Corinne Winters Returns to English National Opera
"Winters just belongs on a stage." Corinne Winters returns to the London Coliseum in a controversial new Benedict Andrews production of La bohème.
October 17, 2015
Photo by Jane Hobson
““Musically the show is dominated by Winters, whose sound is far bigger and more burnished than her waif-like frame might suggest.” THE LONDON TIMES”
In her first appearance as a Londoner, Corinne Winters is earning critical acclaim for her return to English National Opera as Mimì in a controversial new Benedict Andrews production of La bohème. Critics are praising her performance as "pure, clean, shimmering with delicate control" (Gscene) and "the undisputed bright spot." (Bachtrack)
The show, which also stars Zach Borichevsky, Rhian Lois, and Duncan Rock, runs through November 26, with tickets available through the ENO website.
Read reviews:
"Corinne Winters just belongs on a stage. The sound of that big voice shaking her tiny frame was as exciting as it was upsetting in the last two acts. For sure the piece usually gets to you – but it’s less often that you care about the people you meet in it."
Edward Seckerson
"Happily for ENO, Corinne Winters is an assured heroine who produces a pure, limpid tone even when her upper frame is contorted. Her vocal colour, darker than we often hear in the role, is a delight."
What's On Stage
"Corinne Winters’ Mimì was the evening’s heroine, the undisputed bright spot. The burnished warmth in her soprano as she declares that “Gently the April sunlight will kiss me” was lovely, gorgeously phrased. I long to hear her sing the role in Italian. She nailed the top C at the end of “O soave fanciulla”, sung not off-stage, as Rodolfo and Mimì head off into moonlit Paris, but collapsed on a mattress. Winters sang her heart out in her Act III farewell."
BachTrack
"As Mimì, Corinne Winters has a splendid voice whose assertiveness is offset by great smoothness and evenness of tone."
musicOMH
"The singing in general was excellent with a stand out performance from US soprano Corinne Winters whom I last saw in an ENO production of La Traviata. She is an extraordinary singer whose small frame belies a powerful well controlled voice, rich in tone."
Limelight Magazine
"Even in a "verismo" opera, with the naturalistic acting and behaviour of the characters skilfully maintained in a modern setting, we can surely allow the metaphor of this theatrical invention. Rodolfo and Mimi are literally infected with love and complete their erotic duet while embracing each other on the floor. There was a time when singers in opera never sang in such extreme physical circumstances, or at least moaned about being asked to do so. Now it happens in almost every opera you see. And the new American stars Zach Borichevsky and Corinne Winters pull this scene off brilliantly."
What's On Stage
"The vocal honours go to Corinne Winters for a characterisation of gathering intensity and pathos as Mimì."
Plays to See
"The youthful cast of principals are a hard-working crew, headed by the passionately sung Mimi of Corinne Winters."
The Sunday Times
"For all its consumptive trajectory, La bohème is about grabbing at life, not lamenting it. Most Mimis might as well trail a shroud for all the vitality they exhibit – delicate is the default setting – but Corinne Winters gave her a welcome sense of agency. She knows her mind – she even makes jokes, almost unheard of in the soulful seamstress."
ArtsJournal
"Rodolfo and Mimi spend the rest of Act I lolling around the floor, though Corinne Winters somehow manages to project delectable sounds while hunched up with her back to the audience. Musically the show is dominated by Winters, whose sound is far bigger and more burnished than her waif-like frame might suggest."
The London Times
"Corinne Winters is a slight Mimì, who nevertheless summons warm tone to fill out Puccini’s romantic vocal lines."
Financial Times
"Corinne Winters shone as Mimì. Pure, clean, shimmering with delicate control when needed and with serious passion in her voice, I was enthralled. It’s always hard to get the acting right for Mimì, but this knowing, exhausted but still flickering with hope and grasping at raw straws of feeling was spot on. I’ve watched Mimì die many times, often wishing she’d get on with it, but this time I was genuinely moved, her death, off to one side, abandoned, ignored, drugged and wretched saddened me and I left sobered by this waste of life."
Gscene
"Corinne Winters made an excellent Mimi, with a voice full of emotion and vulnerability."
