“The staggering, joyful artistry of Joyce DiDonato reminds us that in any generation there are a few giants. Joyce is not only a great, brave and inspiring artist – one of the finest singers of our time- but she is also a transformative presence in the arts. Those who know her repertoire are in awe of her gifts, and those who know nothing of it are instantly engaged. Joyce sings and the world is suddenly brighter. She compels us to listen actively, to hear things anew."
Jake Heggie, Gramophone, May 2012
Maria Stuarda / Houston Grand Opera
Cond. Patrick Summers
“There is no one like her on the opera stage today. She is a star, a superstar, in fact... a radiant and attractive stage presence whose heat can be felt by an audience; an effortless light that illuminates her character; and, the prima quality for any singer, a flawless technique and lush vocal tone that flies through whatever roulades, filigree and stratospheric heights the composer asks. She is a phenomenon… young and on the ascendant cusp of her career, she is the future of opera… Hail to the queen. Hail, DiDonato! Long may you reign!"
D.L Groover, Houston Press, April 2012
“DiDonato’s singing of the role’s florid passages is first rate… with seamless legato and gorgeous tone.”
George Loomis, Financial Times, April 2012
“With not only voice but also personality to burn, DiDonato's gorgeously sung, passionately acted Mary is the jewel in the crown of the show… From her first aria expressing her joy at being allowed to walk in the open air, DiDonato brings Mary to vibrant life - exuding nobility and grace under pressure, yet also warmly human. With her legato phrasing, the power and clarity of her vocal production, there's no part of her range in which she does not sing with distinction. She dispatches the more complicated ornamental passages with fluidity and bravura ease, with a velvety warmth in her high notes, and remarkable throaty fervor in her lower register. The entire closing scene is her tour de force.
Everett Evans, Chron.com, April 2012
“…quite miraculous… stunning in the part, making something very great out of each and every phrase. The first thing to glow over in this Maria Stuarda is her brilliant range. She really gives attention to the lower notes, which are golden and resonant, almost jewel-like. The phrasing is smooth and well-connected.
“Perhaps the thing that stunned me the most was her quiet intensity in certain arias sung pianissimo, yet ringing clear as a bell in the large theatre... In the final scene depicting her ascent to the scaffold, it’s hard not to be moved deeply when she sings… This is, after all, a tragic opera, and DiDonato demonstrated why with brilliant conviction.”
Theodore Bale, Culture Map Houston, April 2012
“DiDonato sang with commanding power, silken elegance of line and deep expressiveness. She captured Mary's fierce pride and desperation as well as her religious piety and courage in the face of death… In the florid passages, her embellishments were exquisite ' and all the more effective for seeming to flow spontaneously from her character's state of mind."
Mike Silverman, San Francisco Chronicle, April 2012
Kansas City SO / Helzberg Hall
“When Joyce DiDonato comes to town it’s not just an event worth attending. It’s a cause for celebration…DiDonato presented the music that was sublime and profound… (she) exhibited great tonal beauty, astonishing lyricism and expression. Her lower register was solid and resonant, while the upper range was vibrant and rich. The ornamental passages with their rapid runs were especially striking."
Timothy L McDonald, Kansascity.com, March 2012
Avery Fisher Hall / New York Philharmonic Tour
“This highly romantic work is performed fairly often, but rarely as effectively as in this performance by Joyce DiDonato… her phrasing was exquisite and her voice retained both richness of tone and projection throughout her range, from a whisper to full-voiced intensity. In the breezy ‘L île inconnue', DiDonato had us ready to sail away with her to anywhere at all!"
David M. Rice, Classical Source, February 2012
The Barbican / New York Philharmonic Tour
“DiDonato delivered an artlessly optimistic ‘Villanelle’, a vaporous 'Le spectre de la rose’ and a lilting ‘L'île inconnue’ before bobbing off in the breeze to a land of undying love. Not that she had far to bob: the very walls of the Barbican hall, not to mention its inhabitants, were poised to embrace this adored diva whose modesty is an eternal miracle in itself.”
