Jamie Barton Makes Acclaimed Royal Opera House Covent Garden Debut
"Jamie Barton is a first-rate Fenena." Barton joined operatic legend Plácido Domingo on BP Big Screens around the U.K. and smaller screens around the globe via a Royal Opera House YouTube live stream.
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
Amanda Majeski Returns to Glyndebourne
“Amanda Majeski made the best Eva I have heard in years, true of pitch and pure of tone, comfortable in all reaches of the part and emotionally persuasive from beginning to end." Majeski returns to the rolling hills of Glyndebourne as Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
May 25, 2016
Photo by Tristram Kenton
““Amanda Majeski’s ravishingly sung Eva radiates disembodied beauty.” THE INDEPENDENT”
Soprano Amanda Majeski returned to the Glyndebourne Festival as Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opposite Gerald Finley as Hans Sachs.
The handsome David McVicar production, in which Majeski had previously starred at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, also features Michael Schade, Jochen Kupfer, Alastair Miles, David Portillo, and Hanna Hipp.
Performances run through June 27; tickets can be purchased via the Glyndebourne site.
Read reviews:
“Amanda Majeski made the best Eva I have heard in years, true of pitch and pure of tone, comfortable in all reaches of the part and emotionally persuasive from beginning (fidgeting in the church pew) to end (despair at Walther’s initial rejection of the Guild). The radiant B flat with which she crowned the quintet was perfection.”
Opera Magazine
"Amanda Majeski’s ravishingly sung Eva radiates disembodied beauty under the cobbler-poet Sachs’s benediction."
The Independent
"Amanda Majeski is a lovely, silvery-voiced Eva."
Financial Times
"Amanda Majeski (Eva) and Hanna Hipp (Magdalene) both demonstrated those qualities [passion and ardor] abundantly towards Walther and David as the respective objects of their romantic affections; indeed, vocally, they were very similar in tone and excellence."
Classical Source
"Majeski’s voice has an inhaled ease to it, blooming with no obvious strain or overwork."
The Arts Desk
"Amanda Majeski’s Eva fulfilled most of the promise which she had shown as the Countess in the 2013 Le nozze di Figaro, her touching intonation and unaffected stage presence ideal for Wagner’s ‘little Ev’chen’."
musicOMH
"The American soprano Amanda Majeski was Eva. Reminiscent of Gundula Janowitz, she launched the quintet exquisitely and looked very pretty to boot."
The Telegraph
Jamie Barton Lands on Front Page of Wall Street Journal
Barton featured in "How Bugs Bunny and ‘Kill the Wabbit’ Inspired a Generation of Opera Stars."
May 20, 2016
““He picks up the wabbit and he thinks, ‘Oh, no, I’ve actually killed it.’ This is the wonderful thing about opera. It’s the musical embodiment of the whirlwind of emotions of human beings, right?” JAMIE BARTON”
Jamie Barton, along with three Washington National Opera Ring colleagues, appeared on the front page of this weekend's Wall Street Journal, discussing the influence of Bugs Bunny's 'What's Opera, Doc.' Barton was also featured in an accompanying video on the WSJ website.
Corinne Winters Makes Opernhaus Zürich Debut
"Winters exudes the fascination of a very exceptional woman in every moment." Corinne Winters sings Mélisande in a new, psychoanalytically inspired Dmitri Tcherniakov production of Pelléas et Mélisande.
May 10, 2016
Photo by Toni Suter
““Able to transport the hearts of the audience with intense, exemplarily restrained artistic power, and incredible vocal qualities and feelings throughout. Corinne Winters is the fragile Mélisande not only superficially, but is also in her timbre an ideal candidate for this traumatized, enigmatic being. Her direct and wonderfully easy and appealing soprano captivates with its evenness, with force or pale fragility according to the mood.” OPER AKTUELL”
Corinne Winters makes her Opernhaus Zürich debut this month as Mélisande in a new Dmitri Tcherniakov production of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande.