Daily Express
"Corinne Winters began promisingly as Mimì and, as the evening proceeded, rose to the role's vocal and dramatic challenges; her clean, appealing lyric soprano is turning into an instrument to watch."
Opera News
"Corinne Winters as Mimi offered bright, pure, unshakeable singing and a touchingly genuine character."
The Independent
“The muddle is relieved by Corinne Winters’ performance as Mimì. She’s a fine actor, who can convey as much with a wry smile or a quick turn of the head, as with her rich dark soprano voice. She’s touching and vulnerable, and makes the most of a botched staging.”
Blouin ArtInfo
“Winters and Borichevsky are formidable actors, good-looking and terrific to watch. She sings with gorgeous tone throughout…”
The Guardian
Corinne Winters Featured in The Independent
"She has everything: the voice, the charisma, the looks, the intensity, the acting...touching, vulnerable and vocally flexible, melting or brilliantly edgy as necessary." Corinne Winters speaks with The Independent about marketing opera to young people and her new life as a Londoner.
October 13, 2015
Photo by Becca Fay
Corinne Winters speaks with The Independent about marketing opera to young people and her new life as a Londoner.
Corinne Winters, the young American soprano, meets me at the London Coliseum. It has effectively been her artistic home since her breakthrough appearance as Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata in 2013. Her megawatt personality and quick, strong thinking remain undimmed after a full-on morning rehearsal for English National Opera’s new production of La bohème, in which she sings Mimi, perhaps Puccini’s best-loved heroine. At 32, she has everything: the voice, the charisma, the looks, the intensity, the acting. Her Violetta – touching, vulnerable and vocally flexible, melting or brilliantly edgy as necessary – apparently won her several years’ worth of further engagements.
New Website Launched for Baritone Weston Hurt
"Faultless — stylistically on the money, dramatically committed, and displaying a vocalism that was perfectly even from the top to the bottom of his range." Weston Hurt's signature roles are the complex, menacing, cajoling heroes and villains immortalized by Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti.
October 9, 2015
Verismo Communications is pleased to announce the launch of a new website for baritone Weston Hurt, whose signature roles are the complex, menacing, cajoling heroes and villains immortalized by Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti.
This season Hurt makes role debuts as two of the operatic repertoire's most formidable villains – Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca and Iago in Verdi's Otello. He returns to Seattle Opera for major role debuts as Talbot in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda and the title character in Verdi's Nabucco, inaugurates the Berkshire Opera Festival as Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and makes his New Orleans Opera debut in his signature role of Germont in Verdi's La traviata. During a brief hiatus from his onstage manipulations and pleading, Weston will mentor students at the University of Texas at Austin's Sarah and Ernest Butler Opera Center.
Jamie Barton Returns to Metropolitan Opera in Anna Bolena
"At 33, she seems poised for greatness." Jamie Barton brings her celebrated Jane Seymour to the Met stage alongside Sondra Radvanovsky as Anne Boleyn and Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII.
September 27, 2015
Photo by Ken Howard
““Ms. Barton’s sumptuous voice has utterly unforced carrying power. In head-to-head exchanges with Anna, Ms. Barton’s Giovanna held her own, trading fiery phrases and bursts of skittish passagework. Yet she was even more affecting during tender moments. In such passages Ms. Barton demonstrated how to send a long-lined Donizetti phrase wafting through the house. At 33, she seems poised for greatness.” THE NEW YORK TIMES”
Jamie Barton returns to the Metropolitan Opera, bringing her celebrated Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena to the Met stage, alongside American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Anne Boleyn and Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII. Barton is earning raves for her "glorious, plush, soaring voice" (Broadway World Opera) and "luminous tone." (The New Yorker)
Performances continue through January 9, 2016; tickets can be purchased through the Met website.
Read reviews:
"The superb mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton sings Giovanna (Jane), Anna’s disloyal lady-in-waiting, who has succumbed to the desires of the king. Ms. Barton’s sumptuous voice has utterly unforced carrying power. In head-to-head exchanges with Anna, Ms. Barton’s Giovanna held her own, trading fiery phrases and bursts of skittish passagework. Yet she was even more affecting during tender moments, when Giovanna despairs for having betrayed Anna and become the king’s mistress. In such passages Ms. Barton demonstrated how to send a long-lined Donizetti phrase wafting through the house. At 33, she seems poised for greatness."