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian, February 2012
“Best of all, though, was Joyce DiDonato’s performance of Berlioz’s song-cycle Les nuits d’été. She was especially fine in the tragic songs, which she captured with superb dignified gravity, and the orchestra responded in kind.”
Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph, February 2012
Diva/Divo; (Virgin/EMI)
“The varying roles place considerable demands on the singer’s capacity to create character and gender by vocal means alone. It is a tribute to her vocal dexterity and musical intelligence that she succeeds in repertoire ranging from classical Mozart to high romantic Berlioz.”
Colman Morrissey, The Irish Times, January 2012
Sycorax / The Enchanted Island / The Met
“Musically, the best moments came from Ms. DiDonato, a tragic heroine adrift in a sea of comedy.”
Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal, January 2012
“Joyce DiDonato brings venomous humor and her fabled technique to Sycorax.”
Manuela Hoelterhoff, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 2012
“The mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato was Sycorax. She commanded the stage from her first showcase scene, when she plotted her revenge on Prospero in Maybe soon, maybe now (music from Handel’s Teseo), singing with cool control, then bursting into fearless flights of passagework.”
Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, January 2012
“Joyce DiDonato cackled, curled and soared with virtuosic flair in the bitchy-witchy spasms of Sycorax.”
Martin Bernheimer, Financial Times, January 2012
“Artful and smooth.”
Zachary Woolfe, New York Observer, January 2012
“The best moments came from Ms. DiDonato, a tragic heroine adrift in a sea of comedy.”
Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal, January 2012
Flicka Gala / Herbst Theatre / Acc. Jake Heggie
"On such a star-studded night, the biggest dazzler was DiDonato, who brought liquid amber tone and cut-diamond precision to several pieces, including Rossini's "Nacqui all'affanno... Non piu mesta," from La Cenerentola."
Richard Scheinin, LexisNexis News, December 2011
Elena in Rossini La Donna del Lago / La Scala
Cond. Roberto Abbado
“Joyce DiDonato gave the leading role of Elena, suffering under the male dominance so typical of her era, a wonderful injection of emancipatory dynamism. In her erotically-charged duets with Flórez, we had the rare experience of hearing two noble and technically perfect voices intertwining. There were indeed moments when DiDonato's warm cowgirl soprano was reminiscent of the love-lorn tones of Callas. She was simply marvellous!”
Dirk Schümer, Franffurter Allgemeine, November 2011
"Joyce DiDonato shows skill in every sentence, phrase and colour, reminding us that bel canto means to be expressively virtuosic. This is also shown in the memorable vocal fireworks of the final rondo, which shows off this great American singer’s mind-boggling trills and agility."
Giornale dei Lavoratori, November 2011
Donna Elvira / Don Giovanni
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden / Mahler Chamber Orchestra
“Joyce DiDonato’s big aria in the second Act ('Mi tradi-quell' alma ingrata') was the emotional core of the music. Her deeply touching and expressive rendering made it one of the highlights of the evening.”
Christopher Root, Online Musik Magazin, August 2011
Title Role / Massenet Cendrillon / Royal Opera House
Cond. Bertrand de Billy / Dir. Laurent Pelly
“At the heart of the evening was Joyce DiDonato as Lucette, the titular Cendrillon. Few singers walk the stage with less of a barrier between them and the audience – DiDonato is a natural communicator, and she caught the simple charm of the girl to perfection. Likewise her voice was fresh, and though the role often lies at the top of her natural range she made the vocal line sound beautiful and unforced. Her duets with the richer-toned and coltish Prince Charmant of Alice Coote in fact edged into the somewhat more erotic sound-world of Esclarmonde, but a little spice amidst the sweetness was not amiss.”
Francis Muzzu, Opera Now, November 2011
“…this deservedly popular Kansas-born "Yankeediva" exudes intelligence and artistry in every nuance… Cendrillon is gentle, serious and love-struck, with some deliciously high, floating lines which had DiDonato at her pianissimo best.”
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, July 2011
“Massenet's heroine is warm, forgiving, resourceful. Di Donato captures these qualities perfectly…”
Anna Picard, The Independent on Sunday, July 2011
“[Joyce Didonato’s] voice is as ever gloriously refulgent.”
