Career

2024

2023

  •   

    New Orleans Opera - Concert


    Nov, 2023 - Dec, 2023
  • Marie

    Lyric Opera’s ‘Daughter of the Regiment’ a romp rich with laughs and some of Donizetti’s best music

    The ultimate star of the show, though, is Oropesa, an American soprano who is making her Lyric debut. An innate physical comedian with a comfortable, compelling stage presence, she is a complete natural as Marie.

    Oropesa has a supple, agile soprano voice, with a winningly honest and direct style. Seemingly unfazed by the vocal or physical demands of this role, this indefatigable singer handles its legendary coloratura with eye-opening ease and aplomb. Expect to see Oropesa back as soon as Lyric can re-sign her.

    —  Kyle MacMillan  •  Chicago Sun Times
  •   

    Wiener Staatsoper - La traviata


    Sep, 2023 - Oct, 2023

    Violetta Valery

    „La traviata“: Weiße Kamelien soll es regnen!

    Lisette Oropesa als Violetta endlich auch in Wien zu erleben ist. Oropesa verwandelt mit ihrem leuchtend-blühenden Sopran die gefürchteten Koloraturen von „È strano“ gekonnt in überschwänglichen Ausdruck, genauso wie sie mit „Addio del passato“ zwischen letztem Sehnen und zartem Verzweifeln zu Tränen rührt.

    —  Stefan Musil  •  Kronen Zeitung
  • Violetta Valery

    [Report] Rome Opera House 2023 Japan performance “La Traviata” first day report

    On the opening day of La Traviata at the Roman Opera House, Lisette Oropesa, who played the heroine, showed the Japanese audience that she is the goddess of opera and the ultimate Violetta. She has a pretty appearance and looks great in Valentino's costumes, and even in the long aria of the first act, she did not lose her composure, and she did not hesitate to use her ultra-high notes to resonate bravely. Her emotional expression is rich, but the reason it never becomes tedious is probably because there is a mysterious mystique in her voice. There are singers who play this role in a verismo style and end up with a dull voice, but Oropesa's emotional expression is musical and elegant, and the high level that she aims for in her opera. No matter how much you listen to her, she has a voice that makes you want to hear more, and some of her sounds reminded me of golden-era Maria Callas recordings (even though her physique was completely different!) ). There is a faint classical elegance to it, and above all, the tragic nature of the story is conveyed in a very true manner.

    —  Hisae Odajima  •  NBS
  •   
  • Soprano

    ÁGUILAS / Lisette Oropesa y la maldición de la Princesa de Bouillon

    Para entonces y ya desde el bolero “¡Ay pobre Curro mío!” de Gounod con el que se abrió el recital, Oropesa se había metido en el bolsillo al respetable gracias a la capacidad comunicativa de su voz y de su manera de frasear. La voz es de un timbre seductor, con matices levemente oscuros en origen que adquieren brillo mediante una técnica de colocación y de proyección intachables, de manera que cuando sale, la voz tiene un temblor de emoción y una gama de colores que la hacen inconfundible. Con el sonido perfectamente cubierto en toda la gama, las transiciones entre registros prácticamente no existen, el sonido fluye con una naturalidad desarmante sin saltos ni cambios, plenamente audible en todo el espectro dinámico. Con tales herramientas técnicas a su servicio, Oropesa puede abordar con seguridad el terreno expresivo del fraseo que la ha encumbrado al podio mundial de la ópera.

    —  Andrés Moreno Mengíbar  •  Scherzo Magazine
  • Violetta Valery

    Sempre libera... e bella

    La seconda recita della Traviata areniana ha presentato un ottimo cast capitanato dal soprano americano Lisette Oropesa che aveva già fatto il suo debutto trionfale nell’opera verdiana riscuotendo un successo folgorante: non c’era alcun dubbio che lo avrebbe confermato. Sarebbe banale se non noioso descrivere le sue doti di cantante e attrice; Oropesa è nata per interpretare il mitico ruolo e “condannata” a portare il pubblico ad un felice delirio: e così è stato ieri sera. Il fisico perfetto per Violetta, la naturalezza disarmante d’attrice, la voce dal vibrato caratteristico ma ben timbrata e dotata di una lucentezza particolare, la tecnica impeccabile hanno riscosso un grande successo; numerose chiamate a scena aperta e espressioni infinite d’ammirazione per lo stupefacente soprano statunitense.

    —  Irina Sorokina  •  L'ape musicale
  • Lucie

    Aix-en-Provence - Grand Théâtre de Provence: Lucie de Lammermoor

    Lisette Oropesa appare più a suo agio rispetto alla recente produzione scaligera in versione italiana. Chailly le chiedeva un’intensità drammatica che forse non è la sua tazza di tè; e il soprano rispondeva da grande artista mettendo a disposizione tutte le sue risorse di tecnica e temperamento. Però in altre occasioni avevo sentito la voce più libera e il canto più alato. Con Daniele Rustioni Lisette Oropesa torna ad essere la vocalista che ricordavo senza nulla perdere quanto a intensità espressiva. Si potrebbe pensare che Lucie la favorisca rispetto alla consorella, ma non è così avendola ascoltata anche in altre produzioni della versione italiana. Certo in “Que n’avons-nous des ailes” ha modo di sfoggiare tutta la grazia, l’eleganza che le sono proprie, con una vocalizzazione nitida, trilli perfetti; per non parlare delle messe di voce, del legato, dei picchettati, degli acuti e sopracuti in pianissimo o sul forte; insomma tutto l’armamentario della grande virtuosa è ben presente. L’aria e la cabaletta della pazzia sono nella tonalità originale, quindi un tono sopra rispetto alle esecuzioni correnti, connotazione che restituisce al personaggio un'ulteriore siderale lontananza, perso in una dimensione già ultraterrena. Niente sopracuti conclusivi e cadenza alla fine della prima parte molto elaborata e d’effetto. Ma se la vocalista entusiasma l’interprete non è da meno e dà vita a una Lucie fragile ma non esangue, liricissima, dolce, però capace di momenti di rivolta, unica donna in questa versione a fronte di un universo maschile dominatore e soverchiante. Insomma una prova maiuscola a cui il pubblico risponde con vere e proprie ovazioni.

