Lawrence Brownlee, tenor

Selected

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

(2006 – Present)

“It was obvious that the fine ensemble, (including tenor Lawrence Brownlee), was relishing their job and having as much fun performing the work as the public had attending the performance.”

“Among the four excellent tenors [was]…Lawrence Brownlee as the crusader Rinaldo, who triumphed with his impeccable coloratura and gleaming stratospheric high notes.”

“Heading the coterie of tenors who ring out stratospheric high notes and combative roulades, Lawrence Brownlee delivers a dashing Rinaldo…”

“In this cast, Lawrence Brownlee sang Rinaldo with beauty and precision...especially in his scenes with Renée Fleming. Brownlee has recently sung several bel canto roles including Don Ramiro in Cenerentola, Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Tonio in La fille du régiment."

“Lawrence Brownlee…handled Rinaldo’s transformations convincingly — he must fight a duel with rapiers, fall convincingly in love, suffer visible torments of his divided soul, and at last throw aside his pleading lover with visible regret. His voice is well produced and gifted with luscious high notes…”

“The tenors had a field day. The star was Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo, cementing his place as one of today’s finest bel canto tenors. Utterly at ease throughout the role’s two-and-a-third octaves (up to high D) and both fluent and forceful in his coloratura, the newly slimmed down Brownlee was superb.”

“Brownlee’s appearance is vocally stunning and elegant. He spins out sparkling notes. And those are just the icing on the cake of a night full of vocal beauty. He sounds, unlike the other tenors, as though his singing is effortless and all his melodies flow out sonorously. His is an exceptional voice.”

“Remarkably, the Met came up with six excellent Rossini tenors, a challenging assignment. They included Lawrence Brownlee as the bewitched Rinaldo…Mr. Brownlee's elegant lyricism blending well with Ms. Fleming's…”

“But the production's true highlight features Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo and Kobie van Rensburg as Ubaldo and Barry Banks as Carlo, two colleagues who have been dispatched to rescue him from Armida's witchy clutches.”

“…Fleming and Brownlee deliver their ‘Dove son io!’ duet with alluring passion...”

“Vocally, the cast does the job. Mr. Brownlee has lost a great deal of weight and looks terrific. He sang with agility, elegance and Rossinian style, tossing off high notes and roulades…this was a winning performance for an increasingly important artist.”

“Amazingly, there are six splendid tenors, the most impressive of whom is Lawrence Brownlee, an extremely elegant singer. He was particularly sensitive in his numerous duets with Fleming. Barry Banks and Kobie van Rensburg sing duets with comparable distinction. The three do a rousing job with one of the great Rossini set pieces, a trio for tenors in the last act.”

“Lawrence Brownlee is an accomplished Rossini tenor and a graceful, musical singer. If his Rinaldo makes a rather pallid impression, perhaps that's because the part ideally requires a voice with a lower center of gravity and the ability to project more sheer vocal power than Brownlee can summon. He does however blend effectively with Barry Banks (Carlo) and Kobie van Rensburg (Ubaldo) in what must surely be the only tenor trio in all opera and a major highlight of Act 3.”

“The tenoral sextet was dominated by Lawrence Brownlee, whose sweetness and easy top almost compensated for a timbre that lacks the ideal cutting edge."

“Brownlee, previously heard at the Met in two Rossini comedies, cuts a dapper figure with his newly slimmed-down form. His voice, while not large or penetrating, sounds at times as sweet as if dipped in honey, and he easily conquers the intricate bel canto line that rises well above high C.

The highlight of the evening — and turning point of the opera — is the trio in Act 3 for Rinaldo and the two Crusaders who have come to rescue him from Armida. Brownlee, teaming with Kobie van Rensburg (Ubaldo) and Barry Banks (Carlo), rises to heroic stature as he shakes off Armida's spell and rejoins his comrades.”

“One bright note was Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo, one of the opera’s six tenor roles. His pristine, agile voice easily scaled high C’s and D’s, especially in the thrilling Act 3 trio “In quale aspetto imbelle” with Barry Banks and Kobie van Rensburg as Crusaders sent to rescue him.”

"Brownlee, by contrast, seemed to effortlessly glide over even the most difficult passages, his suave, subtly warm voice perfectly at home."

"No such problem for Lawrence Brownlee, commanding as her knight, Rinaldo. Rossini provides the lovers several duets in which Brownlee just knocked it out of the park. "

“But it is also very much a tale of masculine determination as the leader of the Crusaders, played and sung brilliantly by the tenor Lawrence Brownlee...”

“Lawrence Brownlee, the American tenor who is becoming a regular guest at the house, cut a dashing figure as Almaviva — one of his signature roles, which he has sung at La Scala and at the Met. At the DOB, he harnessed the vocal sweetness and agility to do justice to the role. His voice rang out clearly and with uncommon power, although his pitch occasional slipped during Almaviva's punishing runs — a minor flaw that did not diminish Brownlee's appealing sincerity and deep feeling, qualities that he owns in greater quantity than many other prized Rossini tenors”

“And the singing is excellent. The two lead men alone command the stage with superlative skill. Lawrence Brownlee’s Almaviva is a virile, athletic, burnished performance, bel canto at its best…”

“Lawrence Brownlee...became the unexpected hero of the evening as the performance progressed. As Count Almaviva he was light on his feet, utterly carefree and vocally impeccable, and he inspired ovations with his gigantic final aria. He carried the brilliant finale virtually alone with his virtuosic singing.”

“And so at the end, Lawrence Brownlee as Almaviva celebrates the triumph of love with impeccable singing and seizes a microphone like a pop star.”

“The WNO production is graced by the presence of perhaps the finest bel canto tenor of our times, Lawrence Brownlee, in the role of the Count. Washington audiences have come to love him via his appearances with the Washington Concert Opera at Lisner Auditorium.”

“Diminutive in size, Mr. Brownlee makes up for his lack of physical heft with a supple, luminous voice that can only be described as heavenly…his impeccable phrasing and mind-blowing ornamentation came through loud and clear. His flawless delivery of Almaviva’s concluding aria caused the audience to erupt into one of the lengthiest outbursts of enthusiastic applause I can remember.”

“Brownlee, already familiar in Washington, brings a beautiful high voice with a heroic warm quality that makes it clear why people suspect there may be a lyric tenor (a slightly larger vocal type than a coloratura) lurking inside. He can do the showy fireworks that the role requires with aplomb, as he displayed in the tour de force eight-minute final aria, ‘Cessa di più resistere,’ which was every bit the show-stopper it needs to be. But almost more exciting than his long chains of florid notes was the simple sound of his voice, which is ardent and warm.”

“The effect of the restoration of this aria, especially as sung so magnificently by Lawrence Brownlee on Monday night, is to remind the listener of why Rossini originally presented the opera under the title, Almaviva, ossia L'inutile precauzione. It makes Almaviva the star of the show, and indeed he received the loudest ovations. Brownlee, who has demonstrated his mastery of the bel canto repertoire on several previous occasions...sang with a smooth tone and athletic agility...the high notes were bell-like and reached easily to our seats at the front of the box tier.”

“Overall the performers ranged from good to great with tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Count Almaviva earning the greatest distinction. This is a role that requires tenderness, stamina and comedy (especially in the voice) and Mr. Brownlee hit every mark. Though the rest of the cast was good they never seemed to match his level.”

“Making his Washington National Opera debut, tenor Lawrence Brownlee left quite a mark as Count Almaviva. America’s answer to reigning coloratura tenor Juan Diego Florez, Brownlee possesses an exceptional technique, a combination of brightness and warmth in the timbre, and a winning way of sculpting phrases.”

“And in the finale…he sailed through ‘Cessa di più resistere," an aria usually cut in performance for lack of a capable tenor to do it justice.

Brownlee is a natural musician, born to sing the heck out of Rossini. He also proved to be an effortless actor, having particular fun with the Act 2 music lesson scene…”

"The lead tenor demonstrated vocal artistry and capabilities for the part represented. This role is extremely difficult since Rossini’s music has many innovative techniques that demand a great deal of skill and vocal agility."

“Anna Bonitatibus (Rosina) and Lawrence Brownlee (Count Almaviva) positively glittered with their virtuoso coloratura technique.”

“...[Brownlee] has an abundance of colours and nuances at his command to fully flesh out his role.” “Plus his velvety timbre blended perfectly with the historical instruments, especially the string section.”

“...the American is quite convincing with his rock-solid coloratura technique and assured delivery.”

“Lawrence Brownlee as Almaviva impressed me from the first sound he sang. He is personable, acts confidently and has a voice that seems to fit his personality. It is a voice without sharp edges, with a slightly baritonal perfume in the lower positions, and reaching into the very highest register without that steely competence some acrobatic tenors produce. His bel canto is heartwarming and he masters easily and correctly the dangerous fioriture that virtually all his arias contain. He had to be on the stage almost permanently and he never lagged either in energy or sincere passion. I was not surprised to hear that he recently sang Tonio in La fille du régiment for the second time in Hamburg, a role which has become almost the exclusive trademark of Flórez with its repeated shattering high Cs, and which few tenors dare to take on.”

“[Brownlee’s] velvety smooth voice proved once more that he may be one of very few contemporary ideal interpreters of Rossini and bel canto operas. Beautiful, long, soft sustained lines of the first serenade ‘Ecco, ridente in cielo’ were performed with true lightness and feeling but it was the last big aria ‘Cessa di più resistere’ that won him a great show stopping applause from the audience – and rightfully so. For a long time opera audiences were deprived of this particular bravura aria which was considered by many tenors unsingable. Lawrence Brownlee is among few contemporary tenors who proved the statement wrong with sure top notes, beautifully colored coloratura passages, attention to details and nuance.

“Lawrence Brownlee confirmed, from the start, the fine impression he had made, in his 2007 debut role of Count Almaviva, with an "Ecco, ridente in cielo" that was a model of bel canto, with the vocal line deliciously decorated, and continued to do so in the subsequent serenade, and the Act One, Scene One final duet, with Franco Vassallo as Figaro. No slouch at comedy, when impersonating a drunken soldier, the diminutive tenor tilted a potted orange tree down toward himself-of course-to reach a fruit that had been beyond his grasp and, claiming to be billeted at Dr. Bartolo's house, locked Maurizio Muraro, as the doctor, in an embrace that involved a leg up, as well as both arms, when greeting his unimpressed host, with collegial familiarity, as an alleged fellow medical professional. Brownlee also, somehow, briefly wound up on Bartolo's lap in the lesson scene, when doubly disguised as the poor student Lindoro/music teacher Don Alonso. Brownlee crowned his achievement with a brilliantly florid "Cessa di più resistere," his 11 o'clock tour-de-force.”

Bruce-Michael Gelbert, [Q]onStage.com, [Q]metropolis.com, mondo[Q].com, February 27, 2010

“Brownlee’s dizzying execution of Almaviva’s music in Barbiere at the Met last season has made him a Rossinian to watch.”

