Christ The Apostles / Sir Mark Elder and the Halle
“Jacques Imbrailo's wonderfully composed, quietly eloquent Jesus stood out ... If the recording comes close to capturing the sumptuous certainty of the live event, we'll be very lucky indeed.”
Andrew Clements, The Guardian, May 2012
Simon / Miss Fortune / Royal Opera House
“…the clarity of his lyrical baritone and his suave stage presence enabled him to make his mark”
Miranda Jackson, Opera-Britannia, March 2012
“Imbrailo's singing was by far the finest singing of all, exquisitely shaped and warmed with sincerity.”
Doundou Tchil, Classical Iconoclast, March 2012
Tarquinius / The Rape of Lucretia / Houston Grand Opera
Cond. Patrick Summers
“The second act of The Rape of Lucretia does have its thrilling moments… perhaps due to South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo who is a heroic, insistent singer”
Theodore Bale, Culture Map Houston, February 2012
“Jacques Imbrailo brings a commanding sound and presence to Tarquinius, cynical and power-mad, yet vulnerable to Lucretia's beauty and innocence.”
Everett Evans, chron.com, February 2012
Figaro The Barber of Seville / Millennium Centre Cardiff
Cond Alexander Polianichko / Dir Giles Havergal
"Jacques Imbrailo's Figaro was lithe and engaging.”
Rian Evans, The Guardian, October 2011
Simon / ‘Miss Fortune’ (Achterbahn) / Bregenz Festival
'The baritone Jacques Imbrailo made a suave Simon…'
George Loomis, The New York Times, July 2011
Title Role / Britten Billy Budd / Glyndebourne Festival Opera (DVD)
Cond. Sir Mark Elder / Dir. Michael Grandage
“In the title-role, Jacques Imbrailo fields just the right youthful lyric baritone and sings Billy's solo below decks beautifully.”
Richard Fairman, Gramophone, September 2011
“Glyndebourne’s standout is Jacques Imbrailo... He acts Billy with unfailing naturalness, he’s physically lithe and he produces his lovely lyric sound with admirable ease. The initial exuberance is unexaggerated, and later Imbrailo powerfully communicated Billy’s anguish in the trail scene. Close-ups emphasize one of this young singer’s great assets – his expressive eyes, wide-eyed with apprehension in the monologue before the calm of ‘That’s all… and that’s enough’.”
Roger Pines, International Record Review, July/August 2011
“…the sweet-toned Jacques Imbrailo is an impossibly good, plausibly attractive Billy, and he inherits a role that should serve him well for a few years yet as it did Peter Glossop, Thomas Allen and Simon Keenlyside.”
Mark Valencia,
Classical Source, July 2011
Puccini Manon Lescaut / Chelsea Opera Group / Queen Elizabeth Hall
Cond. Gianluca Marcianò
“Jacques Imbrailo is a fine singer with… immaculate vocalism and clarity of enunciation.”
Richard Nicholson, Classical Source, June 2011
Recital: The Prince Consort at Holywell Music Room, Oxford
“Jacques Imbrailo’s performance was outstanding: this baritone’s recent successes in opera have perhaps blinded both audiences and entrepreneurs to his potential for being not only a good, but a great lieder singer too.”
Hilary Finch, The Times, October 2010
Dr Malatesta, Donizetti Don Pasquale
The Royal Opera House
“The best cast member is Jacques Imbrailo, precisely detailed in gesture and voice as Doctor Malatesta, wily in every muscle. Imbrailo’s effortless domination of the stage is just what we miss in Paolo.”
Geoff Brown, The Times, September 2010
“Imbrailo was a confident, wry Malatesta – a Dulcimara with style. Among the two-dimensional stereotypes, he conveyed a naturalism and credibility, sang with clear diction and balanced lyricism with dramatic singing. A recent graduate of the Jette Parker Young Artist scheme, he’s the one to watch.”
Claire Seymour, Opera Today, September 2010
“[Paolo Gavinelli’s] physical presence is so commanding that it makes no difference what floor he is on; and, though he’s much slimmer, the same is true of the other baritone role, Doctor Malatesta, sung warmly and acted hilariously by rising South African star Jacques Imbrailo.”
Paul Levy, Wall Street Journal, September 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo brings vocal authority to the scheming Doctor Malatesta”
Edward Bhesania, The Stage, September 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo’s suave and lyrically sung Doctor Malatesta.”
Richard Fairman, Financial Times, September 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo the cunningly charming Doctor Malatesta.”
Fiona Maddox, The Observer, September 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo’s Doctor Malatesta was also very well sung, in his sappy even baritone, and he interacted well.”
