February 27, 2001
by Ellen Pfeifer

The company's reigning diva, Joanna Porackova, scorched listeners' hearts and ears in powerful performances...  Alan Schneider displayed a robust... tenor and Elizabeth Johnson... once again impressed with her small, but pleasantly bright-edged soprano.  Tenor Ray Bowens seduced the ear with his timbre and musicality... while Danute Mileika offered hints of a luscious sound..."

September 26, 2000
by Ellen Pfeifer

"Thomas Carlo Bo conducted the Symphony by the Sea and the BBCO chorus with unstinging vigor and a penchant for dynamic levels..."

Certainly the highlights of the evening were the performances by soprano Joanna Porackova...  she demonstrated a middle register that sounded as plush as quilted velvet and high notes that...  excited the ear with dead-on accuracy..."

September 28, 1999
by Susan Larson

As Azucena, gifted mezzo Angeliki Theoharis ground out her hair-raising chest notes and nailed her top ones with courage and thrilling beauty...  Soprano Joanna Porackova as Leonora melted hearts with her tender liquescent phrases, her clean fioritura, and her blazing high notes...

In the role of Count di Luna, Charles Robert Stephens gave a balanced, daring, nuanced performance.  His aria "Il Balen" started with intimate cantabile, matching the brooding clarinets and horns; then Stephens opened out, witnessing the tempest of love in di Luna's heart.  Here is a singer with access to his emotions and with the delivery system to get them across."

September 28, 1998
by Richard Dyer

Baritone Michael Morizio, remembered for some lively performances of supporting roles with Sarah Caldwell's Opera Company of Boston 20 years ago, is also a good artist... he sang and acted with intelligence and got Amonasro's messages through the battle lines..."

... And certainly Porackova is in complete command of a voice... with a steely quality that gives it built-in authority - that she uses fearlessly but never recklessly...

... As Radames, tenor Maxwell Li sang with power and... beauty... he conveyed something of the ardor of this war hero-lover...

... Eric Jordan (Ramfis) displayed a powerful bass voice which at times sounded truly imperial.  'Nume, custode e vindice' provided an excellent vehicle to display his fine sense of phrase line, and his recitative in the beginning of Act 3 was commendable...

... Michael Morizio (Amonasro) impressed me with his impeccable musicianship and phrasing... showed beautiful sense of line...

...I was delighted by the balance of the chorus, and particularly by the male voices.  Artistic Director Bradley Pennington can take pride in the solid musicianship of his troupes and their interaction with both orchestra and soloists...

... Noya impressed me with his mastery of the score, his attention to details, his sympathetic response to the vocal soloists and the dramatic qualities he brought forth from the orchestra...

June 15, 1998
by Richard Dyer

... tenor Ray Bauwens really had the vocal and technical resources his part requires... singing fluently, ardently, expansively, and tastefully, with a real sense of how to shape Italian melody; he also sang well within his vocal means.  His prison scene in the Tower of London became the expressive climax of the opera, as Donizetti must have intended to...

... Victor Jannett and Susan Forrester were certainly game as the Duke and Duchess of Nottingham.  They had presence, zest, and a measure of style..."

September 16, 1997
by Susan Larson

...Tenor Ray Bauwens, ardent as the two-timing Pollione, darkened his sweet Italiante voice for this low-lying role, then threw his whole heart into singing it, daring the high C that most Polliones prefer to omit...

...Mezzo Danute Mileika as Norma's innocent rival Adalgisa blended perfectly with Porackova in their two gorgeous duets...

...A howling, standing, bouquet-throwing ovation greeted this hugely entertaining performance."

Joanna Porackova sang Norma accurately, with fine bel canto style, passion, color and phrasing.  Danute Mileika brought assurance to Adalgisa with full, attractive tone...  Ray Bauwens was a full-throated, exciting, vigorous Pollione, Aaron Borst a noble, solid-toned Oroveso."

Translation of concert review:
soprano Joanna Porackova and pianist John Bell Young
at Gerlesborgsskolan the 19th of July 1999

"Opera-arias and romances are seldom heard at the music series of Gerlesborgsskolan.  The distinguished special performance from the U.S. on Saturday by soprano Joanna Porackova and pianist John Bell Young altered this image.   Qualified artists, fine musical ambassadeurs from the U.S. did one single appearance in Sweden during their tour to Britain.  Joanna Porackova and John Bell Young did really sing and play themselves into Gerlesborg.  Porackova first in some romances, and later in opera arias, real pearls.  Except providing nice accompaniment to Porackova, John Bell Young was also a prominent soloist.  Porackova and Young complemented each other to a concert success.

In an an apt introduction, they created exciting encounters in the romances by Russian composer Alexander Skrjabin.  Irrespective of Skrjabin's influences from Chopin, Liszt and Wagner, Joanna Porackova sung brilliant and personal, with attack in the soprano in "Album Leaf" and "Romance."   She also presented "When Roses Wither" by Medtner.  Bold and winning outsinging, where Porackova at intervals consciously sung with a rather strong vibrato, something that not at all was unbecoming to her song, at the contrary, it flavoured her womanly authority.

Rackmaninov was a highlight.  Porackova interpreted with bearing and strong soprano a sweat summer in "O never me again" and in "Spring Waters."  The soprano who sometimes touched upon level of mezzo in sequences, gave advanage in rich voice-colorings...

The Romanticist Richard Strauss came in focus thanks to Porackova and Young.  The jewels "Four last songs," "Fruhling," "September," "Beim Schiafengehm" and "Im Abendrot" Porackova interpreted with lustre and rich nuance with Young at the grand piano to lean the voice upon...

And then more into opera.  Joanna Porackova gave herself to the audience presented living opera characters with theatrical move.  She was irresistible in "Vissi d'arta" from Puccini's Tosca, and in a couple of arias from Verdi's Aida and "Casta Diva... Ah bello a me morra" from Bellini's Norma.