The New York Times
"Radvanovsky had a splendid foil and partner in the voluptuous-voiced mezzo Jamie Barton as Giovanna Seymour, her rival for the king’s affections: Their revelation scene in Act II was a thrilling high point of the evening."
The Wall Street Journal
"Jamie Barton hit her stride in the crucial Act II duet with Boleyn, raising the emotional stakes for her and her counterpart to dizzying heights. There was urgent passion in her singing, and blooming sighs in her pleas for forgiveness, making this duet the electric highlight that it should be in every performance of this piece."
The Classical Review
"Singing the role of Anna’s rival is mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Barton not only applies a rhythmic mastery to her vocally arduous passages, she also intertwines them with a pathos this production does not often yield. Her dark, cavernous gravity across the low notes serves her well as Jane expresses the full horror of her actions. She replenishes her short contralto passages, such as ‘la mia sorta è fissa’, with both black guilt and resignation to destiny."
musicOMH
"Jamie Barton is another of the day’s career-defining performances. In another production delight, the vocally beautiful young American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brings her own impressive set of acting chops to Jane Seymour. Barton won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007, and at 33 brings a youthful abandon to her dark, rich, sonorous sound. Barton’s first act 'Ella di me solicit' is sung with superb bel canto technique, a pleasure that both sopranos offer in abundance. Fantastic singing throughout, absolutely. At times sublime. But it is the rich character work by each of the actors at the center of the love triangle, the strong dramatic choices and the clarity of scene that they bring to their performance that takes this production from very good to absolutely thrilling."
ZEALnyc
"Mezzo Jamie Barton has been accorded deserved praise as Adalgisa and now as Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena. Barton is the 2015 Richard Tucker Award winner and will be heard at the Nov.1 gala. Only in her mid-30s, Barton’s the real deal, potentially a singer for the ages."
WQXR Operavore
"Barton's sympathetic portrayal of Seymour shows her to be as much of a victim of Henry's quest for power as Anna and she had the audience from the moment she opened her mouth. She shows no signs of effort, with her glorious, soaring, plush voice, as she showed in 'Ah! pensate che rivolti'."
Broadway World Opera
"Abdrazakov sings the king with thuggish authority, and Jamie Barton is in sumptuous voice as his new paramour, Giovanna (Jane) Seymour."
The New Yorker
"Mezzo Jamie Barton, in the role of Henry’s scheming third wife-to-be Jane (Giovanna) Seymour, undertook her schemes with a purring mezzo that drew out all the part’s ruthless drive."
ConcertoNet
"Jamie Barton introduced a big, lush mezzo soprano and easy temperament as Giovanna Seymour."
Financial Times
"Jamie Barton was Giovanna Seymour, singing with a well-placed, resonant mezzo of notable beauty."
Opera Magazine
"In a house as big as the Met, 'Anna Bolena' is often cast with heavier, less idiomatic voices; plush lyric lines fare better than florid runs. Radvanovsky and Barton both sang with stamina, intelligence, and style. Barton, who played Jane Seymour, is a once in a generation talent who can sing Purcell and Wagner with equal authority. But agile music shortchanges her: you want to hear that luminous tone extend through the bar."
The New Yorker
"As her rival Jane Seymour, mezzo Jamie Barton revealed superb bel canto style, her singing ideally balanced between pinpoint control and runaway passion."
New York Observer
"The rest of the cast provided bel canto singing of the highest level. Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton’s voice—an instrument of singular beauty and amplitude—transcends an amiable stage persona that is at odds with suffering or tormented characters (as 2013’s Adalgisa, for example). In Donizetti’s opera, Giovanna (Queen Anne’s lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour) is the reluctant focus of the king’s attention. In the great Act II confrontation in which Anna figures this out, Barton conveyed Giovanna’s guilt and anguish with touching sincerity and glorious sound."