Alexander Campbell, What’s On Stage, September 2010
Title Role in Britten Billy Budd
Glyndebourne / cond. Sir Mark Elder / dir. Michael Grandage
“Jacques Imbrailo is the finest Billy I have heard – lusty, virile, sensitive and moving, above all in his contemplative death-song.”
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, May 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo’s Billy is a total joy – slight, lithe and wonderfully guileless, singing his farewell to life with immense dignity and pathos.”
Andrew Clements, The Guardian, May 2010,
“Jacques Imbrailo’s Billy, his fateful stammer intensified to epileptic proportions, has exactly the right mixture of puppyish naivety and physical prowess (his right hook would not disgrace Lennox Lewis)”
Hilary Finch, The Times, May 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo is a radiant Billy with a terrifyingly violent stammer.”
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, May 2010
“Imbrailo personified the lithe, athletic, open, fresh seaman that Billy Budd is supposed to be (‘one in a million’ as Claggart mutters malevolently). The voice has an open baritonal ring, with a nobility of tone, that informed Imbrailo’s whole performance….This was a gloriously and naturally sung Billy Budd that will remain in the mind.”
Mike Reynolds, Musical Criticism, June 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo was a very winning Billy, with lyrical, rugged looks as well as the required aura of innocence, what Forster called ‘the goodness of the glowing aggressive sort which cannot exist until it has evil to consume’. His voice has an engaging, melting quality; his ‘Billy in the Darbies’ scene was one of the most simply moving solo performances I’ve ever experienced on the operatic stage.”
Melanie Eskenazi, What’s On Stage, June 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo gives the performance of his life in the title role, an angelic outsider whose luminous honesty wrings the heart.”
Michael Church, The Scotsman, May 2010
Gugliemo in Mozart Cosi fan Tutte
Opera North
“And the robust and brightly variegated baritone of Jacques Imbrailo — an asset to any cast — reveals the confusion, ambivalence and rage of Guglielmo’s uneasy spirit.”
Hilary Finch, The Times, February 2010
Schaunard in Puccini La Boheme
The Royal Opera House Covent Garden
““Best are the Bohemians themselves… Jacques Imbrailo as an endearingly characterised and beautifully sung Schaunard”
Hilary Finch, The Times, December 2009
“Jacques Imbrailo’s intelligently understated Schaunard and Kostas Smorigninas’ carefully observed Colline [made] the deepest impressions.”
Andrew Clements, The Guardian, January 2010
“Jacques Imbrailo was a lively Schaunard.”
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, December 2009
“Jacques Imbrailo was impressive as Schaunard.”
John E. De Wald, Opera Britannia, December 2009
“And, like all the best baritones, he can effortlessly steal the limelight from a starry tenor; his cameo as Schaunard in La boheme at the ROH proved that.”
Emma Pomfret, The Times, April 2010
Gugliemo in Mozart Cosi fan Tutte
Glyndebourne Touring Opera
“The two big treats are the brightly articulated and beautifully phrased playing of the GOT Orchestra under the perceptive baton of Patrick Lange; and the outstanding Guglielmo of Jacques Imbrailo. The South African baritone has come on by leaps and bounds”
Hilary Finch, The Times, October 2009
“Jacques Imbrailo and Lucia Crillio, however, are as fine and sexy as one could for as Gugielmo and Dorabella.”
Tim Ashley, The Guardian, October 2009
Count in Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro
Welsh National Opera
“Jacques Imbrailo’s Count struts around, an idle Clark Gable matinee idol in a followspot. Just as you expect a crooning “I Can Give You The Starlight,” out comes his incensed, snarling “Hai gia vinta la causa”, as he realizes the domestic trap he has walked into, Imbrailo bristles with bottled-up menace. This South African baritone, who won the Audience Prize at the 2007 Cardiff Singer of the World, has the makings of an excellent Count, polished in tone, elegant in phrasing…”
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, February 2009
“As Figaro and Count Almaviva, David Soar and Jacques Imbrailo both sang thoughtfully and expressively.”