“…Lawrence Brownlee made his brilliant Met debut this past spring as Almaviva…”

“Mr. Brownlee, an appealing stage performer with a bright, sweet and flexible voice, made a strong impression and won a warm ovation.”

“… Mr. Brownlee is already an impressive singer with a good understanding of bel canto style. His sound was warm and tender during lyrical flights”

“When it came time for his curtain call, he choked up during the ardent ovation. That the evening meant so much to him came through in his likable performance.

Or, as Mr. Sher put it, “He has a great spirit.” As Mr. Sher concedes, a quality like that will shine forth even when a debutante singer has never had a rehearsal onstage.”

“[Joyce] DiDonato is the best Rosina around, and Brownlee, another young American tenor, is her near equal, an astonishing technician who rightly brought the house down.”

“The tears that filled Lawrence Brownlee's eyes during his curtain call at the Metropolitan Opera spoke of more than mere relief at a successful debut.”

“True, he had just vanquished the daunting tenor role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. But that was only part of the story Thursday night.”

“He also became a phenomenon that's still entirely too rare — a black man getting a chance to perform a leading role at the nation's premier opera house.”

“The happy news is that Brownlee held his own from start to finish with his more seasoned colleagues, most of whom had already performed several times in the new production by Bartlett Sher.”

His lyric voice falls on the ear with unusual sweetness, even in its upper reaches, yet it carries enough punch to be clearly heard in the vast Met auditorium. He has mastered the bel canto technique of fast runs, trills and ornamentation that Rossini requires, and stopped the show with his acrobatics in the aria ‘Cessa di più resistere’ late in the evening.”

“As a performer, Brownlee joined cheerfully in the comic pratfalls of the production and used his short stature (5-foot-6; 168 centimeters) to good comic effect, especially when contrasted with the unusually tall Dr. Bartolo of bass-baritone John del Carlo.”

“This [following in the footsteps of Juan Diego Florez] was indeed a hard act to follow, but Brownlee’s performance was rewarded with a standing ovation.”

“…Brownlee impressed this listener with his perfect legato and lovely tone quality in the aria ‘Ecco ridente in cielo. But the truest test came in the last scene when he pulled out all the stops in the fiendishly difficult aria ‘Cessa di più resistere’ which is usually omitted din most productions. The ovation which followed almost equaled the one accorded him at his final curtain call. Brownlee is also a very accomplished actor.”

“He has an attractive stage presence and the kind of charisma that augurs well for his future as a star in the operatic firmament.”

“Brownlee took over the tenor role after virtuoso Juan Diego Flórez had been singing it all season, not an easy act to follow, but he pulled it off with aplomb. In entrance aria ‘Ecco, ridente,’ Brownlee displayed an instrument that was clear, even and flexible. His ornamentation was creative and included interpolated runs and high notes, with a long-sustained final note. His singing here and in the subsequent serenade did not want for elegance and, though short of stature, he cut a dashing figure on stage, with a number of comic bits playing on his slightness and litheness. As the drunken soldier, he wound up on Dr. Bartolo's lap and later the doctor, towering over him, had to make an extra effort to find his way under his broad-brimmed 'Don Alonso' hat to address him.

Although Brownlee proved in the course of the evening that he could sing piano, could run and sing at the same time, a useful ability in comedy, and produce head tone as well, while demonstrating a phrase for putative pupil Rosina during the lesson scene, it was near the end of the evening, with his bravura account of the restored ‘Cessa di più resistere ... Ah, il più lieto, il più felice,’ which, in part, shares a melody with Cenerentola's rondo ‘Non più mesta,’ that he truly drove the audience into a frenzy. The roar of approval at his solo final curtain call seemed to bring tears to his eyes.”

“Il barbiere di Siviglia returned to the Met in Bartlett Sher’s pretty-busy-gaggy production on April 26 with three unfamiliar principals. Musical standards remained lofty. Lawrence Brownlee made his debut as Almaviva, bravely succeeding Juan Diego Flórez…” “His tone light and poised, his timbre sweet, Brownlee sailed through the bel canto stratosphere – interpolations generous and daring – with elegant ease. He entered into Sher’s high-jinks orgy with good cheer, height limitations notwithstanding, and ultimately silenced any doubts with a genuinely virtuosic, virtually nonchalant rondo finale.”

“The revelation of opening night was American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, making his debut here as Almaviva. In ‘Ecco ridente’ and ‘Se il mio nome,’ he demonstrated a sweet, pliant voice with an extremely fast, attractive vibrato. And Brownlee flaunted his confidence with the challenging bravura piece ‘Cessa di più resistere,’ a number ordinarily eliminated from Act II.”

“To say the best part of San Diego Opera's season-opening production of The Barber of Seville is its ending, isn't meant to take anything away from its superb, big-voiced cast, its joyous direction, its masterful conducting, its cotton-candy costumes and its airy rococo sets. But what lifts this production from the superior to the sublime is the opera's closing aria by tenor Lawrence Brownlee.

A voice like this comes along only rarely, and hearing Brownlee effortlessly glide through the vocal cartwheels of the eight-minute ‘Cessa di più resistere’ – nearly always cut from the score because the challenging piece is simply too difficult for most tenors to attempt so late in a show – is an experience that few local operagoers are likely to forget.

Brownlee's voice has a ringing clarity, a pleasing, fast-whirring vibrato and an impeccable vocal line that never fades during the melismatic leaps his coloratura arias require. This is a voice for the ages and San Diegans are lucky to have seen Brownlee here in his local debut. For once he makes his debut in the same role of Count Almaviva next year at the Metropolitan Opera, his price tag will be too high for any but the world's leading opera houses.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee was vocally dazzling. He was an Almaviva of exquisite lyrical timbre, with agility in the use of his voice and elegant phrasing. He interpreted ‘Cessa di più resistere’ in an outstanding manner.”

“But it was up-and-coming tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Count Almaviva who stole the show. There is much buzz surrounding this young talent who will make his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Almaviva. The expert control he used with his rich, layered voice was phenomenal. In fact, a difficult aria for Almaviva that is often cut from Barber performances was restored for the capable Brownlee.”

“In terms of bel canto bravura, no one surpassed tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Count Almaviva, who woos Rosina.” “…[his voice] was wonderfully supple and suited to the coloratura ornamentation. He even sang the brutally demanding ‘Cessa di più resistere,’ which is frequently cut from productions.”

“For some of us hearing these passages [of Count Almaviva], the names of two of the greatest lyric tenors spring to mind – Luigi Alva, Cesare Valletti. But today as innumerable Rossini and Handel revivals occur throughout the world, it’s a safe bet that more young singers are being trained in the style of singing this music than there were back in the ‘50s. Brownlee, for instance, is such a master of the Rossini style that he even dared to show off at the end of Act Two by tackling…‘Cessa di più resistere’.”

“Brownlee has a sweet, pliant voice with an extremely fast, attractive vibrato.”

“The star of this performance was coloratura tenor Lawrence Brownlee whose vocal flexibility is an absolute marvel. For him the often-omitted aria 'Cessa di più resistere' was put back into the last act. Most tenors find singing difficult florid music when they are most assuredly tired next to impossible, but Brownlee tossed the aria off with seeming ease. Next year he makes his Metropolitan Opera début and we can only hope he will still choose to come back to the Southwest once in a while.”

“As Don Ramiro, the Prince Charming of the tale, the young American tenor Lawrence Brownlee was outstanding, with a sweet sound, impressive agility, ringing high notes and a smile that resonated to the core of his interpretation. Mr. Brownlee’s performance of the prince’s big aria, ‘Si, ritrovarla io giuro,’ drew the evening’s most rousing applause.”

“Friday night's premiere was a joyful occasion thanks to an outstanding cast, starting with the two lead singers — Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and American tenor Lawrence Brownlee.”

“Brownlee, who debuted in Barbiere two years ago, is that rare phenomenon, a light lyric tenor who can loft effortlessly to a high D with no sense of strain or diminution of quality. His technique is a match for Garanča’s, and he deservedly won a huge ovation for Prince Ramiro's big aria, ‘Si, ritrovarla io giuro.’ Brownlee is one of the few African-American singers currently performing leading roles at the Met, and it's good the company is bringing him back again next season, when he'll appear in Rossini's Armida alongside Renée Fleming.”

“Cesare Lievi’s 1997 production handily retains its charm and distinctive humor, and there are terrific performances from singers making their Met role debuts as Angelina (a.k.a. Cinderella) and her prince charming, Don Ramiro.”

“American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, the Don Ramiro, is fast consolidating his reputation as the Rossini tenor of choice in the absence of Juan Diego Flórez. Don Ramiro makes his initial entrance disguised as his valet Dandini, but from the start there was no mistaking the patrician quality of Brownlee’s singing. His honeyed tone and exemplary diction contributed handsomely to ‘Un soave non so che,’ the alluring duet he soon sings with Angelina. And Brownlee’s technical brilliance made Don Ramiro’s big Act 2 aria into a real showstopper.”

“…Lawrence Brownlee (Prince Ramiro) sent his fleet tenor dipping and soaring like a roller coaster.”

“…his expressive eyes flash all the way to the top of the vast Met auditorium.”

“Gioachino Rossini's romantic fairy tale comedy La Cenerentola...was revived on May Day in a winning rendition featuring some newcomers and some recreating their roles. Elīna Garanča and Lawrence Brownlee were the striking new principals.”

“Tenor Brownlee, as Don Ramiro, Prince of Salerno…immediately reconfirmed, in his bright and fluid entrance recitative, ‘Tutto è deserto,’ the fine impression he made at his debut, in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, two seasons ago. The Latvian mezzo and American tenor were soon, in their duet, ‘Un soave non so che,’ trading lustrous phrases and fluent florid musical figures.”

“In his ‘Sì, ritrovarla io giuro’ sequence of cabaletta, cavatina, and second cabaletta, Brownlee, with flair, displayed ringing high notes, smooth legato, and pyrotechnical proficiency.”

“Young American Lawrence Brownlee proved himself yet again one of the finest bel canto tenors of his generation. The suavity with which he painted his virtuoso lines was astonishing. His 'Sì, ritrovarla io giuro' was delivered with touching anxiousness that aptly conveyed the lover's wish to find his mysterious woman again.”

“Her [Elīna Garanča’s] tenor—her prince—in La Cenerentola was Lawrence Brownlee, the young American. He is sweet-voiced and nimble. And we need him: for, when it comes to Rossini tenors, man cannot live on Juan Diego Flórez alone.”

“Another reason I was eager to attend this season’s Cenerentola was finally to hear Lawrence Brownlee, the young American contender in the Rossini tenor stakes and, by the sound of audience response, already a singer the Met has taken to its heart. Brownlee has, on the evidence, a larger, more liquid sound that Juan Diego Florez’s more nasal tone or Barry Banks’s more brilliant but less sensuous instrument, and he appears to be the equal of both in rapid-fire coloratura.”

“I look forward to hearing him again this summer in the semi-staged operas [L’elisir d’amore and Semiramide] being performed at Caramoor.”