The psychoanalytically inspired production, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, also stars Brindley Sherratt as Arkel, Jacques Imbrailo as Pelléas, and Kyle Ketelsen as Golaud. Performances run through May 29.
Read more reviews:
"Altinoglu’s orchestra plays transparently and elegantly, and the singers on stage follow with corresponding expression and timbre. Above all, Corinne Winters, who, as an inconspicuous drug addict, exudes the fascination of a very exceptional woman in every moment."
Deutschlandradio Kultur
"The two meet each other with an almost beastly, incorporeal hypersensitivity – Corinne Winters and Jacques Imbrailo, both debutants at the Opera House – acting and singing with touching delicacy and entirely skillful empathy for one another. Pelléas understands that a serious, unspoken trauma prevents Mélisande from physically loving even him. Winters plays this with distressing credibility."
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
"Lying on the couch with frightened eyes and a dark, glowing soprano is the American Corinne Winters, who reveals that she has experienced something terrible. Though Golaud increasingly loses his patience with her hints, short sentences, and non-answers, the audience who sees and hears her is fascinated: her acting could not be more on point."
Tages Anzeiger
"That this complex concept is so perfectly implemented by this highly balanced ensemble speaks not only of of their acting talent, but also of Tcherniakov’s extremely precise direction – he has found for each person their own body language. Corinne Winters is an ideal Mélisande, this traumatized young woman who – we imagine – experienced something terrible in her childhood. Here again the fabulous artist: Corinne Winters possesses in her clear voice a fine range of colorations that reflect her emotional state of mind. Once dreamy, delicate, velvety, then again disappointed, almost shouting, but never abandoning either the vocal tone or seeming true. Just great."
Der Neue Merker
"The manifestations of trauma are the meat here, and Corinne Winters (Mélisande) played that for all it was worth. She eventually even traded her casual black sweats for a rather unsightly Egyptian caftan; which was incongruous, but hardly as strange as the unkempt hair that made her more of a homeless person than a woman who might win hearts. Nevertheless, win hearts she did."
Bachtrack
“With her warm sounding soprano, Corinne Winters gives us a really impressive Mélisande and acts fantastically. She sings the highest notes with extraordinary ease. Her warm timbre fills the whole opera.”
Plays To See
“Winters can express such fragility with her inflection and ringing soprano.”
Vorarlberger Nachrichten
“Corinne Winters is dazzling. Defiant rejection and vulnerable fragility are equally present in the young American’s portrayal, and in her flexible voice the raw mixes with the seductive. In addition, she had superb diction, as did everyone in this very special, exquisite ensemble.”
Peter Hagmann
“Corinne Winters as Mélisande finds with her versatile soprano the balance between rebellious and helpless responses, her spiritual destruction and the slow extinction of her life force created with touching intensity.”
Beckmesser
“Happily, although there was not a single Frenchman among the cast, the Debussy style of language and voice as one was always there. Corinne Winters, a small, fragile person in a tracksuit, is a lithe and sensitive Mélisande, both childlike and sensual.”
Badische Zeitung
“The singers were very well placed in this colorful Debussy sound, especially the young American Corinne Winters as Mélisande, with many vocal variations and an intensely watchable portrayal of this rewarding soprano role.”
Musik und Theater
Conductor Christopher Allen Recognized by Solti Foundation U.S.
The 30-year-old maestro receives a 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award.
May 3, 2016
Photo by Gabriel Gastelum
Christopher Allen, John L. Magro Resident Conductor at Cincinnati Opera, and Associate Conductor at Los Angeles Opera, has been named as a recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award.
Now in its twelfth year of assisting outstanding young U.S. conductors to further develop their talent and careers, the Solti Foundation U.S. is the foremost organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to helping young conductors.
The mission of the Solti Foundation U.S. is to identify, support and promote emerging young American conductors as they launch their classical careers.