Clare Colvin, The Express, July 2011
“Cendrillon… is sung by mezzo of the moment, Joyce DiDonato, who also starred in the production’s Santa Fe outing. And star quality just about describes her performance here... She produced exquisite pianissimos all evening, the rapt audience utterly entranced, while able to pull out the stops in Act III as the aftermath of the ball hits her.”
Opera Britannia, July 2011
“Without doubt, DiDonato is a consummate artist with sensitive musicality and a strong stage presence.”
Musical Criticism, July 2011
“Joyce DiDonato is an appealing and sympathetic Lucette, perfectly adjusting her vocal palette to match the very varied musical moods of Massenet’s music. She catches the doleful and anxious sides of the girl as well as her moments of happiness and elation... A treasurable performance.”
Classical Source, July 2011
“Joyce DiDonato sings Cinderella… with a winning combination of resolve and vulnerability.”
Erica Jeal, The Guardian, July 2011
"Nobody will be disappointed in Joyce DiDonato, singing the title-role with all the gleaming tone, pellucid projection and smiling warmth for which she is justly celebrated."
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, July 2011
Handel Ariodante / Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis (Virgin Classics CD)
“[Curtis’] secret weapon is mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, tackling the title role with a combination of tenderness and technical bravura.”
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, June 2011
Rossini Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Il Turco in Italia, Moise et Pharaon (Arthaus Musik DVD)
“In her showpiece role as Rosina, Joyce DiDonato proved herself to be a gifted singing actress. Her fight for freedom from the repression of the burka became a charm offensive in her hands. Vocally, the American mezzo delighted the audience with gleaming top notes, daredevil ornamentation and tasteful interpretation.”
Klassik.com, June 2011
Handel Ariodante / Théâtre des Champs Élysées
Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis
“The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées was full to the brim, and it seemed that a large proportion of the audience had come to hear Joyce DiDonato sing the role of Ariodante. They would not be disappointed. The performance of the American mezzo-soprano, who sings so naturally and joyfully, was inspired. Her voice, crowned with a splendid top register, has never sounded so rich and well projected. Her interpretation had matured, her virtuosity was impressive and her energy; staggering. When Joyce DiDonato sang, there wasn’t a single cough throughout the whole auditorium; the audience held its breath. Her performance was sensational: it was a truly beautiful and all too rare moment of real opera.”
ForumOpera.com, May 2011
Handel Ariodante / Il Complesso Barocco / Barbican
Cond. Alan Curtis
“By casting Joyce DiDonato in the title role, the performance was dealt an ace in its starting hand, giving it an odds-on probability of success. The quality of DiDonato’s voice means that she can spin the longest of lyrical lines and play with tone colours without ever losing her beautifully luminous sheen. The fast music had the agility one would expect of a singer equally adept at Rossini.”
The Financial Times, 4 stars, May 2011
“In the title role – a medieval knight whose world falls apart when he believes his fiancee faithless – Joyce DiDonato was accomplished in her every gesture, physical or vocal, and turned the famous showpiece Dopo Notte into something as elegant as it was triumphant.”
The Guardian, 4 stars, 2011
“The sticking point for Handel agnostics are those epic arias. Da capo, they are called, meaning ‘from the beginning’, and it’s precisely the sense that everything is starting over again, the aria is never going to end, and you are certainly going to miss the 9.47 from London Bridge — and possibly the one after, too — that tends to put you off.”
“This is why Joyce DiDonato deserved her top billing at the Barbican’s concert performance of Handel’s 1735 opera. Of course, it helps that the title character has two of the best arias in Handel’s output: Scherza infida, where Ariodante rages bitterly at his apparently faithless beloved, and Dopo notte, where he rejoices in their improbable reunion.”
“But DiDonato really thought her way into these showpieces, building up an enthralling portrait of a man, or perhaps teen, trapped by his own naive braggadocio. “I knew this would happen, I knew I was too special for her,” DiDonato seemed to be saying in the first aria, unbearably plausible. And rather than just uncorking the sunshine in the final monologue, this 'Dopo Notte' really journeyed from embarrassed self-doubt (“do I really deserve this?”) to ecstatic abandon. And all this wrapped up in a mezzo spun as finely and warmly as a yard of golden silk.”