    —  Silvano Capecchi  •  Opera Click
  • Juliette

    Soprano Lisette Oropesa and tenor Amitai Pati shine as the lovers of Savonlinna's Romeo and Juliet

    The biggest star of the production is the soprano Lisette Oropesa , whose interpretation of the young Julia is not only amazing vocal art, but also fresh stage work, which depicts a young person in love first brightly, then in darker tones when things in love start to go seriously wrong.

    —  Samuli Tiikkaja HS  •  Helsingin Sanomat
  • Soprano

    Lisette Oropesa toi hurmaavan tunnelatauksen Espanjasta

    This deep dive to songs influenced by Spain fits very well to the image of Lisette Oropesa’s artistry. Spanish is her native language and French is her preferred singing language. The quickly changing, dramatic, moods of the music also fit to Oropesa’s quickly reacting personality and expression.

    Her voice transforms from dark, colorful low register to very high notes. A lot can happen during one long voice. Oropesa plays with the shades of the music, she stretches time and highlights the text so that it touches your soul.

    Dark emotions, pure joy and playfulness, heart-wrenching pain, and longing – Oropesa’s singing gave room for all of the emotions and they came across easily, naturally and masterfully. Everything seems to be easy and natural for this soprano.

    —  Riitta-Leena Lempinen-Vesa  •  Itä-Savo
  • Soprano

    The Met Chorus shines radiantly in music of loss at Carnegie Hall

    Oropesa’s “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit.” ... she sang with a touch of rubato, her lines opening up and gliding above the orchestra. There was a feeling of joy in her singing.

    —  George Grella  •  New York Classical Review
  •   

    Teatro Real - Il turco in Italia


    May, 2023 - Jun, 2023

    Fiorilla

    Lisette Oropesa protagoniza "Il turco in Italia" de Rossini en el Teatro Real

    la apoteósica - no sabría definirla de otra manera - Fiorilla de Lisette Oropesa, quien hizo y deshizo en lo vocal. No brilló tanto en la página de salida Non si dà follia maggiore, quiza a merced de la edición crítica por encima de tradiciones interpretativas... pero, su voz se desplegó en frescura, luminosidad y con ese carácter efervescente del personaje en el dúo con su marido Per piacere alla signora, así como en el terceto - que deriva en dúo - del segundo acto, Scusate... Trovarvi sola... Credete allefemmine. Y, por su puesto, en su aria final, donde volvió a poner en juego variaciones medidas, sutiles, agudo descollante, no tanto el de cierre, con un timbre centelleante, de bello vibrato y derrochando comedia, salpicada del justo patetismo para intentar entender el por qué de su arrepentimiento.

    —  Gonzalo Lahoz  •  Platea Magazine
  •   

    Lucia

    'Lucia di Lammermoor', la magia di Chailly esalta la ballata romantica di Donizetti

    Verosimilmente, con protagonisti di rara competenza stilistica, civiltà e tecnica di canto, e ben meditata espressività come Lisette Oropesa, una Lucia interiorizzata anche nel quadro clou della pazzia

    —  Angelo Foletto  •  Republica
  •   

    Opera National de Paris - Hamlet


    Feb, 2023 - Mar, 2023

    Ophélie

    Hamlet à Bastille : être ou avoir été, telle est la question

    Avec toutes ces funestes méprises, la voix que Lisette Oropesa offre à Ophélie semble d'autant plus pure, d'articulation, de timbre. Pourtant sa ligne de chant est riche d'un médium nourri et sa prononciation du français appliquée, comme ses coloratures. Son immense longueur de souffle lui permet d'enchaîner plusieurs phrases de vocalises (même si l'aigu n'est pas des plus opulents). Son chant paraît de ce fait d'autant plus clair et cristallin au moment fatidique où Hamlet la chasse vers un cloître (vers la mort en fait). Mais même le timbre éclatant, comme du verre, sait replonger dans le grave, comme tombant "à genoux" (la manière par laquelle Hamlet lui avait juré son amour).

    —  Charles Arden  •  Olyrix
  • Soprano

    Mozart füllt Säle und die Riesenbühne

    Lisette Oropesa bescherte etwas fülligere Belcanto-Brillanz

    —  Florian Oberhummer  •  Salzburger Nachrichten
  • Amalia

    "I Masnadieri" im Nationaltheater: Weiblich neu

    Lisette Oropesa überraschend viele Wesenszüge von Verdis späteren Frauenrollen: Sie bindet in den Cavatinen und Cabalettas die Spitzentöne zwar makellos pianissimo in die Linie ein.

    Doch ihr Legato ist unter der zart lebendigen Oberfläche sehnig gestützt, die Melodien hält sie entschlossen fest und spannt sie in der Staatsoper zu enorm tragfähigen Bögen auf. Und Lisette Oropesas düstere Tiefe lässt an die Dramatik der Lady Macbeth denken, die wenige Monate vor den "Masnadieri" das Licht der Welt erblickt hatte.

    —  Michael Bastian Weiß  •  Abendzeitung München

2022

2021

  • Soprano

    Standing ovation per Lisette Oropesa a Ravello.