Established in 2000 to honor the memory of Sir Georg Solti by lending significant support to career-ready young American musicians, the Foundation endeavors to seek out those musicians who have chosen to follow a path similar to that followed by Sir Georg himself.
American Western Opera Launches Digital Homestead
Riders of the Purple Sage, based on Zane Grey's iconic Western novel, will receive its world premiere at Arizona Opera in 2017.
April 29, 2016
Riders of the Purple Sage, an American Western opera composed by Craig Bohmler with a libretto by Steven Mark Kohn, will receive its world premiere at Arizona Opera in 2017.
Based on Zane Grey's most famous novel, the story of Riders is remarkably relevant today – tackling issues of women's independence, faith vs. fundamentalism, abuse of power, and guns in society. Complex issues are given human faces, with sharply drawn characters like Jane Withersteen, our morally incorruptible heroine, and Lassiter, the "John Wayne of Opera.”
Riders is a visceral experience that raises Big Questions and allows audiences to seek their own answers through the pure emotional experience of opera. The music style is influenced by Carlisle Floyd, Stephen Sondheim, and Kurt Weill, and utilizes the musical idioms of Western film soundtracks.
The world premiere production will star baritone Morgan Smith (Starbuck in Jake Heggie's Heggie's Moby-dick) as Lassiter, opposite the Jane Withersteen of Karin Wolverton (Anna Sorensen in Kevin Puts's Silent Night). Sets will be designed by famed Southwest landscape artist Ed Mell, with stage direction by Fenlon Lamb and Keitaro Harada conducting.
Corinne Winters Talks Iconic Heroines, Health, and Writing with Schmopera
Ahead of her Opernhaus Zürich debut as Mélisande in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Corinne Winters talks with Schmopera about playing those coveted roles, her offstage creative outlets, and how she stays happy and healthy on the road.
April 25, 2016
Ahead of her Opernhaus Zürich debut as Mélisande in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Corinne Winters talks with Schmopera about playing those coveted roles, her offstage creative outlets, and how she stays happy and healthy on the road.
"I can relate to all of these iconic heroines (and this is probably why they're iconic!): Desdemona loves bad boys, Mimì is a practical girl with an artistic soul, Tatiana is a bookish romantic, and Donna Anna is a Daddy's girl. That pretty much sums me up! In all seriousness, I think it's the performer's job to be true to the source material while still portraying the contrast and humanity of a character. I vow never, ever to play an archetype.
I don't find that the process changes based on the role, but rather the cast and team. Each production is its own living, breathing entity, and the team dynamic really sets the tone for the process. I love that I can never go on autopilot – I'm forced to stay present with how the process unfolds in that particular moment."
Rolando Sanz Brings Andrew Lippa Concept Opera to Strathmore
Executive Producer Rolando Sanz brought Lippa's latest work, a concept opera starring Kristin Chenoweth, to Washington, D.C. this weekend.
April 24, 2016
Composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa, Jacquie Sanz, Executive Producer Rolando Sanz, and star Kristin Chenoweth
Executive Producer Rolando Sanz brought the world premiere of Andrew Lippa's latest work, a concept opera called I Am Anne Hutchinson / I Am Harvey Milk, to the Music Center at Strathmore near Washington, D.C. this weekend.
Starring Kristin Chenoweth and composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa, the work deals with two reluctant prophets speaking up for women's rights and gay rights.
The production was met with critical acclaim, with the Washington Post raving, "This is music as activism, celebratory and inspirational. Strathmore gets very high marks for pulling together this premiere; surely – hopefully – this won’t be the last time Lippa and Chenoweth perform Anne/Harvey with the full battalion of musical support marshaled here."
Featuring forces of 175 musicians, the production was directed by Noah Himmelstein. Before the premiere, Rolando spoke with Classicalite and Broadway World Opera about the experience of mounting the project and the middle-of-the-night stroke of inspiration that led to coining the new "concept opera" genre.
