FEBRUARY 2026 'OPERA CHOICE' AWARD
Nadia Boulanger's La ville morte
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
All non-English reviews translated for this website
UNITED KINGDOM
“The cast of four are magnificent…” - BBC Music Magazine
FRANCE
“Jorell Williams excels as Alexandre.” - Perform Arts
CANADA
“Baritone Jorell Williams offers a very solid performance.” - La Scène Musicale
UNITED STATES
“Jorell Williams’ baritone serves as a human pulse against the opera’s more ethereal qualities.” - OperaWire
BELGIUM
“An excellent American vocal ensemble…” - Crescendo Magazine
LUXEMBOURG
“Baritone Jorell Williams brings equal depth to Alexandre and is vocally compelling.” - Pizzicato
ITALY
“Jorell Williams’ Alexandre is marked by noble phrasing and rich pathos.” - Le Salon Musical
LISTEN HERE
Selected Reviews
Handel’s Messiah • National Philharmonic Orchestra
“The commanding baritone Jorell Williams stole the show... a rock solid singer with a keen understanding of expressive depth.” - The Washington Post
La Ville Morte (Alexandre) • Pentatone Recording
“The cast of four are magnificent...” - BBC Music Magazine
Of The Sea (Maduka) • Tapestry Opera World Premiere
“Williams turns in a performance of enormous energy and virtuosity... an extraordinary characterization.” - Opera Going Toronto
Yardbird (Dizzy Gillespie) • Seattle Opera
“Williams steals the show with easy charm and stunning vocals.” - The Seattle Times
Don Pasquale • Opera Omaha
“A tour de force performance... formidable baritone shines throughout the night.” - Creating Contemplation
Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro) • Opera Columbus
“Williams gave ‘Non più andrai’ the best reading in memory.” - Columbus Underground
HMS Pinafore (Cpt. Corcoran) • Vancouver Opera
“Lyric baritone Jorell Williams was excellent as the Pinafore’s captain.” - Vancouver Sun
“It’s also eminently singable and the all Black cast makes the most of it. Jorell Williams, as Maduka, sings powerfully and with
beauty and is emotionally engaging.”
OPERA CANADA
Rehearsal with Philip Akin, Director
"Of The Sea" - Tapestry Opera & Obsidian Theatre
Photo: Dahlia Katz
Opening Night Performance
"Of The Sea" - Tapestry Opera & Obsidian Theatre
Photo: Dahlia Katz
“Williams’ outstanding vocal performance of Maduka begins demure, frightened by his new, sea-bound life, then evolves into fiery, driven arias with strong tessitura when his desire to escape becomes obsessive.”
- INTERMISSION MAGAZINE