    È stato il debutto di Lisette Oropesa a chiudere la lunga stagione di programmazione della Fondazione Ravello. Tre bis e tanti applausi per uno dei più importanti soprani di oggi, acclamata sui palcoscenici dei più grandi teatri del mondo.

    La Oropesa, accompagnata all’Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer dalla Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti, particolarmente ispirata, diretta da Fabrizio Maria Carminati ha dato sfoggia di tutto il suo talento interpretando sette gemme del suo repertorio: Fiorilla, Giulietta, Hélene, Isabelle, Musetta e Manon.

    —  Gazzetta di Salerno  •  Gazzetta di Salerno
  • Soprano

    Crítica: Lisette Oropesa en Sevilla. Músicas de las dos orillas

    Todas estas cuestiones técnicas, con ser de por sí ya sobresalientes, de nada servirían sino estuvieran al servicio del fraseo y de la expresión. Y ahí es donde Oropesa desarma desde los primeros compases gracias a la seducción y delicadeza de su manera de decir, con la complicidad de ese ligero temblor de emoción en su voz. No se puede cantar de una manera más delicada, sotto voce y a flor de labios, la Asturiana o la Nana de Falla. En las canciones de Rodrigo supo amoldar el sonido a una dicción siempre clara y una fraseo muy cuidado, delicado y sutil. Maravillosos por último los tres bises, sobre todo ese vals de El húsar de la guardia tan elegantemente cantado.

    —  Beckmesser  •  Beckmesser
  • Soprano

    Lisette Oropesa, el cóctel (de zarzuela) perfecto: sí, ella es Cecilia Valdés

    Y claro, como hemos dicho, llegó la traca final: Yo soy Cecilia Valdés. ¡Y tanto que ella ‘es’ la protagonista de esta zarzuela cubana! Lo disfrutó en el escenario del Teatro de La Zarzuela pero, sobre todo, nos lo hizo disfrutar a nosotros en el patio de butacas. Sensual, coqueta, divertida, canalla, tímida…, todo esto porque ella, efectivamente, ¡ella es Cecila Valdés! Luego, las generosas propinas, el apoteosis y el delirio de los fans.

    —  Nacho Fresno  •  Shangay
  • Theodora

    Nous nous reverrons au Ciel

    Tout oppose cette Irene flamboyante et sophistiquée à une Theodora sobre, pudique et pourtant lumineuse à sa façon, délicate, et en cela fidèle au drame de Morell et Haendel. Lisette Oropesa avait déjà abordé Haendel il y a quelques années (Serse, Giulio Cesare, Rodelinda, The Messiah), mais aucun emploi qui aurait pu la préparer à celui-ci. Sa concentration, sa précision nous saisissent dès son premier numéro, exempt de tout narcissisme vocal, et le reste de sa prestation sera à l’avenant. Lisette Oropesa confère à chaque mot son poids idéal et sa juste inflexion (« Fond, flatt’ring world adieu ! »), livrant d’emblée l’essence de Theodora : la jeune fille chrétienne renonce à un monde auquel elle n’a, en réalité, jamais véritablement appartenu. Le naturel de l’expression, la sincérité de l’artiste (« Angels, ever bright and fair ») caractérisent chaque station d’un inexorable chemin de croix, depuis son repli dans un abîme intérieur, après avoir imploré les ombres de la nuit de la dissimuler (poignant « With darkness as it my woe ») jusqu’à la délivrance quand, avec Didymus, elle aperçoit enfin ce Ciel (« Thither let our hearts aspire ») où, dans leur premier duo, ils promettaient de se revoir (« To thee, thou glorious son of worth »). 

    —  Bernard Schreuders  •  Forum Opera
  • Theodora

    Handel con Theodora infiamma la Scala

    Theodora era Lisette Oropesa, voce con un vibrato stretto, sfrutta le caratteristiche del suo timbro posando a una Santa perennemente sul malinconico fisso, in estasi, dai pochi colori vocali, agìta sul volto la stilizzata recitazione. Nell’aria Fond flatt’ring world, gioca la carta del patetico, con suoni filati, in Angels, ever bright si fa astratta preghiera, mentre trova accenti accorati e “plaintive” nella più bella tra le arie della Theodora, quel With darkness deep che Handel addirittura riscrisse…Coro omogeneo e scattante, capace di smorzare e rendere percepibile la sublimazione della preghiera finale.

    —  Brescia e Armisano  •  Corriere Dello Spettacolo
  • Theodora

    WIEN / Theater an der Wien: THEODORA

    Lisette Oropesa, schwarze Locken, grau-silbriges Abendkleid, sang die Titelrolle. Sie hat mit ihrem Strahle-Sorpan als Konstanze in der Wiener Staatoper die Herzen des Publikums im Sturm erobert. Hier muss sie die „Tugendboldin“ (wie man Händels Heldin bezeichnet hat) interessant machen. Sie tut es so weit wie möglich mit Stimme, Technik und lebhaftem Minenspiel, dessen sich auch alle anderen Sänger bedienen: Wenn man das Ganze schon nicht spielen darf (das Programmheft kündigt allerdings eine szenische Aufführung mit dieser Besetzung irgendwann irgendwo an), dann muss man doch wenigstens zeigen, wie man fühlt und leidet. Leidet vor allem, denn Theodora wird verfolgt, soll zur Prostitution gezwungen werden, will das Opfer des Didymus, der sie retten möchte, nicht annehmen… kurz, selbst wenn man den englischen Text nicht mitliest, weiß man doch nach der Inhaltsangabe worum es geht. Tragisch.