“Brownlee is as fine a Rossini tenor as exists today. It isn’t just his astonishing agility or the high notes he produces without strain or alteration of vocal color; it’s the honeyed tone and nuanced phrasing he brings to lyrical and virtuoso passages alike. Physically Brownlee is small of stature, but as soon as he started singing, he became every bit the romantic swain.”

“Lawrence Brownlee, a rather short tenor with an amazingly tall voice, sailed elegantly through the stratosphere as her Prince quasi-Charming.”

“On top of these super-allegro passages, Rossini’s bel canto is famously near impossible for most singers. The composer constantly teases and tricks the ear with long passages that follow the sometimes ridiculous but always lovingly observed sentiments of the human heart. These lovely passages become mush in the mouths of the ill prepared. As one Rossini biographer put it, ‘A strong case, indeed, could be made for eliminating most of the ornamentation in a modern performance of a Rossini opera, for modern singers are mere novices compared with the singers of his day’. A strong case against that biographer’s sentiment was made by the principles here as they gloriously executed the seemingly impossible.”

“[They] come as close as we’ll ever see or hear to those virtuosos that Rossini wrote for.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee delivers a vocally accomplished Prince Charming...”

“Young American Lawrence Brownlee proved himself yet again one of the finest bel canto tenors of his generation. The suavity with which he painted his virtuoso lines was astonishing. His 'Sì, ritrovarla io giuro' was delivered with touching anxiousness that aptly conveyed the lover's wish to find his mysterious woman again...Brownlee portrayed a memorable Prince Charming.”

“…and above all, as Don Ramiro, there was Lawrence Brownlee, who sang even more beautifully than his excellent colleagues. He displayed exemplary Bel Canto style, with his bight, agile and most-responsive tenor voice.”

“On his first entrance he [Brownlee] immediately commanded attention. He matched the virtuosity of [Joyce] DiDonato [as Angelina]…”

“…in his extended solo scene in Act Two [he] poured out high notes with a brilliant ring, including one held long enough to drive fanatic fans of singing mad. He's one I want to hear again.”

“The Ramiro of Lawrence Brownlee, having conquered Philadelphia in one night in his November debut there, did the same thing in Houston. The young tenor is an enthusiastic partner onstage, less narcissistic than some current exponents of the part. Confident in demeanor and sure of Rossini style, Brownlee can sound a bit papery of timbre at the bottom of his range, but the quality improves as he ascends and his daring and accuracy in ‘Dolce speranza’ occasioned delirious applause.”

"Judging from Lawrence Brownlee’s bravura performance as Don Ramiro (the prince in servant’s clothing) he’s well on his way to opera stardom. He had the audience going wild during the high notes. (I thought I was in Milan for at least 10 seconds.)"

“Her [Joyce DiDonato’s] Prince, Lawrence Brownlee, brought the house down with his forthright pacing, effortless high Cs, and clean coloratura in his capstone aria in Act II, ‘Sì, ritrovarla io giuro.’”

“Stylistically impeccable, the young tenor from Ohio also employed breathtaking technique...with a mixture of audacity and mastery that delighted the audience.”

“Lawrence Brownlee made a splendid company debut as Ramiro, thanks to warm tone, great flexibility, and fearless command of the high Cs.”

“Lawrence Brownlee aced Ramiro's stratospheric part with panache, confidence, immaculate style and attractive tone; certain Peruvian superstars might look to their laurels.”

“Lawrence Brownlee…sings elegantly. His light voice is characterized by a vibrato that intensifies on top. He won a solid round of applause for the prince's big solo.”

“What redeemed the production for me was the sonorous tenor voice of Lawrence Brownlee as Don Ramiro, the prince. When this man steps on stage and opens his mouth, you experience the sort of sublime high that art at its best is supposed to provide. Of course it helps that Brownlee is singing Rossini, whose music is always pleasant to the ear (even if, let’s be honest, every Rossini opera sounds alike). During Brownlee’s solos, it was all I could do to resist rising from my seat and shouting at the projection booth, “Will you stop with these distracting gimmicks already and let the man sing?”

“Lawrence Brownlee as Don Ramiro seems to be hooked up to some sort of antigravity device as he makes some of Rossini’s more difficult passages sound positively easy.

“In another winning Philadelphia debut, Lawrence Brownlee sings the role of the prince, Don Ramiro, with an assured and vibrant tenor that soars with emotional intensity, especially in moments with his beloved Cinderella.”

“Rossini tenor-on-the-rise Lawrence Brownlee, joining the Met for Barbiere this spring…[is] a real contender.”

“Lawrence Brownlee, a Rossini specialist, had tone and range ideally suited to the part of Don Ramiro.”

“The Don Ramiro was Lawrence Brownlee, who has a clear and appealing vocal timbre…”

“Lawrence Brownlee displayed a true tenore di grazia; his acting was exemplary.”

“Don Ramiro was portrayed by the American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who has a most pleasant voice; he displayed great musicality, cultivated technique and confident acting.”

“Each of the artists brought specific gifts to the performance; the Prince, Lawrence Brownlee, has a well modulated and attractive tenor voice.”

“Don Ramiro, the American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who has been heard often at La Scala, has a voice of clean perfection and tempting inflection, even in the most difficult passages.”

“As Prince Charming, Lawrence Brownlee confirms reports that he is a superb Rossini tenor. There was a thunderous ovation after the aria, ‘Si ritrovarla io giuro’ which was sung with aristocratic delicacy and self-control. He is clearly an artist whose star is rising.”

“Lawrence Brownlee’s Ramiro was truly superb. He has a beautiful timbre, as well as a rock-solid technique that allows him to flexibly negotiate all the runs and roulades required for this part, presenting this role with limpid phrasing, intelligence and elegance.”

“American tenor Lawrence Brownlee has a secure voice, with a most appealing timbre.”

“...tenor Lawrence Brownlee, whose performance in Rossini’s Semiramide at Caramoor last summer I missed, but whose Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore at the same venue was one of the most exciting events I witnessed all year. (Unbelievably, it was the first time he’d sung the role)…"

“Mr. Crutchfield, a gifted young cast headed by the vibrant soprano Georgia Jarman and the impressive tenor Lawrence Brownlee, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Caramoor Festival Chorus rose to the challenge in a performance so well prepared it came across as natural and spontaneous.”

“Mr. Brownlee, on a career roll right now, had the requisite vocal qualities for Nemorino: pliant phrasing, deftly dispatched coloratura passagework, easy top notes and, when called for, real carrying power. From his first moments Mr. Brownlee brought out the yearning in Donizetti’s music.”

“In ‘Una furtive lagrima,’ the show-stopping aria in which Nemorino dares to hope that Adina may actually love him, Mr. Brownlee sang with melting legato and expressive intensity. He offered a variation on the second stanza, from a source in Donizetti’s own hand, according to Mr. Crutchfield, that made this touchstone aria seem almost new.”

“…the evening really belonged to the Nemorino, Lawrence Brownlee, a fast-rising leggiero tenor who won substantial ovations in La Cenerentola at the Met last May. With his sweet tone, fastidious pitch, and poetic phrasing, Brownlee made ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ and other familiar fare sound intriguingly fresh, banishing, for a moment, the ghosts of Caruso and Pavarotti. He is likely to have another hit when he returns [to Caramoor later in the month] for Semiramide.”

“The chief delight of the July 18 performance of this opera by ‘Bel Canto at Caramoor’ was the role debut of Lawrence Brownlee as Nemorino. Until now, he has enjoyed acclaim almost completely in the ‘Rossini tenor’ repertoire that, besides the operas written by the Pesaro master, takes in brilliant high roles such as Tonio in La fille du régiment and Arturo in I puritani. The tessitura of Nemorino sits a little lower, and, more to the point, his music is almost exclusively lyrical, with a minimum of fioritura and little tradition of interpolated stratospheric notes.

So it was a pleasant surprise to hear Brownlee wrap his honeyed if small voice around this music. Because he carries so little weight up to the top of the staff, the technically tricky climaxes of ‘Una furtiva lagrima,’ which all sit right on the tenor passaggio, spun out so easily that the aria took on an unaccustomed though ravishing feeling of repose. He also commands an easy, unforced legato that made the music sound particularly elegant, even in the fast-ish tempo set by conductor Will Crutchfield, director of opera for the Caramoor Festival.”

“Lawrence Brownlee (who headlines both Caramoor operas this summer) is one of the fastest rising young singers on the international opera scene. Having made his professional debut only seven years ago, he has already appeared at La Scala and Covent Garden and won critical acclaim for two leading roles on the Met stage. Quickly becoming one of the main go-to bel canto tenors of the day, he added another notch to his belt singing his first Nemorino Saturday night. Even while cutting a dashing figure in a tuxedo, Brownlee effectively depicted the lovestruck schlub at the center of the story. His smooth tenor filled the house, easily reaching the money notes that the opera aficionados in the crowd were noticeably anticipating.”

“Lawrence Brownlee in a role debut as Nemorino sang with appealing forthrightness and tonal roundness; his rhythmic acuity and technical brilliance made him seem too bright and commanding for the village simpleton. However, the sweetness of his tone mitigated that impression, and his embellishments to ‘Una furtiva lagrima,’ taken from Donizetti’s notations, were stylishly rendered.”

“Making use of Alberto Zedda's critical edition, Crutchfield gave us fuller-than-usual versions of many numbers, especially with regard to repeats and fully elaborated endings…he had two leading singers who were utterly unfazed by (indeed, seemed to thrive on) the additional challenges. Lawrence Brownlee and Georgia Jarman, together and separately, were wonderful as Nemorino and Adina — youthful, amusing and touching in proper balance, with lovely fresh tone, technical command, and a commendably word-based approach to line and phrasing that is rare for Americans of their generation.

“It was hard to believe that this was Brownlee's first-ever Elisir. Though it lies lower than his trademark Rossini roles, the part emerged with elegant, attractive sound, finely tapered dynamics and excellent, forward Italian diction. The hapless (and then ultralucky) village swain fits to a T Brownlee's earnest manner and audience-conquering charm. The last similarly accomplished Nemorinos in my experience came from Carlo Bergonzi and Alfredo Kraus, each a veteran over sixty at the time; Brownlee is in his mid thirties.”

“In his Hamburg debut, the American Lawrence Brownlee, as Tonio, fulfilled all the expectations placed on this internationally, highly-praised tenor. The panic-inducing aria ‘Ah, mes amis’ proved to be a sure bet for him: nine bull’s-eyes.”

“With virtuosity, lyric tenor Lawrence Brownlee sent the role’s high Cs heavenward, resulting in a most enthusiastic ovation.”

“The Afro-American singer Lawrence Brownlee, as Tonio, managed the awe-inspiring feat of firing out a barrage of high Cs, an accomplishment that could not have been bettered by Pavarotti in his prime, without the loss of any of the lyric quality of his voice.”

“Worthy of considerable mention was the Hamburg debut of the American Lawrence Brownlee in the role of Tonio. With his effortless tenor voice, with its melting tones, he not only conquered the ‘Aria of the Nine High Cs,’ but did so in splendid fashion.”