The Times, 4 stars, May 2011
"It is impossible to imagine these roles more elegantly and gorgeously sung than they were here: Joyce DiDonato (Ariodante) stopped the clocks with a heart-rending ‘Scherza infida’ and then had us all reeling with the virtuosity of her ‘Dopo notte’."
The Telegraph, May 2011
Reviewer rating: 4 STARS / Reader rating: 5 STARS
"DiDonato wonderfully essayed the trajectory of human experience expressed in the role, from serene confidence through heartbreak and the contemplation of the dark side of human nature to regained bliss. She projected that range, too, in both her voice and her body language. In the elegiac, suicidal 'Scherza Infida', sung as Ariodante reflects on the apparent infidelity of her betrothed, Ginevra, she spun Handel's desolate, wayward line to extraordinarily poignant effect, with an imaginative chromatic flourish in the ornamentation of the final cadence (inspiring the bassoon obligato player to decorate his own plangent line to similar effect). In her final triumphal aria, 'Dopo notte', she displayed virtuoso technique and compelling artistry, holding her head high for the exuberantly ornamental cadenza."
"For all that it was a concert performance, DiDonato, and indeed all her colleagues, brought the drama to life with facial expressions and gestures."
"Great Ariodantes of the past and present include Janet Baker, Anne Sofie von Otter and Sarah Connolly. DiDonato joins their ranks."
London Evening Standard, 26 May 2011
"[...] as so often with Handel, the packed ship and its glistening booty inevitably tilted to one passenger and one casket of gems: to Joyce DiDonato and 'Scherza infida'."
"A small essay could be written on what DiDonato did with these inspired bars of music ['Scherza infida']. Suffice to say, her face, body and voice became an extraordinary emotional Rubik's Cube scrambling for a solution. Anger led to grief, led to self-pity, led to despair, led to violence, led to relief. Many of the shifts in sentiment came through a simple reconfiguring of the weightings of words. Some came from textural manipulation. In the B section, DiDonato thinned the vocal line out to a spectral trace then returned it, stealthily, to 'Scherza infida' with a soft and menacing pungency. It was one of the most carefully detailed, artistically assured and musically thrilling pieces of singing and acting I've seen and heard in a long while."
"Only DiDonato added to her earlier Oscar-winning contributions with some crystal clear and thunderous coloratura."
The Arts Desk, 26 May 2011
Isolier in Rossini Le Comte Ory
Met Opera / cond. Maurizio Benini / dir. Bartlett Sher
“You can bet that after hearing the dazzling mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato sing two minutes of
music for Isolier, Ory’s wily page, Rossini would have jumped up and said: “Wow! But Isolier has no
aria. I’ve got to fix that right away.”
Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, April 2011
“Perhaps best of all, American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato sang Isolier with luxuriant tone and
dazzling agility — and made one wish the role were bigger.”
Mike Silverman, Associated Press, March 2011
“The most astonishing scene comes toward the end of Act II. Adèle has bonded with Isolier, Ory’s
page, triumphantly performed by Ms. DiDonato, who sang with plush sound and impeccable
passagework; sent top notes soaring; and conveyed all the swagger of a smitten page.”
Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, March 2011
Diva/Divo; (Virgin/EMI)
“DiDonato's third Virgin/EMI solo album - Diva, Divo - was released on January 25. This playfully conceived recital sees the American singer take full advantage of the vocal and gender range of the mezzo repertoire, voicing not only the eager young men of her many "trouser" roles but also passionate heroines. With the dramatic flair and vocal acuity of an operatic natural, she sings an array of roles on the recording, including Massenet's Chérubin and Ariane, Mozart's Susanna, Berlioz's Marguerite, Bellini's Romeo, and Strauss's Composer.”
“one of the most virtuosic, charismatic, and theatrically versatile artists on the international scene - in opera, in recital, and on record.”
www.broadwayworld.com, March 2011
“DiDonato imbues trouser-role prototypes like Mozart’s Cherubino and Gounod’s Siébel with tremulous excitement and charm.”