    —  Renate Wagner  •  Online Merker
  •   

    Royal Opera House - La traviata


    Oct, 2021 - Nov, 2021

    Violetta Valery

    La traviata review — a star shines in the Royal Opera’s Verdi revival

    Bob Crowley’s sets, famously marked by heavily architectural semi-circular structures choked with objects that get in the way (banquettes, a gambling table, hoop skirts), never seemed to pin Oropesa to the spot as it did with other performers. In Act I she vibrated with life and young innocence, hitting the coloratura heights in the climactic Sempre libera without the brilliance ever seeming forced. The open warmth of her tone, lack of affectation and gentle half-voice allowed her to easily display unfettered hurt and vulnerability, much needed as the libretto carved from the Alexandre Dumas play La Dame aux camélias presses on.

    —  Geoff Brown  •  The Times
  • Soprano

    In salotto con Verdi (Festival Verdi 2021)

    Il grande successo della serata è merito senza dubbio dei due protagonisti: il Maestro Francesco Izzo al pianoforte e Lisette Oropesa, stella ormai affermatasi nel panorama lirico mondiale.

    Il soprano, originario della Louisiana, in un bellissimo ed elegante abito da sera nero, che ne valorizza la figura longilinea, si posiziona al proscenio e intona i primi versi dei brani di apertura del concerto (arie di Saverio Mercadante); il pubblico rimane da subito affascinato dalla purezza e dalla morbidezza di una voce immacolata, luminosa e che si espande facilmente in sala.

    —  Marco Faverzani  •  Opera Libera
  •   

    Royal Opera House - Rigoletto


    Aug, 2021 - Sep, 2021

    Gilda

    Rigoletto review – Oropesa is a matchless Gilda in powerful new take on Verdi’s tragedy

    Oropesa makes a matchless Gilda, singing with an extraordinary beauty of tone and understated depth of feeling: this really is one of the truly great performances.

    —  Tim Ashley  •  The Guardian
  •   

    Soprano

    Martina Franca, Festival of the Valle d'Itria 2021 - Recital by Lisette Oropesa

    Oropesa ha esibito una bella incisività nel recitativo, eseguendo poi con perfetta musicalità e un suono dolce e vibrante l’aria, prima della funambolica cabaletta dove la precisione dei trilli era sostenuta da un eccezionale controllo del fiato e si accompagnava sempre a una ragione espressiva. Notevolissima poi nell’articolazione della frase, nitida e priva di qualsivoglia artificio, nell’intensa pateticità di “Adieu, notre petite table” da Manon di Massenet.

    —  Fabio Larovere  •  Conessi all'Opera
  •   

    Violetta Valery

    Un/altra Traviata nel vuoto del teatro

    La complessita della protagonista viene esaltata dal canto recitato di Lisette Oropesa

    Lisette Oropesa, statunitense di origini cubane, é una Violetta da manuale: recita con il canto. Le sfaccettature di un personaggio complesso prendono vita momento per momento.

    —  Dino Villatico  •  Il Manifesto
  • Soprano

    RECITAL DE LISETTE OROPESA Y RUBÉN FERNÁNDEZ AGUIRRE EN BILBAO

    Digámoslo cuanto antes: el recital ha sido un éxito sin paliativos. Uno, que no es amigo de este formato, no recuerda en los últimos años una cantante con la calidad vocal de Oropesa en recital alguno. La voz es de bello color, uniformidad en todos los registros –aunque algo matizado en la zona más grave, lo que parece natural- un fraseo de calidad y una implicación con el texto digna de aplauso.

    Además, técnicamente Oropesa nos ofreció detalles de alta calidad, de esos que están destinados para disfrutar casi en la intimidad. Por poner solo dos ejemplos, el trino final de la segunda pieza de Mercadante, La primavera, está alcance de pocas; y en la segunda parte, en la operística, toda la escena final de La sonnambula de Bellini fue un ejemplo de buen decir, de implicación con el personaje y de generosidad con el público pues la soprano incluyó el recitativo, muy sentido, el aria y la cabaletta final.

    —  Enrique Bert  •  Platea Magazine

2020

  •   

    Violetta Valery

    Brava Oropesa!

    Lugar y fecha: Gran Teatre del Liceu (15/XII/2020) Seductora y carismática, así fue la Violetta Valéry de la estadounidense Lisette Oropesa, éxito personal y ovación en el Liceu. Recuperadas las funciones de La Traviata tras ampliar el tope de 500 espectadores a 1.000, faltaba disfrutar de la tercera de las cuatro Violetta en discordia, vistas ya Kristina Mkhitaryan y Pretty Yende, y a falta de Ermonela Jaho en la última función. Lisette, la más ligera, sorprendió, pues más allá de un primer acto brillante, donde desplegó su instrumento a piacere, Mi bemol al nal del “Sempre libera!” , agudos fáciles, luminosos y timbrados, creció con el desarrollo de la partitura. En su dúo con Germont padre coloreó, buscó expresión y matices, siempre sul ato, con un fraseo detallado, articulando cada frase con una escuela belcantista de primera. En su aria nal “Addio del passato” , la más aplaudida, controló el vibrato, aportó drama y acabó con un pianissimo volátil inolvidable. Brava la Oropesa!

    —  Jordi Maddaleno  •  La Vanguardia
  • Soprano

    La Scala’s online gala is a triumph

    Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor is usually found in gloomy Scotland, not paddling on a sun-soaked beach, but the brilliant-voiced Lisette Oropesa thrived there anyway.

    —  Richard Fairman  •  Financial Times
  • Konstanze

    Staatsoper: Wien hält auch Hans Neuenfels aus

    Strahlender Star des Abends: die US-Sopranistin Lisette Oropesa, die bei ihrem Staatsoperndebüt als Konstanze ausnahmslos alle im Publikum überzeugte.