“No less demanding [than the role of Marie] is that of Tonio. Alone in his famous cabaletta, ‘Pour mon âme,’ the tenor must toss out nine high Cs. This proved to be no obstacle for Lawrence Brownlee, a singer who displays absolute security even in the highest range.”

“Vocally remarkable was the American Lawrence Brownlee as Tonio, with his effortlessly managed, melting tenor voice.”

“The leading roles of Marie and her beloved Tonio are fitted out with bravura coloratura. That’s a treat for the audience, and Aleksandra Kurzak and Lawrence Brownlee can rightly take credit for the spirited curtain calls they received.”

“The Hamburg debut of the American Lawrence Brownlee, already internationally praised, in the role of Tonio was vocally sensational. With his effortlessly managed, melting tenor voice, he succeeded admirably, and not just in merely clearing the hurdle of the seven high-Cs.”

“Tonio, her lover, won’t have an easy time of married life with her, although Lawrence Brownlee sings him with carefree assurance and likewise pops out the legendary nine high Cs of his aria’s cabaletta with ease.”

“Like a shooting star, Lawrence Brownlee steps forward as Tonio. Not only does the man have an exceptionally concentrated tenor voice with great staying power, but the bel canto specialist from the United States turns cartwheels, does the splits and spins like a dervish across the stage — and all this with a fully sung performance.”

“In the American tenor Lawrence Brownlee she [soprano Aleksandra Kurzak] found above all a vocally strong partner, who fired off Tonio’s high Cs with stylish ease.

“Even the only rarely well-cast, very high-lying part of Tonio was persuasively taken in Hamburg by Lawrence Brownlee.”

“Opera-lovers know that Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment is the opera with many high Cs. The tenor who can master these hurdles is highly esteemed. Lawrence Brownlee sang the extreme range of Tonio effortlessly, and lusty cries of bravo were the reward for this feat of singing technique. Yet Brownlee’s voice is also meltingly rich and technically sovereign.”

“Here Lawrence Brownlee, making his Hamburg debut as the Tyrolean country boy Tonio, had plenty to offer.”

“…he demonstrated not only the physical agility at his disposal, but the very bright, first-class instrument over which he presides. The nine high Cs of ‘Ah! mes amis’ came surely, as did the C-sharp of his second act aria. And here he also demonstrated flawless line and soft-singing.”

“Lawrence Brownlee fired off Tonio’s notoriously difficult and prized high Cs wonderfully well and earned bravos accordingly.”

“Her [singer portraying Ninetta] chivalrous lover Lawrence Brownlee, in his role debut as Giannetto, was the delight of the show. Warm and manly in his lower register, he knows how to gradually pinpoint his breath up to around the high C, quite in the tenor di Grazia style. As to agility and Italian diction, he is simply perfect. ‘Pity he has not much to sing solo,’ was the general comment heard during the intermission – but that was Rossini’s fault rather than his own.”

“A truly relevant performance [of L’italiana] – among the best I have come across this year on stage. The same might be said of Lawrence Brownlee, who in his performances gives a lesson in Rossini-style. The American tenor might not have a big voice, but it is beautiful and wonderfully projected. His high notes are very easy – it’s just that simple. His diction is exact and his technique is immaculate. He never has to force his voice and one never hears those annoying register breaks that can sometimes plague some of his more widely-known colleagues. And unlike some of them, the superb Mr. Brownlee doesn’t in any way skimp on the coloratura – on the contrary. After his ‘Languir per una bella’ the audience showed true enthusiasm, which hardly ever happens with the first-night audiences in this theater. A true triumph for Barcellona and Brownlee.”

“At her same level [Daniela Barcellona’s] stands Lawrence Brownlee, tenore di grazia… [who] is admired and warmly applauded for his elegant phrasing and for his measured style, which allows him to brilliantly execute Lindoro’s arduous coloratura passages”

“Mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose and tenor Lawrence Brownlee both specialize in this repertoire and have worked well in other Rossini outings here... Even with a familiar production, the opera was a new experience…carrying itself with more confidence and authority. She [Ruxandra Donose] gave phrase shapes and dramatic ideas rather than individual vocal skyrockets. Even more adept at that was Brownlee, her leading man: Even the best coloratura tenors sound like stunt singers, but not him. His phrasing was marvelously conversational, as if speaking a first language. I'll take that over the more virtuosic Florez.”

“Brownlee makes a charming Lindoro. His pinging tenor soars through the lyrical lines and never loses its poise in the florid embellishments. He won the audience’s immediate favor with his elegant account of Lindoro’s first-act cavatina.”

“The standout vocalism this evening belonged to extraordinary young tenor, Lawrence Brownlee, a fine actor with a meltingly beautiful voice, displaying a tonality as sweet and ripe as a late summer peach. His rendition of Lindoro's famous Act 1 aria was a showstopper. It is, above all else, the effortless quality of both his singing and theatrical presence that makes Brownlee a riveting performer, without a doubt one at the brink of a major career.”

“Lawrence Brownlee is thrilling with his steady yet delicately applied tenore di grazia…”

“Lawrence Brownlee, taking on the steep peaks of the role of Lindoro for the first time [at the Festival], scaled them with valor, all the while offering sweet-toned messa di voce that won him frenetic applause.

“With his seemingly effortless vocal bravura and bright, ringing tone, Lawrence Brownlee, as Lindoro, was the star Sunday. He could do no wrong. For him, Rossini's vocal challenges are like a walk in the park.”

“Lawrence Brownlee, a Seattle Opera Young Artists Program graduate whose international career has accelerated like a Ferrari, stopped the show with his spectacular arias and thrilling high notes.”

“What an embarrassment of riches we had in our two tenors [in the two casts offered]!”

“Yet, at Sunday’s matinee, Lawrence Brownlee eclipsed that performance with one that nearly stopped the show.”

“He reveled in the comic antics and sang with a beauty and ease that is not surpassed anywhere in the world today. The gold standard in Rossini tenors is Juan Diego Florez, whom I have heard many times both live and recorded. Much as I adore Florez, I have to say that Brownlee matched the world champ in facility and exceeded him in vocal beauty. What a thrill he gave us!”

“…with one major exception. That was Lawrence Brownlee in the secondo tenore role of Egeo, who with his smooth and unfailingly elegant tenor became the evening’s vocal star. Dressed not so much as a king of Athens but a Muslim warrior…he proved himself a very physical actor as he stalked Alden’s stage.”

“Elzbieta Szmytka’s vengeful, yet sympathetic, Medea found an equally intense stage partner in Lawrence Brownlee’s Egeo.”

“All roles were exquisitely cast, with Lawrence Brownlee, rising star at the Metropolitan Opera, deserving special mention.”

“...Lawrence Brownlee used his substantial yet flexible Tenor and his engaging stage presence to create his character Egeo.”

“The singers who most stood out were Michele Pertusi as Faraone, the young, enthusiastic Lawrence Brownlee as Osiride…”

"Most astonishing of all was Lawrence Brownlee (Arturo), whose bright attractive tenor and astonishing range - solid D flats and a brilliantly secure high F - had the hall vibrating with bravos. With a tinge more tenderness in 'A te, o cara' and a much more liberal use of his exquisite mezza voce, Brownlee could easily become the Arturo of one's dreams."

"…when tenor Lawrence Brownlee (as Arturo) went for a full-voiced, unheard-of high F (above high C) in Act III, the level of excitement rose to disbelief. Most tenors can't sing that high without inhaling helium first; Brownlee made it sound easy."

“The quartet of singers Saturday night was generally splendid. Lawrence Brownlee, a graduate of the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, sang the notoriously challenging role of Arturo with distinction, lyric impulse and the requisite high notes, including an F above high C.”

"..but one singer clearly rose above the rest (in more ways than one) and that was Brownlee. From his first entrance there was that telling hush in the hall that signals a special voice and with his aria, ‘A te o cara,’ this quality was confirmed. His lovely sound, even production, musical phrasing, and, yes, fine legato made his successful forays into the Rubini stratosphere unimportant. He tired a bit in the taxing third act but firmly established himself as a bel canto star."

“At last, the tenor, Seattle's own Lawrence Brownlee, gets to hit those amazing Bellini high notes. God bless Bellini for his genius, God bless Seattle Opera for waiting, God bless Amsellem and Brownlee for their talents!”

"During the intermissions, everyone tried to think up more superlative phrases to describe Lawrence Brownlee's supple tenor."

“In my 70 years, I have never heard better singing than that of Lawrence Brownlee, who sang Arturo, the young lover of the extremely unstable Elvira. Not since Jussi Bjoerling serenaded us on folding chairs in the dreadful Civic Auditorium in 1955 have I heard a better tenor in Seattle. Brownlee has developed since his first years in Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program so that now he appears confident on stage, physically as well as vocally. His voice was utterly free, warm, and capable of superb coloratura. His phrasing and legato was stunning. His high Cs and Ds were easy and beautiful, and the high F-above-high-C was thrilling if not effortless. On the world stage, he most often shares the roles of Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez. Having heard them both live several times, I find Brownlee's the more beautiful (and bigger) voice.

“Brownlee, as the cavalier Arturo, not only possesses the extended upper register that is required by this opera, but he has plenty of it and it’s a gorgeous sound with lots of resonance. He hit the D above high C with gusto and the F above that in full voice with mega gusto. I don’t know that I’ll ever get the chance to hear that live again. It was astounding. No wonder that Brownlee already has recording contracts coming out of his ears. We’ll be hearing a lot more of him.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee stuns Seattle audiences last weekend in Seattle Opera's production of the Bellini rarity, I Puritani, by lofting an F above tenor high C and knocking it into the stratosphere. You've got to hear it to believe it.”

“The singing is an unqualified pleasure thanks to a cast of well-blended voices. If Lawrence Brownlee as Arturo and Norah Amsellem are outstanding, thanks to their roles and their own dramatic and vocal qualities, the other singers are equally impressive.”

“Few tenors have the effortlessly stratospheric range he [Brownlee} does, or the ability to sing Bellini arias with his musical and emotional integrity. He made an ardent, appealing lover as Arturo, and his singing brought the house to increasing roars of bravos after each aria. Yes, he did reach that high F without any apparent strain.”

Philippa Kiraly, The Gathering Note (gatheringnote.wordpress.com), May 5, 2008

“Lawrence Brownlee rocked the house as Arturo when he elegantly skewered that high F. A former Seattle Opera Young Artist, Brownlee’s mellifluous tenor is more powerful and nuanced than when he last performed here in Florencia en el Amazonas.”

“Lawrence Brownlee has elicited enthusiasm in our columns be it in Paris, Lausanne, Brussels or on record. He is quite at home in McCaw Hall having benefited from being in the Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program. Starting right away with the romanza ‘A te o cara’ in Act I, this is a seductive performance. Through all of Act III it is impossible to resist the youthful grace of his timbre and the flexibility of his vocal production. Finally he absolutely stupefies in the final ensemble where he takes the mythical top F – Nirvana for tenors.”

