| “…soprano Laura Whalen was convincing as a
woman so deeply depressed and heartbroken that she could stab her new husband to death and
then pledge her love and longing for the one that got away. Her acting was superb,
and her voice was breathtaking, especially in that mad-scene aria and the
prolonged coloratura that joined her voice with a very fine flutist in the orchestra pit.
Whalen matched pitches with the flute’s every rattle, twist and trill, and in the end
it sounded as if the two were engaged in a contest of sorts that ended in a tie.” |
Arizona Daily Star – Cathalena E. Burch
|
| “Laura Whalen, lending emotional weight… sings
beautifully. Her Act II aria 'Ah, I sense his love as vanished' is a clear
musical highlight.” |
Calgary Herald – Bob Clark
|
| “Both vocally and dramatically, Laura Whalen’s floaty Woodbird
created enchantment.” |
Opera Canada – John Allison
|
| “Whalen, technically polished, precise, elegant and gracious
presented a finely etched account of Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate and mesmerizing
performances of three modern Spanish songs…her voice has the brilliance of a
true opera singer, she is also a superb recitalist.” |
Calgary Herald – Kenneth DeLong
|
| “Laura Whalen…an excellent choice…a highly
articulate instrument, she added a delicate humanizing touch to Mr. Orff’s
often rowdy alpha-male proceedings.” |
The Washington Times – T. L. Ponick
|
| “As clear as a bell, her voice carried over the full cast and was
beautifully controlled even in the most challenging passages…a splendid
triumph…dramatically, she was equally fine.” |
Calgary Herald – Kenneth DeLong
|
| “Whalen sang Tagore’s words and was nothing short of sensational.
Hers is a gorgeous voice supported by endless breath. Her high quiet
singing and utterly seductive phrasing was a marvel and revealed Schafer’s work as
one of enormous power and beauty.” |
Hamilton Spectator
|
“The outstanding aspect of the performance
was the singing of Laura Whalen, whose purity of tone, superb pitch and thorough
understanding of the work was evident throughout. Fundamentally a lyric soprano, she has
the heft to carry full scoring. Musically, her emotional range is wide, effortlessly
encompassing the playful elements of the final song as well as the deeper tones of the
second of the songs.” |
Calgary Herald – Kenneth DeLong
|
| “Laura Whalen sang the Countess with great style-- stopped
the show with a magnificent Dove Sono.” |
The Globe and Mail – Robert Harris
|
| “Whalen has a sense of phrase, the hues and coloration, the sheer
musicality to turn notes into blossoms. It’s wonderful how Whalen can linger
on a syllable or expertly gauge a leap to arrive perfectly and gracefully.” |
The Record – Colleen Johnson
|
| “Laura Whalen, who sang the role of the Countess with ravishing
beauty.” |
The Hamilton Spectator – Hugh Fraser
|
|  Click to download PDF Reviews
|