    —  heid  •  ORF.AT
  • Soprano

    The Royal Opera: Live in Concert review — Antonio Pappano had brilliant energy

    The American soprano Lisette Oropesa partnered Castronovo in a Donizetti duet, but her slinky Manon (the gavotte from Massenet’s opera) and affecting Amina (the finale of La Sonnambula) were more memorable.

    —  Neil Fisher  •  The Times
  • Soprano

    Verona, a Rossini si addice l’Arena

    Oropesa (also debut in Pesaro two years ago, alongside Sekgapane nell'Adina), opened the journey on the notes of "Beautiful flattering ray" (Semiramide, act I), the triumph of belcanto as the elegance of the line, in a coloratura of supreme abstraction and captivating precision;and he continued it on the ironic and very concrete brilliance of Rosina's Cavatina (Barbiere di Siviglia, act I), this time bending agility to the needs of an expressiveness entirely of comedy. 

    —  Le Salon Musicale  •  Le Salon Musicale
  • Violetta Valery

    Llegó Lisette Oropesa y ‘dio el canto’ en ‘La Traviata’ (y el Teatro Real se vino abajo)

    Now, in the final stretch, Lisette Oropesa arrives.You have to go see it, and especially to listen to it.Even if it is only for the few seconds in which her Amami Alfredo transports us to the great ones that we all have engraved in our brain, which is the best hard drive that can exist.

    It is true that we are in need of beautiful things.And it is no less true that the Oropesa gives us the ear.When we still remember his Lucia from two years ago (and his Gilda del Rigoletto from 2015), now comes his Violetta, which enshrines her in the Real: from chaste diva, chaste goddess, to absolute diva.But with the closeness that the divas of the 21st century require.Her elegance on stage, in addition, adds many points.

    El Real, we insist, is at fifty percent capacity for health reasons.Those who were on July 18 filled all the gaps with applause;a welcome that makes history.The shadow of the encore flew over the room after his sublime Addio del passato of the final act.Just as the illusion that he would come out to be applauded behind the curtain that closed the first one also flew overhead.As before, as could be done when the voice prevailed.

    —  Nacho Fresno  •  Shangay
  • Soprano

    Constellation de stars en ligne du Maggio Musicale Fiorentino : l’empathie plus que le plaisir

    Lisette Oropesa, à Bâton-Rouge, prête sa finesse prosodique à des intervalles définis avec une immense précision et à une ligne de chant déconfinée.

    —  Thibault Vicq  •  Opera Online
  • Soprano

    BWW Review: Metropolitan Opera's At-Home Gala

    The Met technical folks went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to catch Lisette Oropesa who, accompanied by Michael Borowitz, sang a perfectly executed "En vain espère" from Meyerbeer's Le Prophète.
    Her rendition contained some of the best singing I've heard in years.

    —  Maria Nockin  •  Broadway World
  •   

    Metropolitan Opera - La Traviata


    Feb, 2020 - Mar, 2020

    Violetta Valery

    Review: Lisette Oropesa Makes ‘La Traviata’ Her Own

    In Act I, when Violetta, a charming courtesan, is throwing a lavish party, a soprano must summon flights of coloratura brilliance and coquettish sparkle. Ms. Oropesa breezily dispatched runs and embellishments as she mingled with her guests and met Alfredo, the smitten young man from a bourgeois family who has been pining for her from afar.

    Yet you could detect a trace of forced vivacity in Ms. Oropesa’s interpretation, an intentional touch of tremulous fervor in her sound, even as she let bright-voiced, ebullient phrases soar. Here was a young woman determined to prove that she was undaunted and would remain, as she later sings, “sempre libera”: always free.

    —  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times
  • Rosina

    Jeunes et prometteurs

     Appréciée du public parisien depuis sa Marguerite de Valois dans Les Huguenots à l’automne 2018, Lisette Oropesa compose une Rosine en tout point captivante. La jeune soprano ne manque ni de piquant ni de charme. La voix est brillante, l’aigu aisé, les vocalises sont parfaitement exécutées et la ligne de chant ornementée avec subtilité. Actrice accomplie, elle évolue comme un poisson dans l’eau dans l’univers imaginé par Michieletto. 

    —  Christian Peter  •  Forum Opera
  • Soprano

    Gstaad in majesty

    One of the highlights of the 2019-2020 edition of the Gstaad New Year Music Festival was the recital of the American soprano Lisette Oropesa.In rehearsal in Paris for Le Barbier de Seville, the singer did not hesitate to make a quick return trip to Gstaad, despite the strikes in France and their batch of trains canceled, to offer a memorable evening.The program was particularly varied and eclectic, alternating opera arias and lieder, in four different languages.Unmistakable charisma, clear and luminous voice, ample and majestic, healthy and homogeneous over the whole range, with brilliant treble and perfectly assured vocalizations, Lisette Oropesa has everything to make a good career, and besides the biggest scenes are l 'tear.In Gstaad, she was especially able to highlight her musicality, her impeccable diction,whatever the language sung, and its sense of expressiveness, playing on each word, each sentence, each inflection of the score, whether in melancholy and sad compositions or in flamboyant and brilliant pages.She was accompanied on the piano with finesse and tact by Natalia Morozova, a follower of Gstaad since she has been performing there for ten years.

    —  Claudio Poloni  •  Concerto Net

2019

  • Ophélie

    WCO’s superlative casting lights a fire amid the gloom of Thomas’s “Hamlet”

    Exemplary in this demanding coloratura role was soprano Lisette Oropesa, whose voice seems to grow richer and more refined with each appearance. She has sung the role on stage before, and the sense of a specialist’s knowledge came through from her love duet in Act I and Act II scene onward.