“Well, on Saturday, the opening night of Settle Opera’s production of Bellini’s I puritani, tenor Lawrence Brownlee managed a rather nice high F, a full fourth higher [than Juan Diego Florez, hitting high Cs in the Met’s Fille du regiment earlier in the week in New York]. A fourth is the interval between the first two notes of, for example, Wagner’s Wedding March. To get an idea of Brownlee’s feat as compared to Florez’, sing ‘Here’ on a note at the top of your range. OK, now sing ‘comes the bride.’ The audience jumped.”

“Brownlee’s singing is damn near impeccable, full of both heart and precision. His ability to make his singing seem utterly effortless – his notes sound like they’re simply loosed rather than delivered – something I’ve heard only one other SO singer manage at that level, and that’s Jane Eaglen.

“Brownlee has the easy high notes for the aria ‘A te o cara’ in Act I and ‘Credeasi misera’ in Act III and he phrased their long melodic lines with disarming grace and elegance. The gently swaying rubato that informed the cadences of ‘A te o cara’ was especially fetching – no wonder Elvira was so smitten by this Arturo.”

“As Arturo, Lawrence Brownlee, a most impressive product of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists program, delivered tenor singing of thrilling impact; he was lyrical and heroic in the same breath, fearless in tackling Bellini’s often stratospheric tessitura, and notably accomplished in his Italian diction. “

“He is short but powerful, reaching the third-act sought-after high F with a full chest rather than a falsetto.”

“If you haven't heard Lawrence Brownlee yet, you have a delight in store; if you have, you've probably already bought your ticket to hear him tonight with Washington Concert Opera. This dazzling young tenor will astonish you with his mastery of coloratura, his trumpeting high notes and the sheer daring of his vocal leaps. He joins forces with soprano Sarah Coburn in a performance of Vincenzo Bellini's last work, I Puritani.”

“Equally gifted is tenor Lawrence Brownlee in the role of Arturo. His vocal skills are incomparable, a good thing in an opera requiring almost inhuman challenges of the lead tenor, including the ability to cleanly achieve an F above high C. Mr. Brownlee nailed his note with authority.”

“For a few magical hours Sunday at Lisner Auditorium soprano Sarah Coburn and tenor Lawrence Brownlee seemed to be the world's best opera singers. As Elvira and Arturo, lovers in Vincenzo Bellini's difficult but beautiful I Puritani, their sweet and radiant voices climbed to stratospheric heights and sped effortlessly through hairpin turns. It's an accomplishment just to hit Bellini's notes (singers still fear this opera), but to imbue them with the rage, madness and delight the characters live through is an extraordinary achievement.”

“Undoubtedly, the evening featuring these young singers will rank as a high point in the Washington Concert Opera's adventuresome 20-year history.”

“Brownlee's Arturo was simply a joy to hear. His voice is supple, strong and seamlessly produced throughout the registers. It would be impossible to improve the performance he gave in the bravura aria ‘A te o cara,’ which shifted gracefully into one of the opera's many gorgeously sung ensembles.”

“It was great to encounter Lawrence Brownlee again. The tenor, making his third appearance with the company since 2004, won two big-time honors, the Richard Tucker Award and Marian Anderson Award, last year, and he is quickly establishing himself on the world scene as a formidable advocate for the 19th-century Italian repertoire known as bel canto.”

“The immediately communicative quality about Brownlee's voice, the vibrant edge in the tone, animated the role of dashing, brave Arturo…an exciting, keenly expressive achievement that understandably brought down the house. I hope someone will introduce Brownlee to Baltimore audiences before too long. He's a major addition to the vocal scene.”

“He [Brownlee] particularly shone brightly in his duets with Ms. Coburn and he managed the demanding ‘D’ and ‘F’ above ‘High C’!”

“The outstanding cast not only sang all of Bellini's outrageous high notes and impossibly difficult fioriture, they did so with panache and elegance.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee continues to pile up awards for his extraordinary voice and gave an equally impressive rendition of Arturo. The role has an extremely difficult beginning, entering the stage with challenging music, and ends the evening with a duet featuring one of the highest notes ever written for a tenor.”

“Only a small côterie of the best singers are able even to hit that high F, let alone make it sound relatively good, and Brownlee is firmly in that group.”

“Brownlee's voice was consistently suave and accurate, forming an exceptionally fine mixture with Coburn and the other voices in the great quartet ‘A te, o cara’.”

“The talented young cast in Rossini’s seldom-staged ‘Semiramide’ at the Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, N.Y., in August also enjoyed justifiably rapturous applause for their vocal acrobatics, particularly the luminous-voiced soprano Angela Meade in the title role. Will Crutchfield conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Ms. Meade’s dynamic colleagues, who included the virtuoso mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux as Arsace, and Lawrence Brownlee, a rising bel canto star, as Idreno.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee has recently conquered the Met and various European houses as well as Caramoor in its recent L’elisir d’amore. He is of the Juan Diego Flórez school of singing – uncannily accurate coloratura, easy high Bs, Cs and Ds, superb breath control and nice stage presence. His voice may even be a bit more appealing than Mr. Flórez’s, whose delivery can be overly bright. The cuts in his arias were a pity; the audience could have listened to him for hours.”

“The big surprise of the evening was Lawrence Brownlee as Idreno, an incidental character (I guess Rossini needed a tenor). Mr. Brownlee, though, has an extraordinarily clear tenor voice, and in both his arias, he essayed all the florid lines with ease.”

“Idreno was sung by tenor Lawrence Brownlee with gorgeous, bright phrasing and a stage presence that is infectious.”

“It’s a treat to hear a really beautiful voice sing a high Rossini role (in contrast to the capon squawking you get from a lot of the boys), particularly since Brownlee doesn’t sacrifice anything in brilliance of coloratura.”

La Cieca (a.k.a James Jorden), Parterre Box (www.parterre.com), August 4, 2009

“In the role of the king, Lawrence Brownlee, a rising bel canto star, delivered his arias with aplomb, singing with a clear, expressive voice; fluid phrasing; ringing top notes; and effortless coloratura.”

“The Indian prince Idreno stands a bit apart from the core drama, but he has two splendid arias, which the fine tenor Lawrence Brownlee delivered with succulent tone and technical panache.”

“As Idreno, the Indian king who comes to ask for the hand of Princess Azema, the tenor Lawrence Brownlee sang with a bright tone, free-sounding coloratura and ringing high notes.”

“Lawrence Brownlee had the thankless role of Idreno — but thankless it wasn’t on this occasion, as his arias were met with joy. Brownlee has rapidly become a favorite with American bel canto audiences, our homegrown lirico to set against Florez and Banks, and he tossed his smallish, pretty, plangent voice with total security up and down a very broad range (and very quickly, too), occasionally rising to some sizable and solid high notes where the other stars tended to duck them — probably because they are a modern stylistic whim. Brownlee also acted stern and displeased — suiting Idreno’s role of odd man out — which can’t have been easy considering the audience reaction he was getting.”

“Lawrence Brownlee is well on his way to becoming a household name. His brilliant, high voice is perfect for Rossini, and he is entirely free of the thinness and lack of grounding some of these voices suffer from. His is a gorgeous, rich voice that can sail effortlessly into the highest registers demanded by his part with elegance and no sign of effort. His natural gift is matched by an impeccable sense of style, good taste, and a sympathetic feeling for his character. It was a joy to hear Mr. Brownlee sing, and I look forward to many years of growing more and more familiar with his work.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, as the somewhat ancillary Prince Idreno, stole the evening’s highest honors with superb Rossinian lines and runs, bright ringing timbre, and verbal clarity; it’s hard to imagine it sung better. His gracious manner suits concert opera –– confident yet humble in acknowledging wild applause.”

“The most memorable act of creative performance in recent weeks took place at Caramoor, where Crutchfield followed L’elisir d’amore with Rossini’s opulent Babylonian tragedy Semiramide. Brownlee returned to assume the role of the Indian prince Idreno…the singers offered ornaments and cadenzas galore, with zesty support from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.”

“For me the real discovery was Lawrence Brownlee, an American lirico-leggiero tenor possessed of enormous range, perfect phrasing and a melting legato which he can sustain over long passages of undeniable difficulty. Though familiar with his recorded output, I had not yet had a chance to hear him 'live.' He managed to give vocal consistency to so implausible a character as Argirio; the appreciative audience literally stopped the show with lengthy applause for his second act aria, ‘Ah, segnar in van io tento’.”

“Admirable, however, was tenor Lawrence Brownlee (Argirio) who showed himself at ease with all the ornaments the part provides, both in the quality of the recitatives and in the intensity with which he delivered the arias assigned him.

In the end, a solid success, with applause for one and all - especially for Jacobs - and a personal ovation for Lawrence Brownlee, clearly appreciated by all the cognoscenti present, and the genuine star of the evening.”

“Lawrence Brownlee (Argirio), with his beautiful, flexible voice and excellent sense of style, is the perfect Rossini -tenor.”

“Brownlee gave a highly developed, complete performance as Argirio, complete with easy coloratura and seamless melodic line.”

“The tenor Lawrence Brownlee distinguished himself with his admirable technique and his sure and enchanting tone…[he sang] with a clean, pure line and with impressive elegance in his agile execution of the vocal lines.”

“The only one who truly responded to the requirements of Rossini was Lawrence Brownlee, who has a rich voice perfectly projected, with agility and heroism united to make a memorable Argirio.”

“The biggest surprise, however, came from tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who really exemplifies ornate Rossinian singing, with a long-lined and quite ringing voice, very assured passage-work, as resounding in the low notes as in the upper extremes of the range, vocal production at once easy and expressive: his singing of the second-act entrance aria, pretty intimidating, is magnificent in its agility and musicality, the tenor never forgetting that he's portraying a father about to sacrifice his daughter.”

"Without a doubt, it was an impressive debut for the latter, in the role of Argirio in Tancredi; he is a real find. The vocalizing at full power is agile, the high notes easy, the style impeccable, and you get the feeling that this new generation is born knowing how to ornament! Above all, the voice is dark and sonorous, and the middle range appears to be large.”

“Lawrence Brownlee racks up the biggest success of the evening...” “displaying heroism and involvement in a particularly intimidating part. The dark color of this voice leaves room to hope that we have here the new ‘baritenor’…” “An interesting voice - certainly one to follow…”

“…René Jacobs, the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées and vocalists such as the astonishing tenor Lawrence Brownlee and the impeccable Rosemary Joshua, treated Rossini with same deference as they would Handel…”

“For the highly-demanding role of Argirio there was the American Lawrence Brownlee, a most experienced exponent of the role…”

“Lawrence Brownlee as Argirio has all the requisite easy mobility of a Rossini tenor.”

“The excellent American tenor Lawrence Brownlee (already heard at La Monnaie in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims) negotiated his role with perfect clarity of articulation, amazing virtuosity, impeccable projection and spot-on intonation.”