Creative team and cast of I Am Anne Hutchinson / I Am Harvey Milk
Corinne Winters to Make San Diego Opera Debut
Corinne Winters will sing her signature role of Violetta in Verdi's La traviata in Marta Domingo's Roaring Twenties era production.
April 19, 2016
Corinne Winters will make her San Diego Opera debut in the 2016/17 season, singing her signature role of Violetta in Verdi's La traviata.
Next season, Winters will tackle the famously difficult role in three different productions, also appearing as Violetta at Seattle Opera and at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
In San Diego, she will be joined onstage by Joshua Guererro as Alfredo and Stephen Powell as Germont. Stephen Lord conducts Marta Domingo's Roaring Twenties era production.
Performances will run April 22-30, 2017.
Jamie Barton Talks Wagner & Bluegrass with Schmopera
Ahead of her Washington National Opera debut as Waltraute/2nd Norn in Götterdämmerung, Jamie Barton talks with Schmopera about her goal to bridge the gap between the art form she does on a daily basis with the art form she grew up loving.
April 12, 2016
Ahead of her Washington National Opera debut as Waltraute/2nd Norn in Götterdämmerung, Jamie Barton talks with Schmopera about Wagner, bluegrass, and her goal to bridge the gap between the art form she grew up loving and the art form she now does on a daily basis.
Barton grew up on a farm, surrounded not by classical music, but by Bluegrass. "That's kind of where I think I got an ear for virtuosic music. I absolutely still love it," she says, enthusiastically. "If I'm ever listening to Bluegrass then I'm probably missing home a little bit." She's a big fan of Chris Thile's music, and his collaborations with the Punch Brothers. "It is everything from Brandenburg Concertos to their own music which sounds at times very traditionalist for Bluegrass, and then at other times," she chuckles, "like Schoenberg had a baby with Earl Scruggs."
Jamie Barton to Make Much-Anticipated Atlanta Symphony Debut
Jamie Barton will sing Elgar's Sea Pictures with her hometown orchestra in November 2016.
April 6, 2016
Jamie Barton will make a long-awaited debut with her hometown orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, in the 2016/17 season.
Barton will perform Elgar's Sea Pictures on a program that also features soprano Tamara Wilson and baritone Brian Mulligan in the Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, a signature piece that won the orchestra three GRAMMY® awards in 2003.
Performances will be November 3 and 5, 2016; tickets will be available via the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra website. Barton will also perform the Elgar, along with other Songs of the Sea, with the Florida Orchestra, before decamping to the dry land of Nabucco at the Metropolitan Opera in December.
Corinne Winters to Bookend Her 2016/17 Season at Royal Opera House
Corinne Winters will make her ROH Covent Garden debut as Fiordiligi in a new production of Così fan tutte in the fall and return in the summer in her signature role of Violetta in La traviata.
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
Jamie Barton will make dual role and house debuts in Verdi's Don Carlo as part of Deutsche Oper Berlin's 2016/17 season.
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.
Jamie Barton sings "O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlo with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2016.
Amanda Majeski to Debut at Washington National Opera on 2016/17 Opening Night
"Dignified and moving...a great showcase for her rich, resonant soprano." Amanda Majeski will bring her acclaimed Countess to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
March 8, 2016
Amanda Majeski will make her Washington National Opera debut as the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro on opening night of the 2016/17 season.
The Kennedy Center production will complete a trilogy of opening night Figaro performances for Majeski, a run that began at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014 and continued at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2015.
Majeski will be joined by Lisette Oropesa as Susanna, Joshua Hopkins as Count Almaviva, Ryan McKinny as Figaro, and Aleksandra Romano as Cherubino, under the baton of James Gaffigan in a Peter Kazaras production.
Performances will run September 22 – October 2, 2016, with the September 24 performance simulcast to Nationals Stadium for the popular M&M’S Opera in the Outfield event.