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, February 2009
Demetrius in Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio
“…New to the production is Jacques Imbrailo’s winsome Demetrius …”
Hilary Finch, The Times, January 2008
“… Jacques Imbrailo, a Jette Parker Young Artist, again impressed: he was a good Owen Wingrave in April 2007 and definitely someone to watch …Overall this was a strong cast, each fully in character … Each of the workmen, for example, was well defined as a personality, entries were precise and the ensemble pieces flowed very well indeed…”
Anne Ozorio, Seen&Heard International, January 2008
“… the singing of the predominantly young cast (it reads like a roll call of Jette Parker Young Artist graduates) is uniformly excellent … Jacques Imbrailo and Ed Lyon sparkle as Demetrius and Lysander …”
Simon Thomas, MusicOMH.com, January 2008
“.. the two central pairs of lovers are well cast, with Ed Lyon’s thrilling Lysander contrasting with Jacques Imbrailo’s slightly creamier Demetrius …”
Edward Bhesania, The Stage, February 2008
“…this good-looking, good-sounding cast … with smart-suited lovers (Van Kooten, Daniela Lehner, Ed Lyon, Jacques Imbrailo) … and rude mechanicals that would not look out of place at the Chelsea Arts Club bar ….the ensemble singing is faultless …”
Anna Picard, Independent on Sunday, February 2008
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream has returned as a showcase for The Royal Opera’s rising stars there is uniformly assured singing from Katie Van Kooten, Daniela Lehner, Ed Lyon and Jacques Imbrailo as the lovers plus a bunch of rude mechanicals worthy of the RSC ”
Anthony Holden, The Observer, February 2008
Scythian in Gluck Iphigénie en Tauride
Royal Opera House
“The only singer really to impinge on my consciousness was baritone Jacques Imbrailo, one of the Royal Opera’s Young Artists. Playing a Scythian, he excelled in his brief appearance thanks to strong projection and his perfect accent”
MusicalCriticism.com, September 2007
Marullo in Verdi Rigoletto
Royal Opera House
“…Jacques Imbrailo was a perfectly characterised Marullo …”
David Paxton, MusicOMH.com, September 2007
“… Young Artist Jacques Imbrailo was an excellent Marullo …”
Dominic McHugh, MusicalCriticism.com, September 2007
“…strong performances from Darren Jeffery (Monterone) and Jacques Imbrailo (Marullo) lent weight to this solid revival …”
John Allison, Opera, September 2007
“…The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme was well represented by Jacques Imbrailo as Marullo and Nikola Matisic as Borsa, and Darren Jeffery, from the first intake, was a powerful Monterone …”
PrimiDivi, August 2007
Jette Parker Young Artists Programme - Summer Concert 2007
Royal Opera House
“The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme is one of the glories of the Royal Opera House … Jacques Imbrailo has the potential to be a world class artist … The highlight for me was the love duet from Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande from Jacques Imbrailo and Marina Poplavskaya … Imbrailo communicated Pelléas’ lines with ringing clarity and immense lyricism, while Poplavskaya conveyed much through her wandering eyes and expressive delivery. Though the two stood apart, their dialogue seemed both intimate and profoundly elusive, just like the opera itself. There was so much else to enjoy. … It provided an admirable evening’s entertainment and an irreplaceable opportunity to hear these fine artists in one concert …”
Dave Paxton, MusicOMH.com, July 2007
“… this lively concert of staged extracts was a celebration of how the Young Artists Programme brings together the cream of international talent … … Jacques Imbrailo was mesmerising in the title role [of Billy Budd], even better (if possible) than his spellbinding performance of Owen Wingrave in April. Like Gleadow (who played Claggart tonight), he is already a complete artist – vocally secure and a vivid actor … … The highlight of the night was the Act IV love duet from Pelléas et Melisande, featuring Poplavskaya and Imbrailo … This could have been a professional opera performance. Both singers showed the utmost sensitivity to the text, while allowing their voices to fully indulge in Debussy’s sensuous lines … Overall, this was a very impressive end to a year that has seen the Young Artists making more of an impact than ever on The Royal Opera’s productions. And without doubt, in Marina Poplavskaya, Robert Gleadow and Jacques Imbrailo, we were witnessing stars of the future …”
Dominic McHugh, MusicalCriticism.com, July 2007
“…The excerpt from Britten’s Billy Budd pulled literally no punches. Jacques Imbrailo, who has already exhibited his forte in Britten in Owen Wingrave, was fine as Billy and brought the scene to a dramatic close … Pelléas et Mélisande [was] given a beautifully moving account by Poplavskaya and Imbrailo …”
Michael Darvel, ClassicalSource.com, July 2007
“…From the tantalizing glimpse we had of Jacques Imbrailo as Billy Budd, here was a baritone with the most open and innocent of faces and a voice that matched it with clarity and sincerity. As he stepped onto the stage to sing Pelléas, the auditorium almost tingled with excitement …”