“Brownlee was dazzling, as always, but he is more than just that. Pure dazzlement can become tedious. (I laugh hysterically at Robin Williams’ stage act for 15 minutes but find him rather exhausting after an hour.) It was good to be reminded that Brownlee can do more than blow audiences away with his mastery of coloratura, his trumpeting high notes and the sheer daring of his vocal leaps. The fireworks were fine, but Brownlee also brought a tender, unaffected musicianship to those scenes in which his character of Argirio was called upon to sing sweetly and simply.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee was an excellent and at times phenomenal Argirio…”

“Lawrence Brownlee's appearance as Argirio marked his welcome return to the company after his memorable debut as Hubert in Rossini's equally obscure La Donna del Lago. The warmth, elasticity and depth of Mr. Brownlee's voice never cease to amaze. His attacks are precise, his command of rhythm is perfection, and every aria he sings is a treasured experience.”

“It was a stunning feast for the ears, as the principal singers were glorious…”

“The most important male role, Argirio, was sung by the up-and-coming star Lawrence Brownlee. Close your eyes and you hear a magnificent voice, one, at any rate that can negotiate difficult scores with ease and sound voluminous at the same time. Plenty of agility was used to good effect in the recitatives.”

“Lawrence Brownlee is one of those voices that one comes across maybe once in a generation – if that. This is the second time the Washington Concert Opera has featured him in a major role. Last year he sang Hubert in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago and once again this year, he brought a standing ovation for his magnificent lyric tenor coloratura dexterity. His delivery is always consistently fantastic. His tones are always pure and bell-like, his notes true, and his articulation always precise and clean. Added to this, he also demonstrates fantastic dynamic control, where in moving from pianissimos to fortes, his musical phrasing is also beautifully shaped. Once can only be amazed at his artistry. It’s remarkable.”

“As Argirio, tenor Lawrence Brownlee was more than equal to the acrobatic demands Rossini places on the singer in this high-tenor role. His singing was simply a wow…”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, as Narciso, was the only one to deliver real bel canto singing all evening. He showed up his colleagues effortlessly, with shimmering lines of easy grace, fleet ornaments and an arresting combination of relaxed physicality with refined control.”

“Even a minor role like Narcisco was cast with Lawrence Brownlee, one of today’s best Rossini tenors.”

“…Lawrence Brownlee also sounded outstanding, with his finely articulated voice that encompasses all the challenges demanded of a Rossini tenor”

“There remains two Staatsoper debutants whom one absolutely wants to encounter again: the enchantingly supple, youthfully bright tenor voice of Lawrence Brownlee as Narciso, as well as conductor Constantinos Carydis…”

“Lawrence Brownlee shows how it's done properly: here everything is pure exhibitionism, with his vocal chords vibrating excitedly, each tone falling on the ear like a refreshing rain shower.”

"Lawrence Brownlee sings his first Narciso with the same apparent ease as his Libenskof in Brussels three years ago. Sustaining middle and high notes, he vocalizes with suppleness and offers up mixed-voice high notes with beautiful firmness. We'd like to hear him sing Ottavio".

“American Lawrence Brownlee (Narciso) sang beautifully with excellent agility…”

“The tenor Lawrence Brownlee portrayed Narciso with a debonair and refined elegance and was a lovely surprise for us.”

“American tenor Lawrence Brownlee performed an electrifying recital of Lieder and arias…”

“Brownlee is a rare bird: a lyric tenor with a wide range, a burnished dark timbre which is able to scale the highest reaches of its range as well as the lowest with ease. The voice itself is of a medium size but it is stunningly supported, spinning legato with exact intonation”

“The opening aria of the concert was Mozart’s…concert aria Misero! O sogno. Brownlee sang this beautifully…I felt this aria…probably received the best reading one is ever likely to hear.”

“The Rossini aria for Lindoro from Litaliana in Algeri…brought the first part of the concert to a rousing conclusion. The coloratura and attack of the high notes were precise, exciting and clarion clear. And hearing this I wished that he had sung more opera, which is clearly what he really excels in.”

“The following number – Donizetti’s ‘Ah mes amis, quel jour de fête’ from La fille du régiment - deservedly brought the house down. This aria was performed with such brilliance and superb style that one could not wish for a more perfect reading of this aria.”

“The…Spanish song…‘Jurame’ …was another virtuoso display of high-flying high notes expertly executed by Brownlee. The evening was brought to a close with a reprieve of the Donizetti. It is obvious that Brownlee is destined for a stratospheric career specializing in bel canto.”

“Brownlee has sung in all the top venues in the world and there is no doubt in my mind that he is operatic royalty in the making.”

“Lawrence Brownlee - a Winning and Seductive Combination of Vocal Agility and Beauty”

“We might have expected that the rising young bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee would include ‘Ah! Mes amis…pour mon ame’ from Donizetti’s La fille du régiment (that’s the number with the nine top Cs) in his Rosenblatt recital at St. John’s, Smith Square – but what we might not have anticipated, after so taxing a programme as this, is that he would sing it again. That’s eighteen top Cs (and the rest), which isn’t just cheeky, it’s a message: start looking over your shoulder Juan Diego Florez, Brownlee’s breathing down your neck.”

“The extraordinary thing about the young African-American’s voice is its beauty. In a specialist repertoire which generally favours agility and vocal height over girth (and Florez is the prime example), Brownlee’s burnished tone and ample production, to say nothing of his ravishing mezza voce, make him an extraordinary prospect. How many Rossini tenors can you name who could sing a sequence of Duparc songs with such accomplishment and controlled rapture. To hear him caress the words ‘mon amour’ in the first song, ‘Chanson Triste’, using the portamento like a breathless sigh, took something simple and made it seductive. In ‘Extase’ he took the title at its word and used ‘cover’ like a veil of modesty; and the repeated phrase ‘Toujours l’aimer’ (‘Always to love her’) in ‘Soupir’ had a glimpse of eternity in the sound. The point is that Brownlee has the depth and amplitude of sound to make his high tenor that much more versatile and beguiling. How I would love to hear him sing Faust – Gounod or Berlioz.

“Of course he did sing Rossini – ‘Languir per una bella’ from L’italiana in Algeri – with grace and fabulous breath control, again sporting top notes with no narrowing or hardening of tone and all the little grace notes and gruppetti elegantly turned with florid runs sounding, as they should, like a rapid legato.”

“Liszt’s Tre sonetti di Petrarca – again so indicative of the reach of this singer – found a darker resonance in the extravagantly long phrases, ‘Pace non trovo’ eventually opening to a wickedly difficult high D, I do believe, and the final song ‘l’ vidi in terra angelici costumi’ (‘I beheld on earth angelic grace’) achieving an intensity and sweetness that did not diminish in pianissimo. How rare that is. Credit, too, to Iain Burnside for the concentrated poise of his ethereal postlude.”

“A intriguing and thoughtful programme, then, from an exceptionally gifted singer – and one which finally achieved a very personal referencing with the inclusion of Cantata by the mysterious figure of John Carter, a fervent civil-rights supporter who was thought to have died (date unknown) in the early 1980s. As the title implies, Carter binds his four Spirituals into a single Baroque-styled entity – but a Spiritual is a Spiritual however you present it and Brownlee used every resonance of his voice, above and below the stave, to remind us so.”

“As for Donizetti’s top C fest, there was a devilish twinkle in Brownlee’s eye before he despatched it the first time around – but if he had any intention of letting go of the final top C when he came back for seconds he kept it well-hidden. Rare voice; big future.”

“Two bravura arias…were indeed offered. Lindoro’s ‘cavatina’ had both fluency in the divisions and thrilling excursions into the stratosphere.”

Iain Burnside stood aside to join in the audience’s ovation for his partner’s virtuoso feast in the Rossini, having played a not-inconsiderable part in establishing the change of mood in the light footsteps of his introduction. Another telling measure of the changed attitudes comes in the shape of Tonio’s bravura aria from La fille du Régiment.”

“Brownlee attacked the string of top Cs vigorously but without battering the listener as some current exponents of it do…he spectacularly extended the concluding dominant on the word ‘militaire’. When he encored the piece at the end of the concert he kept this going for a lung-busting twelve seconds!”

“One side of Brownlee’s musical character then is a show-stopping high tenor. His total programme contained more substantial fare, suggesting an all-around musician of distinction. The long Mozart Concert Aria offers little respite for the singer and Brownlee displayed the requisite vocal stamina, maintaining a tightly focused line through the changing moods. The complaints about his imprisonment and desperate cries for release in the recitative were stirring. He produced a fine legato in the andante section, ending with two faultless climbing phrases through the passaggio…one could admire his vocal security…”

“…the early ‘Soupir’ [by Duparc] received a hushed, loving performance which had the audience listening intently. In ‘Phidylé’ singer and pianist luxuriated in the length and slow momentum of the song; they also reflected the mastery of its structure as first Brownlee, then Burnside, brought their parts to a close in convincing depictions of the poet’s confident anticipation of Phidylé’s awakening…This could have been a long-established partnership who had honed their joint interpretations through years of international touring.”

“Brownlee chose all the optional high alternatives. His Bs and D flats were freely produced, without overt strain or wailing sounds one has hears from tenors who have the vocal strength but are not at home that far above the stave.”

“Inspiring was the call to united worship in ‘Let us break bread together’, which Brownlee ended with an ‘Amen’ in head-voice. Exaltation was more the feeling embodied by the final ‘Ride on King Jesus’, the piano racing and rumbling in its vivid depiction of Christ’s untiring work. The tenor capped it with a triumphant high ending.”

“Like a marathon runner, [Lawrence Brownlee] was going to need vast reserves of physical and vocal strength to pull off his ambitious program on Thursday evening, May 20^th. Not only did he cross the finish line in fine fettle, he tacked on an extra few yards with a demanding encore.”

“Mozart’s dramatic scene, Misero, o sogno o son desto, was a big piece to start with, and holding nothing back, Mr. Brownlee committed himself to this dramatic utterance of despair as though he had nothing else looming ahead of him tonight.”

“Mr. Brownlee expertly conveyed the feeling of each of the [Duparc] Chansons and Mr. Katz was a master of pianistic color.”

“Switching into his operatic mode, Mr. Brownlee showed us in Rossini’s ‘Languir per una bella’ why he is in such great demand as a bel canto tenor. His agility in the aria’s crazy lines, his amazingly long trill (on ‘the cruelest moment that a heart can undergo’) and his deep reservoir of high notes were admirable and expressive.”

“A remarkable descending chromatic line and stunning high notes were standouts in Mr. Brownlee’s performance.”

“And then came the show stopper: Donizetti’s ‘Ah! mes amis’. Winningly acted out by Mr. Brownlee, this famous aria explores the whole range of the tenor voice and features multiple high C’s. Martin Katz’s informative program notes promised ‘nine detached high C’s (you may hear more tonight!)’, and I think we did.”

“…the indefatigable duo ended the program with John Carter’s Cantata, an adventuresome setting of Black Spirituals which again made as many demands on the pianist as on the singer. The concluding ‘Toccata’ on ‘Ride on King Jesus’…put Mr. Brownlee to the high tessitura test. He passed admirably.”