Opera News
"With the splendid mezzo Jamie Barton singing the role of Jane (or Giovanna) Seymour, this is an Anna Bolena that captures all the passion of one of history's most momentous love triangles. Ravanovsky's and Barton's thrilling second act duet, which begins with Anna's prayer and in which Anna learns that Giovanna is the king's new love interest, is of such raw emotional power and so magnificently sung, one is willing to forgive any historical liberties. Barton, singing only her third role at the Met has a soaring voice of crystal clarity and one hopes to hear more from her."
Huffington Post
Amanda Majeski Stars in Season Opener at Lyric Opera of Chicago
"Her tender and delicate singing approaches the transcendent." Amanda Majeski stars as the Countess in a new Barbara Gaines production of Le nozze di Figaro.
September 26, 2015
Photo by Todd Rosenberg
““Amanda Majeski’s Countess Almaviva proved the high point of the evening. She inhabited her role in such a way that its essence was illuminated, transcending the ludicrous stage business thrust upon her. Majeski exuded a radiant humanity that strongly recalled the late Elisabeth Soederstroem – and what a Jenufa or Katya Kabanova Majeski may prove to be! Her account of the fiendishly difficult “Dove sono” was notable for poise and polish, luminously sung and launched with a grandly phrased, deeply felt recitative. In a still young career, Majeski has moved from strength to strength.” GB OPERA MAGAZINE”
Amanda Majeski returns to her home company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, as the Countess in their season-opening production of Le nozze di Figaro, a role that also served as her Met debut last season. Critics have praised her Countess as "transcendent," (Stage and Cinema) responsible for "some of the opera’s most moving moments and most exquisite singing." (Chicago Sun-Times)
The cast includes Luca Pisaroni as the Count, Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Rachel Frenkel as Cherubino, and Christiane Karg as Susanna. Conducted by Henrik Nánási, performances run through October 24, with tickets available on the Lyric's site.
Read reviews:
"Luca Pisaroni and Amanda Majeski are both fine Mozarteans... Majeski sings with her customary poise, her creamy soprano blending beautifully with that of German soprano Christiane Karg."
Chicago Tribune
"His adoring, long-suffering, elegant wife, Countess Almaviva is Illinois-born soprano Amanda Majeski. The Countess’ pain is dealt with comically early on as she gorges sweets on the gargantuan bed she once shared with her husband. But some of the opera’s most moving moments (and most exquisite singing) come when she recalls the joys of her earlier days of passion with the Count, and then, in a duet with Susanna, she dictates a love letter suggesting an assignation between Susanna and the Count."
Chicago Sun-Times
"Amanda Majeski sang “Porgi amor” with delicate but resonant pathos and fluid evenness across registers."
Chicago Classical Review
"Majeski’s soprano is both luminous and ringing, and in the heart-breaking aria “Dove sono,” she moved convincingly from aching despair to a firm resolve to recapture the Count’s affection."
Musical America
"From one of the evening’s first gestures – Amanda Majeski, stately as the Countess, pulling the curtain down instead of letting it rise – one knew that this production would play up the opera’s mischievousness no less than its spectacle. But the Versailles bordello aesthetic that runs through much of this production’s visual style didn’t come close to overshadowing the vocal talent, which is very strong. Majeski’s trilling vibrato is most distinctive..."
Bachtrack
"Pisaroni is well-matched by Amanda Majeski, whose noble heart redeems her wayward husband. Her tender and delicate singing approaches the transcendent, from the poignant solo aria “Porgi amor” to the breathtaking duet “Sull’aria” (with Christiane Karg)."
Stage and Cinema
"Amanda Majeski’s Countess Almaviva proved the high point of the evening. She inhabited her role in such a way that its essence was illuminated, transcending the ludicrous stage business thrust upon her. Majeski exuded a radiant humanity that strongly recalled the late Elisabeth Soederstroem (and what a Jenufa or Katya Kabanova Majeski may prove to be!). Her account of the fiendishly difficult “Dove sono” was notable for poise and polish, luminously sung and launched with a grandly phrased, deeply felt recitative. In a still young career, Majeski has moved from strength to strength, justifying Lyric Opera’s confidence in its former Ryan Opera Center member."