Photo by Todd Rosenberg
Jamie Barton Featured in Atlanta Magazine
"She sounds so richly experienced, so old-school, with a coloratura that is pure Technicolor..." Jamie Barton graces the glossy pages of the March issue, talking music from bluegrass to Bizet, and staying true to her Georgia roots on the road.
March 4, 2016
Jamie Barton appears in the March issue of Atlanta Magazine, talking about banjos, Bizet, and how the diva mentality has no place in modern opera.
Barton may be an artistic throwback in some ways, but she does not adhere to its accompanying stereotype: She's no diva.
"The diva mentality is very antiquated and has no place in modern opera," she says. "It's a distance that's selfish to your colleagues and your audience members. I prefer to think of us as a big community, a family of people, and you don't hold your family at arm's length."
Photo by John Fulton for Atlanta Magazine
Amanda Majeski Appears on WTTW's Chicago Tonight
Amanda Majeski appeared in a televised interview, talking about Lyric Opera of Chicago's Der Rosenkavalier and performing a Strauss excerpt and Bolcom's "Amor."
March 2, 2016
Amanda Majeski joined Chicago Tonight for an interview and performances of Strauss and Bolcom.
Amanda Majeski has been bringing her distinctive soprano voice to operatic roles on stages in the U.K., Spain, Germany and Switzerland. Closer to home, she's currently on stage in Der Rosenkavalier at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Jamie Barton to Star in Two Metropolitan Opera Productions in 2016/17
Jamie Barton will debut as Jezibaba in an imaginative new Mary Zimmerman production of Dvorak's Rusalka and bring her celebrated Fenena to the Met stage alongside Plácido Domingo as the title character in Nabucco. Both productions will be Met Live in HD broadcasts in cinemas worldwide.
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.
Amanda Majeski to Return to Metropolitan Opera in 2016/17
Amanda Majeski will make her house role debut as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
February 17, 2016
Photo by Kelly and Massa Photography
Amanda Majeski will return to the Metropolitan Opera in the 2016/17 season in her house debut as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Majeski's Elvira has been praised for her "wonderful vocal and psychological specificity" (Philadelphia Inquirer) and deemed "a revelation. A strange figure, Donna Elvira, but made human by Majeski's devastating rendition of her plight." (Broadway World)
Fabio Luisi will conduct performances on November 1, 4, and 10, 2016, also starring Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role, Matthew Rose as Leporello, Malin Byström as Donna Anna, Ramón Vargas as Don Ottavio, Nadine Sierra as Zerlina, and Adam Plachetka as Masetto.
Amanda will also perform as part of the 50th Anniversary Gala, celebrating the Met's golden anniversary in its home in Lincoln Center. Tickets are available through the Met website.
Rolando Sanz Featured on Schmopera
"One does not need to "appreciate" singing to know what good singing is...we all know it when we hear it, and the goosebumps are proof positive of that." Rolando Sanz talks with Schmopera about listening to the greats, trusting oneself, and giving Aretha Franklin the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves.
February 17, 2016
Rolando Sanz talks with Schmopera about listening to the greats, trusting oneself, and giving Aretha Franklin the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves.
"Tenor Rolando Sanz has an enviable schedule, singing roles like Alfredo in La traviata, Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, and Rodolfo in La bohème. He reprises Alfredo with Ash Lawn Opera in May, and he's currently juggling understudy responsibilities at The Metropolitan Opera for their ongoing production of Otello. Despite his busy schedule, Sanz found time to talk about his bucket list roles, and all the things "good singing" can mean. "One does not need to "appreciate" singing to know what good singing is...we all know it when we hear it, and the goosebumps are proof positive of that."
Corinne Winters Debuts as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello
"Stunning, intense, and heartbreaking." Corinne Winters is earning raves for her first Desdemona in Opera Vlaanderen's new Michael Thalheimer production.
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