“Rossini remains her strong point. She embodies the feisty spirit that makes his heroines so endearing — and maintains jaw-dropping speed, a gratifyingly reliable trill and firm command of her range from its warm, sensual low notes to sweetly blooming upper reaches.”
Ronni Reich, NJTimes, February 2011
“It almost seems as if mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato can sing anything.”
“DiDonato's single most amazing virtue is her striking ability to disappear into each of her characters and faithfully reproduce the style and individual 'flavor' of each composer.”
David Laviska, www.musicalcriticism.com, February 2011
“Joyce DiDonato has already been described as a master in her field and this hardly seems excessive.” (Translated from German)
Bayerischer Rundfunk Online, February 2011
Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie Dead Man Walking
Houston Grand Opera / cond. Patrick Summers / dir. Leonard Foglia
“On Feb. 2 her extraordinary mix of vibrancy, gravity and exacting nuance amounted to a portrayal that easily ranked with her finest work.”
Steve Smith, New York Times, February 2011
US recital tour with David Zobel
“She’s the hostess every American woman wants to be,” my friend said admiringly as the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato charmed the audience at Carnegie Hall on Sunday afternoon with a stream of engaging commentary. Indeed, Ms. DiDonato seemed the perfect 21st-century diva — an effortless combination of glamour, charisma, intelligence, grace and remarkable talent.
At 42, she is in her prime and sounded it on Sunday, gliding bejeweled onto the stage in a black gown with bustle and plunging straight into “Berenice, che fai,” Haydn’s turbulent concert aria. Ms. DiDonato shaded every word with meaning, conveying the bereaved Berenice’s anguish with a warm, silvery voice that slid between mezza-voce despair and full-throttle grief, her penetrating high notes and earthy lows equally alluring."
Vivien Schweitzer, New York Times, March 2011
"Joyce DiDonato has few if any peers as a song recitalist.”
John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, February 2011
“Whether she was singing a dramatic monologue, such as Haydn's challenging, which opened the program, or a song by Cecile Chaminade, fleeting and iridescent as a soap bubble, DiDonato would find a phrase and sing so solidly to the heart of the music, luxuriating in each note, that the sound opened and breathed and blossomed. Rather than being propelled forward, everyone hovered in the moment, together, not wanting it to end."
"But the humanity is precisely what made the singing so luminous in the vast majority of the offerings. Rather than a china doll, or an image of perfection, DiDonato is always present as a real person who cares about what she's doing. She backs this up with a gorgeous vocal technique and ease of delivery.”
“recitals are a vehicle for the thing DiDonato is best at: communication”
Anne Midgette, Washington Post, February 2011
Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo
Edinburgh International Festival, August 2010
“Joyce DiDonato Shines as Idamante”
“Idamante arrives, in the form of Joyce DiDonato. After some conversation, she sings 'Non ho colpa' - her crescendos and diminuendos are perfectly controlled and so expressive…DiDonato's vibrato is perfectly judged.”
The Opera Critic, August 2010
Elena in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago
Opèra National de Paris, June 2010
“Joyce DiDonato manages to keep a straight face throughout as grand chandeliers descend at key moments and a harp rises from the floor to signal the Bards' chorus. Her Elena is simply the best singing I've heard in years, the final rondo a model of vocal security and varied colour.”
Financial Times, June 2010
“Heading the cast triumphantly is Joyce DiDonato as Elena. Like the other singers, she makes short work of Rossini's formidable roulades, singing with a mezzo-soprano that is a glory to behold. The famous aria-finale "Tanto affetti in tal momento" is stunning, but no less arresting than the vocal pyrotechnics is her heartfelt singing of the aria's initial lyrical section, in which she thankfully reacts to the turn of events that unite her with Malcolm and expresses special gratitude to the agnanimous king."
