”
Frankfurter Neue Presse

Jamie Barton Debuts at Seattle Opera

September 8, 2015

Jamie Barton has made her Seattle Opera debut, singing her first Fenena in Nabucco, a role that will also serve as her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut this season.

Barton is "dazzling, with a showstopper aria that displayed the lyricism and agility of this remarkable voice" (Seattle Times), delivering "arguably the most touching piece of singing all evening." (Opera Magazine)

Performances run through August 22, with alternating casts of Gordon Hawkins and Weston Hurt as the title character, Mary Elizabeth Williams and Raffaella Angeletti as Abigaille, and Russell Thomas as Ismaele. Tickets can be purchased via the Seattle Opera site.

Photo by Elise Bakketun

Read reviews >

"Jamie Barton, an international prizewinner of considerable renown, is dazzling as Fenena, with a showstopper Act IV aria that displayed the lyricism and agility of this remarkable voice."
Seattle Times

"Likewise impressive was Jamie Barton's passionate portrayal of Fenena, the half-sister of Abigaille who wins the man loved by both, the Israelite Ismaele. Her prayer in Part Four, just before the freshly converted Nabucco arrives to stay her execution, was a highlight. So was the trio between her, Abigaille, and Ismaele in Part One."
Bachtrack

"Young mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Fenena, new here, has a truly beautiful voice with depth and nuance. She will surely be back."
SunBreak

"Thomas blended well with Jamie Barton’s mellifluous Fenena. Barton’s Act 4 preghiera was arguably the most touching piece of singing all evening."
Opera Magazine

"Fenena is luxuriously cast with mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, creamy and beautiful in the Part I trio and the Part IV cavatina."
Opera News

Jamie Barton Featured in Seattle Times

August 2, 2015

Photo by Elise Bakketun

Ahead of her Seattle Opera debut, Jamie Barton talks to the Seattle Times about Fenena, Wagner, and her roll-out-of-bed-and-sing music.

“My first instinct is to go for a very sympathetic Fenena,” Barton says of a role she will sing for the first time in Seattle. “I think there is a core of strength within, but I do think it’s nice to create a contrast to Abigaille (Fenena’s sister and romantic rival). I’m a big believer in bringing beauty into the story when I can..."
 

Read more >