    Oropesa’s coloratura exploits, especially in the show-stopping mad scene that encompasses all of Act IV, revealed consummate control and grace. Incendiary high notes floated, chromatic runs slid downward with clarity, and trills glimmered. Particularly convincing were the runs that rocketed upward, ending abruptly as high as the E off the staff, incarnating the character’s mad outbursts.

    —  Charles T. Downey  •  Washington Classical Review
  • Soprano

    Review: Richard Tucker Gala 2019

    This year’s award winner was Lisette Oropesa, who just one day earlier was essaying “Manon” Live in HD at the Metropolitan Opera. Oropesa’s career has been on the rise for quite some time with the soprano conquering Europe in recent years and now doing much the same on this side of the Atlantic.

    Oropesa opened the night offering an aria from Rossini’s “Tancredi.” The aria “Come dolce all’alma mia” features difficult coloratura runs and a chance to show off a soprano’s virtuosic powers and high notes. It is light and playful but it ultimately doesn’t create the impact that other Rossini arias do, particularly for an opening number of a gala. Oropesa sang the aria with delicacy and a fluid coloratura line that showed her mastery of the vocal style. But it wasn’t really the best display of Oropesa’s powers nor what she could ultimately do with her lyrical voice.

    She left that for the middle of the program in her “Qui la Voce…Vien diletto” from “I Purtiani.” Here Oropesa started the opening phrase with a piano sound that continuously grew in form and shape with each repetition of “Rendetemi la speme.” The voice grew in size and in expression, showing Elvira’s increasingly agitated state. As the phrase rose to a high note so did Oropesa’s sound, and she eventually descrescendoed to a mere piano that created a haunting effect.

    In the cabaletta, the soprano sang with precision and exciting tempi. One particularly exciting moment was the phrases “Vien, o caro, all’amore” as she drove the tempo forward during the roulades, creating an unpredictability and excitement that one rarely hears in this aria. During the repetition, Oropesa opted for the “less is more” philosophy with her ornaments. There were sparkling high notes and interpolations that resounded and showed off the soprano’s glittering top register. But ultimately Oropesa was holding off for the final E flat that was effective and resounded throughout the hall. One thing to take note was that Oropesa also chose to sing through the whole Cabaletta instead of doing the traditional cuts in galas; this really allowed the soprano a chance to show different shades of colors.

    Her final showcase was in the sextet of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Here the ensemble decided to perform from the beginning of the second act scene allowing the performers to showcase their acting abilities. Oropesa got to bring her chemistry with baritone Artur Rucinski, creating a tense moment as she was forced to sign a marriage contract; they were so immersed in the agitation of the moment that the pen flew out of his hands at one point. They showcased raw emotions in their actions and in the famed sextet, it was all about the passionate music. Rucinski and Oropesa’s powerful voices particularly stood out in the ensemble and her final C sharp was impeccable and a great way to cap off the evening.

    —  David Salazar  •  Opera Wire
  •   

    Metropolitan Opera - Manon


    Sep, 2019 - Oct, 2019

    Manon Lescaut

    Oropesa shines brightly in Met’s lethargic “Manon”

    Lisette Oropesa gave a performance as Manon that confirmed she is fully ready for leading roles at the Met. Her voice has grown in size and color since the days when she primarily appeared in soubrette parts: she has developed into a formidable lyric soprano, her voice filling out into a luscious instrument without losing any of its flexibility or tartness. 

    Moreover, Oropesa proved to be the rare soprano who can be entirely convincing in both sides of a complex role. In the first two acts she approached the role with a lovely, bright innocence, charming with a rendition of “Je suis encore tout étourdie” that combined spacious phrasing and breathless excitement, then channeling quiet but intense sadness in “Adieu, notre petite table.”

    —  Eric C. Simpson  •  New York Classical Review
  • Soprano

    Uma grande cantora passou pelo Rio

    O melhor da noite ainda estava por vir, e a sequência que encerrou o programa oficial, com a ária Qui la voce e a cabaletta Vien diletto, do segundo ato da ópera I Puritani, de Bellini, recebeu de Oropesa uma interpretação arrebatadora: se a ária foi extremamente musical, a cabaletta foi de arrepiar, com uma demonstração exuberante de agilidade e domínio técnico. Era evidente que estávamos todos diante de uma grande cantora.

    —  Leonardo Marques  •  Movimento
  •   

    Arena di Verona - La traviata


    Jul, 2019 - Aug, 2019

    Violetta Valery

    La Traviata des mythes

    Lisette Oropesa était Violetta, un rôle qu’elle chanta il y a quelques années et qu’elle a interprété l’espace d’un soir à Athènes quelques jours avant, histoire de se le remettre en voix. Ce qui étonne toujours chez Oropesa et qui ravit, c’est d’abord son phrasé italien quasi parfait, son sens de la couleur, l’impeccable contrôle de la voix et la tenue du souffle. On lui a reproché quelquefois une sorte de supériorité de la technique sur l’émotion ; on a au contraire ici l’union d’une technique impeccable et le sens donné à chaque mot, le poids de l’expression (quel deuxième acte ! quelle intensité dans amami Alfredo !) et l’intériorité, un mot étrange dans une représentation devant 15000 personnes, où elle est une petite tache blanche sur l’immensité de la scène. Lisette Oropesa, aux origines cubaines, a une évidente familiarité avec un phrasé latin, et une vraie sensibilité, outre une technique de fer acquise dans la formation américaine. C’est d’emblée une Violetta avec laquelle il va falloir compter, car m’est avis qu’elle va les multiplier. Son Addio del passato est exemplaire, et même sa lecture de la lettre, si claire. Et en plus elle a les notes qu’il faut, dans les agilités (ses gioir du premier acte) comme dans les moments plus lyriques du deuxième (dite alla giovine bouleversant et sans doute aussi décuplé par l’émotion distillée par son partenaire Domingo).