GB Opera Magazine
Jamie Barton Subject of New York Times Feature
"A leader of a new generation of opera stars." Classical Music Editor Zachary Woolfe joined Jamie Barton as she recorded her first solo album, rehearsed a new role at the Metropolitan Opera, and performed at the Greene Space.
September 25, 2015
Photo by Stephanie Diani
The New York Times Classical Music Editor Zachary Woolfe joined Jamie Barton as she recorded her first solo album, rehearsed a new role at the Metropolitan Opera, and performed at the Greene Space. Woolfe calls Jamie "a leader of a new generation of opera stars" and Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb says, "Hopefully, there won't be a season she won't sing at the Met."
New Website Launched for Conductor Christopher Allen
"At once supportive, unassuming, and richly musical." Christopher Allen is currently The John L. Magro Resident Conductor for Cincinnati Opera, Associate Conductor at Los Angeles Opera, and was recently nominated as a finalist for the 2015 International Opera Awards in London in the “Newcomer” category.
September 24, 2015
Verismo Communications is pleased to announce the launch of a website for conductor Christopher Allen, who is currently The John L. Magro Resident Conductor for Cincinnati Opera, Associate Conductor at Los Angeles Opera, and was recently nominated as a finalist for the 2015 International Opera Awards in London in the “Newcomer” category.
This season, Mo. Allen makes his UK debut conducting The Barber of Seville at the English National Opera and debuts at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in a production of L’elisir d’amore directed by James Robinson. He made his debut as Resident Conductor of Cincinnati Opera leading Ricky Ian Gordon’s world premiere production of Morning Star and conducted the Cincinnati Symphony in Cincinnati Opera's Washington Park Concert. He will return to Cincinnati Opera for Tosca in 2016 and a third production in the summer of 2017.
Jamie Barton Featured in Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"It’s not often that the words 'down-to-earth' and 'opera star' are spoken in the same breath, but both terms fit mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton perfectly." Jamie Barton talks to the AJC about staying grounded and juggling stage time between the Metropolitan Opera and the DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia.
September 16, 2015
Photo by Brian Tarr
Jamie Barton talked with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about staying grounded and juggling stage time between the Metropolitan Opera and the DeSoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia, this month.
It’s not often that the words “down-to-earth” and “opera star” are spoken in the same breath, but both terms fit mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton perfectly. The Rome native and Atlanta resident has kept her winningly level-headed and humble outlook, even as the past few years have brought her dazzling success.
“I feel like the same person, but I feel like the same person operating in a new set of circumstances,” said Barton in a phone call from Houston, where she was preparing for a recital with the renowned Ars Lyrica ensemble.
“I have my family and friends in Georgia as well as around the world who really help me stay grounded in terms of keeping calm and making good decisions. This career can be overwhelming in so many ways, and in the past year or two, it’s certainly had its overwhelming moments.”
That’s putting it mildly.
Rolando Sanz to Executive Produce Concept Opera Starring Kristin Chenoweth
In April 2016, Rolando Sanz and Strathmore will present the world premiere of I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk, a concept opera by Grammy and Tony Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa.
September 9, 2015
In April 2016, Rolando Sanz and Strathmore will present the world premiere of I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk, the newest work by Grammy and Tony Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa.
Broadway superstar Kristin Chenoweth will join Lippa, along with a full symphonic orchestra and a cast of 140 actors and singers. Part choral work, part theater piece, this concept opera will bring to life two trailblazing stories of struggle, joy, passion, and ultimately, triumph.
Centuries apart, two reluctant prophets stood up for equality and changed the world. This groundbreaking World Premiere Concept Opera combines song, movement and powerful storytelling, bringing to life the emotional tales of two American icons.
Starring Broadway luminaries Kristin Chenoweth and Andrew Lippa, this stunning production magically weaves together the lives of 17th century women’s rights activist Anne Hutchinson and 1970s’ gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Separated by time, space, and culture, these two heroes were each lit from within by the same fierce passion for human dignity and devoted themselves to the fight for justice. This new, riveting theatrical work celebrates courage in the face of daunting odds, shining across the centuries from the hearts of two good people who achieved greatness.