New York Times, June 2010
Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia
The Los Angeles Opera, November 2009
“Still, it was Joyce DiDonato, in her company debut, who dominated. The American mezzo-soprano has, in the past few years, won over the Rossini crowd in most of the world's opera capitals, and on Sunday she stole a show that was hard to steal. Hers is a full, rich, hall-filling sound, yet her roulades rolled off her tongue with unbelievable ease. She is a natural actress as well, and she even handled Sagi's cutesy leg-kicking business with flair, while retaining her dignity.”
Los Angeles Times, November 2009
“But the musical highlight of the show is mezzo Joyce DiDonato, who has been attacking the part of Rosina with happy gusto in opera houses around the globe (so energetically, in fact, that she fractured a fibula onstage at Covent Garden this summer). DiDonato has a big but exceptionally agile voice, confident and clean throughout the range. Her opening "Una voce poco fa" was brilliant, committed and rapturously received.”
LA Downtown News, December 2009
“DiDonato, as Rosina, is no less dazzling (she first appears, appropriately enough, on a pedestal), lightning fast and pearly of tone, her phrases unwinding in waterfalls of cream.”
Orange County Register, December 2009
“Making her Los Angeles Opera debut, golden-toned mezzo Joyce – "I was born in Kansas just like Dorothy" – DiDonato matched Flórez note for note, and made Rosina, who can be too much of a virginal babe, into something delectable, made of flesh and blood. In less than a decade, she has become one of the most sought after singers by the leading opera houses in roles ranging from A (Alcina) to Z (Zlatohrbitek, in Janacek's 'Cunning Little Vixen'). In addition to her astonishing singing, she has a command of languages that even has the French press singing her praises for her idiomatic French.”
Seen and Heard International, December 2009
Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia
The Metropolitan Opera, October 2009
“In an interview with me some years ago, Marilyn Horne had a complaint. The typical opera review, she said, went on and on about the production - about what the stage director had done, what the set designer had done and so on. Only at the bottom was there a smidgeon of comment about singing. That is a complaint that I have long shared. In honor of Horne, and this complaint, let me go on for a while about singing...
DiDonato is back, lighting up the Met stage. That is what she did in 2005, when she appeared as Stéphano in Goundod's Romeo and Juliet. That is a nothing role, frankly, with a nothing aria. But DiDonato, this sparkler from Kansas, practically stole the show with it. Since then, she has been stunning in recital...and stunning in just about everything else, too. Last January, she ended Marilyn Horne's 75th-birthday gala in Carnegie Hall with Rossini's aria "Tanti affetti," from La donna del lago. Even Horne - no slouch herself in that aria - had to be wowed.
DiDonato was in top form as Rosina on a recent Saturday night. She has just about every gift an opera singer can have, musically, vocally and theatrically. The voice can be sultry and smoky, particularly in its lower register; and it can be pure as the driven snow - everything depends on the musical needs of the moment. DiDonato is perpetually alive, even in relatively trivial bits of recitative: nothing is routine, humdrum or phoned in. And her technique is quite simply the envy of the vocal world.
Let me offer just one detail from that Saturday night: in the "Freddo ed immobile" section, Rosina, along with other singers, must sing detached notes - very hard to keep on pitch. Not for DiDonato. And I will not forbear commenting on Rosina's big aria, "Una voce poco fa." DiDonato is always coming up with new interpolations for it, new wowings: and they are fitting, exciting - wow-ing, indeed. Finally, DiDonato has what I have long called her special ingredient: adorability, which, along with some other key ingredients, cannot be learned, but seems to come from within, or above.”
City Arts, October 2009
“You could hardly wish for a better cast than the one assembled here... Joyce DiDonato, who broke a leg while playing Rosina at the Royal Opera in London in July, never missed a step here. Added to her lovely voice and precise coloratura were her superb dramatic skills: she spoke volumes with a sly smile or an arched eyebrow. If the Met currently has a sure-fire hit, this delicious lark is it."
New York Times, October 2009
“Best in show was Joyce DiDonato as the rebellious ingenue Rosina. Not only did she nail every musical curlicue, she added intriguing variations of her own, modulating her sleek mezzo-soprano with subtle shifts of color and tempo. Just three months after fracturing her leg doing this opera in London, she scampered around the stage with the madcap verve of a young Bette Midler."
New York Post, October 2009