Kirsty Young, OperaTalent.com, July 2007
“…expert direction was in evidence and some of the featured singers displayed gifts in assuming different characterisations …Jacques Imbrailo was a winning Pelléas and also a convincing Billy Budd … There were no serious caveats in the singing and we left feeling that all the participants deserved to progress to successful operatic careers …”
Peter Grahame Woolf, Musicalpointers.co.uk, July 2007
“…the Royal Opera House put on this most enjoyable Summer Concert to showcase the singers who are currently part of the Jette Parker Young Artists programme … Another particular highlight began the second half … Jacques Imbrailo impressed as the innocent Budd and really showed the character’s loyalty to Vere … Poplavskaya and Imbrailo sang Act IV/scene 4 of Pelléas et Mélisande with ardour … this was singing that conveyed real emotions … A very fine evening, then, one promising much for the future …”
Colin Anderson, The Opera Critic, July 2007
“…a very enjoyable concert… As you haven’t had the whole opera to get to know Billy, it probably would be really easy to make him look nasty as he doesn’t really do anything much apart from punching Claggart, but you were still with Jacques Imbrailo every step of the way … In Pelléas et Mélisande, Marina Poplavskaya and Jacques Imbrailo both sounded great …”
PrimiDivi, September 2007
“…Jacques Imbrailo was a promising Pelléas [and] already well into the skin of Billy Budd … In his clearly articulated singing, Imbrailo conveyed Billy’s trusting eagerness …”
Margaret Davies, Opera, October 2007
“…An impeccably professional evening from Jacques Imbrailo [who] has a promising baryton martin – not heavy or overly light … his Pelléas will be one to watch …”
Rosie Johnston, Opera Now, November/December 2007
Owen Wingrave in Britten Owen Wingrave
Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio
"Jacques Imbrailo’s Owen is the soul of integrity in voice and manner"
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, April 2007
"He is gently sympathetic as the pacifist Owen, displaying a warm smooth baritone that should stand his career in good stead."
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, April 2007
“The young South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo brings vocal and physical intensity to the title role.”
Richard Morrison, The Times, April 2007
“In the title role there is an astonishingly accomplished performance from Jacques Imbrailo, his lithe and vibrant baritone at the service of an intense conviction.”
Edward Seckerson, The Independent, April 2007
“South African Jacques Imbrailo, one of the Jette Parker Young Artists, in his first leading role at Covent Garden, gives a neurotically intense performance as Owen and his rich baritone promises much for the future.”
Clare Colvin, Sunday Express, April 2007
“Jacques Imbrailo has an alluring baritone and is dramatically powerful as the tortured Owen. His acting is focused, and his rich full sound is a joy.”
Warwick Thompson, Bloomberg.com, April 2007
“Jacques Imbrailo in the title role was exceptional…..”
Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion, July/August 2007
Imperial Commissioner in Puccini Madama Butterfly
Royal Opera House
“…Jette Parker Young Artist Jacques Imbrailo is very promising as the Imperial Commissioner …”
PrimiDivi, February 2007
“… Jacques Imbrailo, one of the Young Artists, was the Imperial Commissioner (and) I thought the whole scene he was in was the best part of the opera, very dramatic …”
PrimiDivi, March 2007
“…Both of the Jette Parker Young Artists, Liora Grodnikaite and Jacques Imbrailo, taking the smaller roles of Kate Pinekrton and the Imperial Commissioner, continue to impress …”
Judith Mon, Musical Opinion, May-June 2007
Moralès in Bizet Carmen
Royal Opera House
“… This was a triumph for the company. The Royal Opera’s excellent Young Artists Programme contributed three of the most satisfying performances … Most especially, Jacques Imbrailo got the opera off to a confident start with his dominating portrayal of Moralès. Here is surely a star in the making; take note that he’s playing the title role in Britten’s Owen Wingrave in the Linbury Studio in April and book now …”
MusicOMH.com, January 2007
“…A Young Artist newcomer, Jacques Imbrailo, was notable as Morales: the more time goes on, the more the fruits of the Young Artists Programme become apparent …”
Dominic McHugh, MusicOMH.com, December 2006
“…The attendant gypsies, smugglers and officers were all excellent, with the young South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo making a particularly strong mark as Morales …”
Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph, December 2006
“…Jacques Imbrailo’s easy Morales is a rare treat among the wooden soldiers …”
Anna Picard, Independent on Sunday, December 2006
“…Jacques Imbrailo as Morales and Matthew Rose as Zuniga made the most of their roles …”
Clare Colvin, Sunday Express, December 2006
“…South African Jacques Imbrailo, one of the ROH’s new Young Artists, makes an impressive debut in the tiny part of Morales …”
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times, December 2006