Strathmore will partner with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the National Women’s History Museum, who will benefit from the proceeds of these performances.
Jamie Barton Debuts at Seattle Opera
"Barton is dazzling as Fenena, with a showstopper Act IV aria that displayed the lyricism and agility of this remarkable voice." Jamie Barton sings her first Fenena in Nabucco, a role that will also serve as her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut this season.
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 Makes BBC Proms Debut
"That joyfully dark, voluptuous and steady voice sucked us in from the first worried note to the last breath of emollient calm." Jamie Barton sings the Brahms Alto Rhapsody with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, under the baton of Marin Alsop.
September 2, 2015
Photo by Chris Christodoulou.
Mezzo Jamie Barton has made her BBC Proms debut, singing the Brahms Alto Rhapsody with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, led by Marin Alsop.
The Guardian writes, "the noble beauty of the sound was breathtaking" while the London Times writes that her "vocal finesse" and "joyfully dark, voluptuous and steady voice sucked us in from the first worried note to the last breath of emollient calm."
Barton will revisit the Alto Rhapsody this season with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra before traveling to Moscow for her Russian debut in a concert of Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
Read reviews:
"Marin Alsop’s Brahms concert with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment here formed the Proms debut of the American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, winner of Cardiff Singer of the World in 2013. Her Brahms singing on that occasion marked her out as an important interpreter of his music, an impression confirmed by her Proms performance of the Alto Rhapsody, one of his greatest works, though the unusual forces required – a male chorus in addition to alto and orchestra – have made it something of a rarity. Setting a text by Goethe, the rhapsody examines the nature of existential isolation and the potential of music to offer solace. Where some interpreters ramp up the angst, Barton was notably restrained: the only moment of overt passion came, tellingly, in the heft with which she uttered the statement that “human hatred” has forced Brahms’s traveller from his path. Elsewhere, the noble beauty of the sound was breathtaking."
The Guardian
"Why give opulent American mezzo and only possible winner of the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition Jamie Barton less than a quarter of an hour to shine in a masterpiece? Shine she did, with...a great voice – and Barton’s unquestionably is – with personality and feeling to match."
The Arts Desk
"Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, making her Proms debut, joined the orchestra and the male voices of the Choir of the Enlightenment for the Alto Rhapsody. Barton had an authoritative presence on stage, and drew us in with her rich low notes and touching communication of Goethe’s anguished words of despair. This was a moving performance which proved to be the evening's highlight. Jamie Barton emerged as the star of the evening."
Bachtrack
"It is a pity that these days the term ‘mezzo-soprano’ covers all lower-voice female soloists, because this is absolutely a piece for an old-fashioned contralto, and it was performed majestically as just that. Barton produces some beautifully sweet top notes, but her lower register is magnificent – the bottom A-flat was especially sonorous."
MusicOMH
"Vocal finesse shone from the Alto Rhapsody too, thanks to the wonderful American mezzo Jamie Barton. That joyfully dark, voluptuous and steady voice sucked us in from the first worried note to the last breath of emollient calm."
The London Times
Amanda Majeski Featured in CS Modern Luxury Magazine
"Although fate may have jump-started Majeski's career, pure talent propels it." Amanda Majeski talks with CS Modern Luxury magazine about stepping up to the plate and which opera character she'd like to chat with over coffee.
September 1, 2015
Amanda Majeski talks with CS Modern Luxury magazine about stepping up to the plate and which opera character she'd like to chat with over coffee.
It seems lyric soprano Amanda Majeski was just meant to sing Countess Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In 2010, the Gurnee native took to the Lyric Opera of Chicago stage on short notice, when bronchitis sidelined the scheduled star. And last season, she did the same at the Metropolitan Opera when the slated Russian diva dropped out of Richard Eyre's new production. But she did more than step up to the plate; she made the role her own. Although fate may have jump-started Majeski's career, pure talent propels it.
Jamie Barton Featured in Seattle Times
“My first instinct is to go for a very sympathetic Fenena. I’m a big believer in bringing beauty into the story when I can." 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.
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..."