    —  Guy Cherqui  •  Wanderer
  • Violetta Valery

    The triumph of a "Traviata" of smart choices and great protagonists

    Born to the romantic bell-cadet, the 36-year-old lyricist demonstrated her great class: her medium-sized, well-placed, luminous voice - obviously more suited to her more moving last two acts than to her crafty requirements - her huge Roman amphitheater, her aesthetic and the good taste of her song (trillions, ornamentations) constantly reminded the early Verdi's Bell-Candid debts, the stage presence was ethereal, emotional and emotional j with correct passion doses. Athens was lucky enough to enjoy - and rightly so! - a singer who has all the backgrounds (youth, beauty, voice, stage displacement) to shine worldwide in the role of tragic partner!

    —  Eutychios D. Choriatakis  •  Athinorama
  • Amalia

    Les Brigands de Verdi en haut de l’échelle : La Scala triomphe à Savonlinna

    Lisette Oropesa s’attaque au rôle à l’origine conçu pour Jenny Lind (dont le bicentenaire sera sans doute commémoré l’année prochaine en Suède). Ce seul personnage féminin se révèle le plus attentionné de tous. L’Amalia d’Oropesa n’a pas que le cœur sur la main, mais également sa respiration et ses palpitations, qui deviennent pratiquement physiques d’une manière qui évoque le souffle audible d’une Violetta ou d’une Gilda. Oropesa sait profiter au maximum de l’écriture vocale : plus ses coloratures et ses sauts impeccables entre les registres montent vers les niveaux stratosphériques, plus son timbre chaleureux et teinté de mélancolie gagne en beauté et en sûreté. Lorsqu'elle apprend que Carlo est en vie, elle effectue un changement soudain d'intention, touchant à la folie, qui offre un instant irrésistible. Les spectateurs ravis s’unissent pour la récompenser, elle, ses collègues et tout l’orchestre (qui vient sur le plateau), d'une ovation debout.

    —  Andreas Wahlberg  •  Olyrix
  •   

    Teatro alla Scala - I Masnadieri


    May, 2019 - Jul, 2019

    Amalia

    I masnadieri at La Scala — channelling the vitality of Verdi’s opera

    As so often under Pereira, casting was the strongest element here. Lisette Oropesa made a rapturous house debut, investing Amalia with depth, authenticity and allure, and streaming through this fluttering Jenny Lind role with disarming ease. As a result, this usually drab heroine became the production’s unlikely pillar.

    —  James Imam  •  Financial Times
  •   

    Pittsburgh Opera - Don Pasquale


    Apr, 2019 - May, 2019

    Norina

    Review: Pittsburgh Opera revisits silent Hollywood in waggish season finale production

    There are some voices in opera that are so sublimely expressive that they stand out like a Michelangelo fresco in a black and white film. Pittsburgh Opera’s season finale production of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” features such a voice.

    Soprano Lisette Oropesa, no stranger to the Benedum Center stage, was recently granted the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, granted annually to an American singer on the precipice of a dazzling career. Her performance on Saturday showcased impeccable clarity of tone and articulation coupled with exquisite lyricism.

    Ms. Oropesa, for her part, was enchanting, moving swiftly from coquettish to incendiary as the plot to humble Pasquale coalesces. With her rising prestige confirmed by the Richard Tucker Award (other winners include Renee Fleming and Joyce DiDonato), Ms. Oropesa’s career is likely poised to blossom in the coming seasons.

    —  Jeremy Reynolds  •  Pittsburgh Post Gazette
  •   

    La Monnaie - Robert le Diable


    Mar, 2019 - Apr, 2019

    Isabelle

    Oropesa steelt de show in Robert le Diable

    Alles wat deze Cubaans-Amerikaanse sopraan aanraakt, verandert in goud. In Amsterdam hoorde we haar eerder als een fenomenale Nannetta in Falstaff (De Nationale Opera) en Gilda in Rigoletto (De Nationale Opera en de NTR ZaterdagMatinee). Haar krachtige lyrische sopraan klonk als een warm bad.

    Oropesa’s eerste aria werd onthaald met langdurig applaus. Haar tweede aria, ‘Robert, toi que j’aime’ in de vierde akte, was een showstopper pur sang. Wat een prachtaria, en wat een prachtsopraan. Trillers, coloraturen, legatolijnen, dictie: alles klopt bij Oropesa. Hopelijk houdt ze het hoofd koel en weet ze zich te hoeden voor rollen die ze wijselijk moet afhouden. Dit is een stem die niet vaak voorkomt heden ten dage.

    —  Lennaert van Anken  •  Place de l'Opera
  •   

    Rodelinda

    Una 'Rodelinda' de lujo en el Liceu

    Un lujo, tanto como el que ofreció el impresionante y auspicio debut de Lisette Oropesa en el papel titular, quien impuso una voz de gran belleza y esmalte, dominio estilístico y sentido teatral, fascinando con las arias a su cargo y poderosa en el ornamento.

    —  Pablo Meléndez-Haddad  •  El Periódico
  •   

2018

2017

2016

2015

  •   

    Teatro Real - Rigoletto


    Nov, 2015 - Dec, 2015

    Gilda

    Crítica: 'Triunfo De Gilda'. 'Rigoletto' En El Teatro Real, Con Salsi, Oropesa Y Demuro

    Notable la encarnación de Lisette Oropesa, una voz de lírico-ligera con cuerpo,  impecablemente proyectada, bien colocada y correctamente apoyada sobre el aire. Buena la coloratura como pudo comprobarse en una brillante interpretación del “Caro nome” culminada por un trino largo y de buena factura. Estupendo también fue el mi bemol del final de la vendetta. Cierto es que el timbre no es especialmente bello ni singular y que a alguno de los filados que prodigó le faltó un punto de firmeza y posición, pero estamos, sin duda, ante una soprano con los papeles en regla, con control sobre su instrumento, sobre la intensidad del sonido, la respiración y los resortes del canto. Eso sí, en el aspecto interpretativo no es un prodigio de expresividad.