“In response to a big ovation, Mr. Brownlee joked that he might be running out of steam, but brought out a dramatic Spanish piece (or was it a Tango song?) that proved otherwise.”

“This was a really inspiring recital (one of the teamsingers near me exclaimed, ‘that’s it – I’m going right back to the practice room’). Not only did Lawrence Brownlee bowl everyone over with the high notes that you expect from an operatic tenor, he sang the whole range of this evening’s repertory with astonishing conviction and sensitivity.”

“Emotionalism of a much different sort ran through Brownlee’s recital with pianist Martin Katz. A noted interpreter of the bel canto literature, Brownlee offered high-spirited arias from operas by Donizetti Rossini.”

“Most stirring was ‘Ah, my friends,’ from Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment. Proclaiming joy at his character’s romantic future, Brownlee held high notes for incredible durations and leapt whole octaves with absolute confidence. Katz, meanwhile, a vibrant presence at the keyboard, had no trouble filling in for an orchestra.”

“Liszt’s settings of three sonnets by Petrarch unveiled the more ardent, sensuous layers of Brownlee’s voice, but it was the music of Henri Duparc that revealed the complete artist. His ‘Extase,’ especially, an alluring evocation of love notable for its restraint, allowed Brownlee to accomplish what only a gifted singer performing live can do: take listeners someplace words alone cannot.”

“It sometimes takes an aria or two before listeners become impressed — or bored — by a singer. But with tenor Lawrence Brownlee, deliberation is unnecessary. His opening phrases captivated the Schuster Center audience at Dayton Opera’s Star Gala last Friday night.

In Brownlee’s voice, lyrical grace and appealing tone rest lightly upon a foundation of solid technique. Following the Italian bel canto tradition, he embellishes the music with vocal ornaments, but never sacrifices pulse or pitch. His arias are like silken draperies hung from titanium curtain rods: they swoop, swirl and shimmer, but their stability is assured.

The Ohio-born vocalist exhibited ample range, and consistent tone from low to high notes. Youthful and good looking, Brownlee used expressive gestures and dynamic inflection to convey the emotions of the characters he portrayed.”

“The recital highlight was ‘Ah! mes amis’ from Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment. Brownlee managed to make the daredevil octave leaps part of a cohesive phrase, and not just a series of isolated high notes. At its brilliant conclusion, the gifted tenor held nothing back from the appreciative crowd.”

"...in a performance of Orff's popular cantata by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus that will long be remembered.”

“All three gave the work a delightful theatrical boost in addition to their superb singing.”

“Tenor (Lawrence) Brownlee negotiated the "Ballad of the Roasted Swan" ("Cygnus ustus cantat") with ease, from its perilously high-pitched opening through the bird's stratospheric turns on the spit, all in a voice edged with silver.”

"From the first note, this performance was remarkable not only for its refined power, but also for its spontaneity.”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee sang the impossibly high role of the roasted swan fearlessly and with a firm tone."

“Saturday evening, soprano Sarah Coburn and tenor Lawrence Brownlee graced the stage of the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. As bel canto specialists, Coburn and Brownlee’s musical partnership was ideal in duets by Pedrotti, Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini, while thoughtfully chosen solo works filled out the program. Instead of a performance for a full house, the musicians genuinely seemed like they were sharing their favorite works with friends.”

“Brownlee’s powerful interpretation of John Carter’s Cantata reminded one of the emotional depths of spirituals, enhanced by novel accompaniments; kudos for programming American music.”

“I hope you…heard them sing this exciting, wide-ranging concert of Liszt, Bellini, Donizetti, John Carter's Cantata of spirituals, and others at KC’s Terrace Theater.”

“If so, no doubt you felt ‘Blessed be the day,’ as extraordinary tenor Brownlee sang from Liszt's Sonnets of Petrarch.”

“The exquisite clarity, grace, and power of each singer – especially when combined in duets from Donizetti's I Puritani and La Fille du Régiment – made the cheering audience feel ‘I beheld on earth angelic grace,’ to quote another Petrarch sonnet from the recital.”

“The audience appeared transformed - rousing standing ovations brought them back for three encores.”

“Saturday night, Lawrence Brownlee, a tenor with an international reputation, sang his local debut recital at Spivey Hall. It’s a blessing that he recently moved to Atlanta.

Brownlee, his voice light and piercing, has the gift. In dazzling arias by Rossini and Donizetti, he proved himself a master with ringing top notes and effortless agility up and down his range. His rapport with the audience felt generous, unpretentious.”

“....in Liszt’s ‘Three Sonnets by Petrarch’...Brownlee sculpted each line like it was a bel canto ballad, making the poems of unrequited love seem confessional and deeply personal.”

“At his best, Brownlee showed how to set the standard for music making in the entire city.”

“It takes guts for a young tenor to take to the stage with one of opera's legends. Lawrence Brownlee went one step farther and tackled one of the trickiest arias in the tenor canon – ‘Ah! mes amis’ from Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment. Brownlee nailed the tour de force, and its final string of consecutive high C's, with aplomb and wit. He also showed a pleasing bel canto sound in an aria from Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri.

“This impressive tenor [Brownlee], the recipient of the 2006 Richard Tucker Award, is earning recognition for his prowess in bel canto roles. Here he sang ‘Languir per una bella’ from Rossini’s Italiana in Algeri with aplomb, easily navigating the coloratura hurdles with a warm, sweet timbre.” “Mr. Brownlee’s winning performance …”

“Soprano Celena Shafer, mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chavez, tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass Arthur Woodley assisted in telling the tale, providing strong voices that ranged above the instruments as needed, underscoring as required the emotions of the composition . Rossini applied the full orchestral palette, perhaps in a less florid way than other composers handling similar works. The vocalists brought sufficient emotion to their roles.” “Brownlee's bright tenor shone during ‘Cujus animam gementem’."

“The soloists were first-rate. Lawrence Brownlee's bright and buoyant tenor voice hit that high C in the operatic ‘Cujus animam gementem,’ music that confirms the conflict between words and music.”

“The song [Lehar’s ‘Dein ist mein ganzes Herz’] added operetta to the span of opera, art song and African-American spirituals that the Youngstown native had covered so persuasively, with the marvelous partnering of pianist Martin Katz. This young tenor came prepared to show a complete package, and he succeeded with a Tuesday Musical recital of breadth, depth and vocal fireworks.

After hearing Brownlee on disc and reading about his successes in the bel canto repertoire at La Scala in Milan or at the Metropolitan Opera, I was primed for the two showstoppers on either side of the intermission. Brownlee delivered with both.

‘Cessa di più resistere’ is an aria for Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville that's often cut because it's so demanding. What an exciting vehicle for Brownlee's nimble, flexible technique. The tenor popped out the florid writing with impeccable accuracy and an improbable sense of ease.

Likewise, Tonio's aria ‘Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!’ from Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment is not for vocal sissies. Taking a slightly deliberate pace, Brownlee used his ringing head voice to smoothly connect lines and then knock out the repeated high C's with take-no-prisoners command.

It wasn't only the pyrotechnics and the sheer beauty of Brownlee's voice that made the recital such a pleasure, although they went a long way. Brownlee's diction was also wonderfully clear whether singing a set of French songs by Duparc or the Italian operatic fare.

Clearly, this performer cares about communicating. The ornamentation in Rossini or Donizetti can be the equivalent of triple axels: awe-inspiring but empty if the performer doesn't know how to make the decoration part of some larger expression. Brownlee put all the tricks at the service of the music's story line.”

“During the second half, Brownlee introduced each piece with a touching anecdote or tribute to someone who had inspired him. Most moving of all was his performance of the spiritual ‘Oh Freedom’. Brownlee dedicated his performance to the African-American tenor George Shirley, who paved a way through racial bigotry. Brownlee sang the lyrics, ‘Before I'd be a slave, I'd be buried in my grave,’ with noble, heroic beauty.

“Singing from his roots, and not losing touch with his Youngstown upbringing, Brownlee is an all-American success story.”

“Among the excellent soloists were Emma Bell (soprano) and Sonia Ganassi (mezzo), plus a special bravo to Lawrence Brownlee (tenor)…”

“Brownlee is a singer of uncommon talent…(he) proved from the outset that the superlatives used to describe his career are well deserved. He gave a rich and bright rendering of Rossini's ‘Languir per una bella’ from The Italian Girl in Algiers and sang with stunning agility on Bizet's ‘Je crois entendre’ from The Pearl Fishers. His tenor in both arias was never reaching, always supple, and every high note was delivered with poise, accuracy and elegance. Brownlee owns the higher registers, and hearing him move from low to high notes is a singular experience.

Brownlee's take on the slower ‘Terra amica’ from Rossini's Zelmira was also finely crafted, this time with deep faculty for expression.

Pure mastery defined Brownlee's singing of the vivid ‘A te o cara’ from Bellini's I puritani. The high point clearly was Brownlee's singing of Donizetti's ‘Ah! Mes amis’ from The Daughter of the Regiment. Brownlee nailed the tricky high-C notes demanded, with each of them a bewitching stage moment that many will remember for quite some time.”

“The repertoire selected for Tuesday's program…highlighted different aspects of Brownlee's versatile tenor.”

“…an opportunity to hear his warm, fluid tone dancing around the higher register for the first time.”

“…we heard him weave through soft, syrupy melodies and navigate complicated breathing techniques with ease.”

“The selections of the program where he truly excelled, however, were the works by Rossini.

There is a reason for this. Brownlee, who recently made his debut with the Houston Grand Opera, has at a young age already established a worldwide reputation as a Rossini tenor. He is particularly good at performing the complex, melodic phrases for which the 19th century Italian composer was known.

Not only can Brownlee hit the notes in the higher register, he can sustain them for long passages.”

For me, what makes a musical experience truly memorable is not necessarily compelling music performed beautifully, even superbly, although there was plenty of that at Wednesday night's recital at Moravian College by young tenor Lawrence Brownlee.

I thoroughly enjoyed his rendition of a Mozart concert aria ‘Misero! O Sogno, O Son Desto,’' and his set of Schubert songs was sensitively performed. There were two audience-wowing arias from Brownlee's core repertoire as a bel canto singer: Rossini's ‘Languir per una bella’ from The Italian Girl in Algiers and that standard tenor chestnut ‘Ah! Mes amis’ from Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment. Brownlee executed the acrobatic Rossini with delightful precision and verve, and nailed the high notes in the Donizetti perfectly. Even in something much less extroverted, as the Bizet aria ‘Je crois entendre encore’ from The Pearl Fishers, Brownlee's quite masculine tenor was an effective context for Bizet's floating phrases.

But what really made this concert memorable was the set of songs at the end, all in one way or another personally significant to Brownlee. They ranged from Torelli, to some Neapolitan favorites, to others, such as Blitzstein and Weill, that verged on cabaret music, to even ‘Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.’ The Marc Blitzstein song, ‘Stay in My Arms,’ in particular, was so affecting and effectively sung that I'm taking it as my evening's surprise gift from the singer.