    —  Raúl Chamorro Mena  •  Codalario
  • Gilda

    MÜNCHEN/ Bayerische Staatsoper: RIGOLETTO

    Für die erkrankte Patricia Petibon übernahm dankenswerterweise kurzfristig Lisette Oropesa die Rolle der Gilda, die sie mit ihrem vollen, leuchtenden, farbenreichen Sopran sehr schön darbot.

    —  Martina Bogner  •  Online Merker
  •   

    Opera Philadelphia - La traviata


    Sep, 2015 - Oct, 2015

    Violetta Valery

    La Traviata (Opera Philadelphia) Review

    It is possible for a lyric singer to be a great Violetta – among recordings, one I treasure is Bidu Sayão from the Met, who imprinted the role with her distinctive prettiness and pathos. It was Sayão I thought of as I heard how easily Oropesa’s voice carried in the large space, and how elegantly she shaped every phrase, always making the words matter. Throughout, there was telling attention to detail, from the little internal trills in “Sempre libera” that hardly any sopranos today bother with, to the gorgeously tapered phrase endings in “Addio, del passato.” And of course, it helps that Oropesa, like Sayão, is ravishing looking – in her 1950s gowns here (see more on that below), she resembled Pier Angeli.

    —  David Fox  •  Reclining Standards
  •   
  • Susanna

    ‘Figaro’ in the shadows at S.F. Opera

    Soprano Lisette Oropesa was a superb Susanna, singing with both delicacy and quick-witted allure. Her duet with the Count at the beginning of Act 3, in which Susanna pretends to be willing to accept his advances, was a particular high point.

    —  Joshua Kosman  •  SFGate
  • Marie

    Review: Superb music, well-acted comedy make 'Daughter of the Regiment' a standout

    Soprano Lisette Oropesa's Marie was a triumph at the Benedum Center, utterly winning in both the role's vocal challenges and the physical demands of Curran's staging. Her voice is wonderfully suited to the role, warm and rounded in tone but also pure, and sparkling in coloratura. “The Song of the Regiment” started with a lovely vocal flourish, then proceeded with irresistible elan.

    Oropesa proved a master of physical comedy throughout, especially in a dance lesson Curran interpolates during the orchestra entr'acte after intermission. In the first act, we meet Tonio, Marie's guy, who joins the regiment to be with her. But at the end of that act the Marquise of Berkenfeld claims Marie as her “niece.”

    The second act takes place at the castle of the Marquise, who is providing Marie with lessons to add refinement appropriate for an arranged aristocratic marriage. The choreography for the four dancers gives Marie klutzy moves right out of a routine by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Oropesa offered a perfect lesson in comic gestures and timing.

    —  Mark Kanny  •  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
  •   

    Susanna

    N.O. Opera closes season with appealing ‘Marriage of Figaro’

    As Susanna, Figaro’s bride-to-be, Louisiana-born and -raised Lisette Oropesa was taking on one of the most demanding roles in the soprano repertoire. Being in nearly every scene of a long opera can pose a serious challenge to a singer, but Oropesa rose to it. In her arias as well as in duets and ensemble pieces, Oropesa offered a fine display of vocal versatility, from the lilting coloratura of a young woman in love to the confusion and anger of the object of the lascivious intentions of her overlord, Count Almaviva.

    —  Thomas Hammon  •  New Orleans Advocate
  • Soprano

    'St. John Passion,' Rising Stars concert lifts voices and hearts

    Lisette Oropesa brought her limpid, plaintively expressive voice to the two soprano arias.

    —  John von Rhein  •  Chicago Tribune
  • Gilda

    Oropesa’s Gilda steelt show in Rigoletto

    De show werd echter gestolen door Rigoletto’s dochter Gilda, vertolkt door de Amerikaanse sopraan Lisette Oropesa (vorig seizoen Nanetta in Falstaff bij De Nationale Opera). In haar stemgeluid lagen zowel een warme laagte als een glanzende hoogte besloten, en haar vocale acrobatiek was indrukwekkend. Vooral indrukwekkend was haar ‘Caro Nome’, dat in eerste instantie voortijdig moest worden afgebroken omdat iemand in de zaal onwel werd. Ze eindigde de aria met een prachtige triller waar maar geen eind aan leek te komen.

    —  Laura Roling  •  Place de l'Opera
  • Konstanze

    Parigi - Opéra Garnier: Il ratto dal serraglio

    Ben affiatato anche il duo protagonista, con Lisette Oropesa nel ruolo di Konstanze in luogo della prevista Albina Shagimuratova. Anche lei soprano ancora giovane, al suo debutto a Parigi ma già Konstanze alla Staatsoper di Monaco, la Oropesa è stata premiata dal pubblico grazie a una prova molto convincente. Elegante e misurata in scena come si conviene al personaggio, ha persuaso per la sua capacità di mettere in rilievo anche nel canto gli stati d’animo, ora malinconici, ora rapiti, ora sdegnati che la parte prevede. Da ciò l’ottimo effetto di Welcher Wechsel herrscht in meiner Seele, sospirosa e malinconica, da ragazza più che da donna infelice nella voce della Oropesa, seguita da Marten aller Arten, cantata con accenti incisivi e appassionata recitazione. 

    —  Lorenzo De Vecchi  •  Opera Click

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005