The morning after the concert, Brownlee conducted a master class with four advanced Moravian College students. In the process of giving them advice — how to prepare for a high note, how to breathe, how to link the verbal phrases to the musical phrases, how to tell a story — he in effect laid bare the basis for his moving performance the previous evening.

“With an attractive roster of soloists on the bill, including up-and-coming tenor Lawrence Brownlee and two singers making their San Francisco Symphony debuts, the 2006 edition of Messiah at Davies Hall promised some star quality sheen. The principals did indeed offer their sparkling moments at Thursday's opening night performance of the cherished Handel oratorio.”

“Brownlee, who won plaudits for his Stern Grove concert here last summer and will make his Metropolitan Opera debut in the spring, had his work cut out for him at outset Thursday. Glover's tempo turned his trip through ‘Ev'ry valley shall be exalted’ into a wind sprint. Later on, in a persuasive account of a section that's often cut in performances and recordings, Brownlee found the fullness of Christ's sorrows in a long recitative and dramatically poised aria (‘But thou didst not leave his soul in Hell’).”

“Tenor Lawrence Brownlee was the only one able to zip through legato melodies and careen around rapid 16th-note passages with no stress. Overall he was an (appropriately) earnest and fervent singer with characterful sound and impressive technique.”

[Conductor Jane] Glover and the chorus took charge in Part Two and never relinquished the quest for drama and, ultimately, exultation. They succeeded – and that, plus Brownlee’s solos was the highlight of the 2006 presentation.”

“Last Sunday’s 2006 Marian Anderson Award Recital in the Terrace Theater was another part of the Kennedy Center’s Prelude Festival, getting us ready for the season proper. Past Marian Anderson Awards have gone to Sylvia McNair, Denyce Graves, Nancy Maultsby, Michelle DeYoung, Nathan Gunn, and Eric Owens. This year’s winner and recitalist will fit into this list of luminaries seamlessly: Lawrence Brownlee’s talent and promise are enormous, and if you haven’t encountered him on one of the great operatic stages so far, you might this season, at the MET or the Semperoper in Dresden.

To anyone who has heard Mr. Brownlee before – perhaps at Wolf Trap or in the Washington Concert Opera’s Tancredi last April – so much was clear even before the recital began. The concert itself, an eclectic mix of Schubert, Mozart, American songbook items, Rossini, and Donizetti, only cemented that impression.”

“The [Marian Anderson] Award recognizes a young singer who has already distinguished himself as a multifaceted performer, and many reviewers, myself included, have been impressed with his [Brownlee’s] strong tenor, a vocal type that is as rare in its best form as it is important, in opera particularly.”

“This is a voice that strikes a broad swath of sound, with power and high notes, which are used with reserve and intelligence.”

“Brownlee displayed an admirable accuracy of intonation, solid breath support that ensures long phrases, stunning agility in melismatic passages, and the ability to understand the texts he sings and create appropriate characters.”

“Brownlee's comic timing was well placed in ‘Ah! mes amis’ from Donizetti's La fille du régiment, as he noisily swigged some water before starting (the aria has an infamous string of high C's) and glanced at his pianist after holding a note much longer than indicated in the score. The high C's in that aria were quite impressive…”

Concert with Stephanie Blythe – San Francisco Opera at Stern Grove – San Francisco, CA

“Still, for many of the approximately 7,000 souls lolling and picnicking under the congenial midsummer sun, the appearances of Lawrence Brownlee were the ones that made them stow the potato salad and listen with the keenest pleasure. On the brink of a major career, he is, without doubt, the most impressive addition to the American tenor roster in many years. With a Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia set for winter, this may very well be Brownlee's year, and this alfresco preview of a star in the ascendant attested to the prominence of the bel canto repertoire among American opera companies.

Brownlee, on the evidence here, can add courage to his many virtues. What else can you say about a tenor who launches his contribution to the afternoon with Lindoro's wistful ‘Languir per una bella’ from Rossini's L’italiana in Algeri, stops the show with Tonio's ‘Ah, mes amis!’ from Donizetti's La fille du régiment (yes, the scene with nine high C's) and returns, unbloodied and unbowed, with ‘Cessa di più resistere,’ Almaviva's impossibly treacherous and rarely heard wind-up number from Barbiere?

Any age would welcome Brownlee's virile elegance and pinpoint technique. Lindoro's solo heralded a plangent tone without the slightest hint of nasality, a fast vibrato and a more than passable trill. Brownlee nailed all those C's in the Donizetti with disarming ease and informed them with matchless exuberance. Almaviva's aria may be a killer (Rossini recycled it for La Cenerentola), but in Brownlee's rendering, one noted the tenderness in transitional passages and a lovely application of portamento. Good news: The tenor will return to the area for the Symphony's performances of Messiah in December.

At the end of the concert, Blythe and Brownlee joined forces for the Tancredi-Argirio duet, ‘Ah, se de' mali miei,’ communicated with a white heat that justified an encore of the cabaletta.”

“Blythe’s counterpart, Lawrence Brownlee, a 2006 Richard Tucker Award winner, made a stirring debut in San Francisco. He is already well-known on the opera circuit as a coming star, and now we know why. His high tenor voice is comfortable in the stratospheric reaches of Rossini’s music and is impressively large. He will be at home on big stages like the Met. His technique is beyond reproach and he handles Rossini’s long lines sensitively. If he didn’t warm the heart, he certainly stunned the senses. He has room to grow, expressively, but don’t let that stop you from catching his next performance.

Brownlee provided a selection of fiendishly difficult Rossini, beginning with ‘Languir per una bella’ from L’Italiana in Algeri, a showpiece that rocked the audience back on its heels. Listening to the penetrating tone of the high notes and the absolute evenness of the runs and ornamentation was enough to establish the singer’s credentials.”

“Brownlee’s coup was ‘Cessa di più resistere,’ an aria that Rossini cut from Barbiere di Siviglia’s final scene. …[H]e managed it in style, sending the audience into a tizzy.”

“Listening to Lawrence Brownlee sing – as I did with enormous pleasure at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater Thursday night – is a little bit like falling into a time warp. Most of the tenors to whom this spectacularly gifted young Ohioan can profitably be compared flourished the better part of a century ago. And I'm not talking about Enrico Caruso, the first great dramatic tenor, whose influence has never waned and can still be heard in the work of artists as disparate as Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. No, Brownlee summons to mind recordings made by the generation before Caruso – Italian tenors such as Fernando de Lucia and Alessandro Bonci, with their Old World suavity, their dazzling and cultivated vocal agility, their caressing emphasis on unbroken lyrical sweetness. At his best, Brownlee sounds as though he has escaped from the hiss of an old Victrola – a real live coloratura tenor in the all-but-forgotten grand manner.”

“If the name Lawrence Brownlee doesn't yet ring a lot of bells among fans of vocal music, it surely will soon.”

“He can produce uncommonly elegant phrasing as easily as he can set off vocal fireworks, a show-stopping combination he delivered in Washington Concert Opera’s 2004 presentation of Rossini’s La donna del lago.

Brownlee, backed by ever-supportive and technically refined pianist Howard Watkins, sparked another hearty round of cheers in a compelling recital for Washington's invaluable Vocal Arts Society Thursday night at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater.”

“The singer’s gifts proved even more compelling in ‘Cessa di più resistere’ – the original, usually omitted finale to Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. It presents the kind of zillion-note coloratura challenge that sopranos face more often than tenors, but Brownlee wasn’t fazed in the slightest. He soared through the music with agility and strength, yet also inflected phrases with remarkable expressive detail.

The tenor’s obvious flair for bel canto opera, along with the innate warmth of the voice, should ensure steady gigs.”

“An atmospheric sampling of English and Spanish songs included the elegant sculpting of sweetly romantic melodies by Roger Quilter and Manuel Valls. And in the concluding group of spirituals, Brownlee tapped into the music universality with an affecting eloquence.”

“Soon the soloists step forward. Heavenly voices indeed! One could really be carried away by the ‘Cujus animam gementem,’ not only one of the most beautiful and spectacular arias in the entire work, but also by the tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Gifted with a natural voice of exceptional brilliance, he uses his instrument with musical intelligence and uncommon dexterity. In a day when Juan Diego Flórez enjoys deserved success, it would seem impossible to find another Rossinian tenor as glittering as the Peruvian. But Lawrence Brownlee proves that it is possible. Knowing how rare these voices are, you almost wish you could save one to listen to when the other shows the first signs of fatigue. But that’s an illusion, and you have to enjoy what’s on hand.”

“The apparent ease with which the American tenor launched the treacherous high notes of ‘Cujus animam gementem’ is disarming.”

“Best debut:- Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who appeared at S.F. Opera’s Opera in the Park earlier this fall and returned to the city last week to sing in the S.F. Symphony’s performances of Handel’s Messiah. He’s clearly an artist to watch.”

“The charismatic example of Mr. Flórez is inspiring a whole new generation of tenors, among them two Americans: Lawrence Brownlee, 35, often tapped for productions when Mr. Flórez moves on…”

“Mr. Brownlee, who won both the Richard Tucker Award and the Marian Anderson Award in 2006, followed Mr. Flórez in the Met “Barbiere” last year, receiving a hero’s welcome.”

“The Washington National Opera season opens with Il barbiere di Siviglia (Sept. 12), starring Lawrence Brownlee as Almaviva, the role that has cemented his stardom”

“In [the Met Opera premiere of Rossini’s] Armida, [Renée] Fleming will be abetted by no fewer than five formidable tenors – Lawrence Brownlee, Bruce Ford, José Manuel Zapata, Barry Banks and Kobie van Rensburg.”

“Twenty-first-century audiences now enjoy the musical brio and dramatic acumen of Rossini in ways not thought of in 1913 — due in no small part to the brilliant technique of singers such as Lawrence Brownlee, the wonderful young American tenor who graces our cover this month, and his colleagues in the Met's new production of Armida. Brownlee is a musician of impeccable taste and craft, as befits a modern virtuoso. But more than that, Brownlee is a man of great heart, an artist whose onstage grace is a reflection of his generous spirit — a virtue worth applauding in any century.”

“But consider a tenor such as Lawrence Brownlee, of whom former ‘Washington Post’ music critic Tim Page once wrote, ‘At his best, Brownlee sounds like he has escaped from the hiss of an old Victrola.’ And there is something strangely old and new in Brownlee's singing — in his style — that suggests a studied respect for great singing and something both novel and individual as well.”

This young artist could certainly give a few complexes to quite a number of his colleagues. You need to know that he’s endowed with a healthy voice, well managed, with rich timbre, clear, sonorous, and musical. His high notes are luminous, direct, and sunny! With his friend Juan Diego Flórez, he’s now among the best bel canto artists of his generation. We’re already dreaming of hearing him as Arnold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell! Run fast to hear him as soon as you have the chance! Pleasure, emotion, and thrills are waiting!”