Career

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

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

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

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

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  •  Le blog du Wanderer

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

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

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

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

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

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

A questo punto, se Rigoletto smette di essere una palestra dove misurare atletismi e «canne» vocali, i cantanti devono essere valutati per quanto e come contribuiscano a un progetto interpretativo così rivoluzionario. In questo senso è perfetta la Gilda di Lisette Oropesa, che non solo canta benissimo sempre, ma riesce a trasformare «Caro nome» da grande aria della diva in un bellissimo, toccante soliloquio di una ragazzina innamorata.

—  Alberto Mattioli  •  La Stampa

Le personnage d’Adina, riche et belle fermière, campé par Lisette Oropesa est pétillant à souhait. La soprano virevolte comme une elfe sur le plateau pleine de charme, de malice et fait des étincelles vocales dans le registre du belcanto.

—  Jean-Christophe Mary  •  Putsch Media

Lisette Oropesa est l'autre plaisir coupable de la soirée. Elle incarne avec un abattage exceptionnel toutes les facettes de la reine Marguerite, se jouant des vocalises, variations (dès son second couplet de l'air d'entrée), suraigus ou sons filés. Scéniquement, le personnage est délicieux. Les très nombreux seconds rôles sont globalement correctement tenus. 

—  Jean Michel Pennetier  •  Forum Opera

Gilda è il soprano statunitense Lisetta Oropesa, reduce dal recente successo in Adina al Rossini Opera Festival, che stupisce per plasticità di modulazione e pulizia del fraseggio.

—  Matteo Pozzato  •  Le Salon Musicale

Il cast vocale si presta compatto a una visione un po' stralunata, ad affetti di carta che si susseguono disinvolti, a partire dall'Adina fra lo svampito e l'infantile di Lisette Oropesa, ancora di limitate esperienze operistiche in Italia e già in possesso di un'ammirevole familiarità con la nostra lingua. Voce leggera, caratterizzata da un sottile vibrato, canta con eleganza e intenzione sempre coerente alla scena.

—  Roberta Pedrotti  •  L'ape musicale

PESARO – Meditativa prima, poi appassionata, frizzante, esuberante, scatenata, travolgente, incontenibile. Lisette Oropesa, soprano statunitense nata a New Orleans, in Luisiana, dove si respira cultura europea, soprattutto francese, è stata protagonista di uno dei concerti più memorabili nella storia del Rossini Opera Festival, che pure nei suoi 39 anni di momenti indimenticabili ne ha vissuti un’infinità.

Mancava un concerto come quello della protagonista di Adina che non ha tradito le grandi attese.

—  Luciano Murgia  •  pu24.it

La locura de la protagonista, interpretada por la soprano estadounidense de ascendencia cubana Lisette Oropesa, se ha trasladado al público del coliseo madrileño, que ha roto en aplausos y en gritos de \"brava\" en el culmen de su enajenación.

—  Europa Press  •  Europa Press

Lisette Oropesa was a truly magnificent Gilda. She portrayed her character's girlishness, innocence, and obsessive love. Her voice was clear and bell-like, especially above the staff. Her "Caro Nome" ("Dear name") was most impressive with its radiant, silvery tones and tasteful decoration. Amazingly, she finished the main part of her aria, climbed a long flight of stairs, and immediately began the trill that ends the scene. Twentieth century operagoers told tales of the legendary Erna Berger and her long trills. Twenty-first century patrons may have their own legend-in-the-making with Oropesa. She definitely is a singer to watch.

—  Maria Nockin  •  Broadway World

Dressed in white with a billowing cape as the deceased Eurydice, Lisette Oropesa looked and moved like one of the dancers. Her sounds were liquid silver and she seemed to be an amazingly graceful creature from another world. She sang through a veil at times, but it never marred the focus of her sound. My only thought was that her part was too short.

—  Maria Nockin  •  Broadway World

Leonard Bernstein’s 1949 “Two Love Songs” tell of a love that is stronger than life and can weld two souls together so that they sing a single melody. Oropesa’s butter cream tones were completely unified with Borowitz’s shimmering melodic strains. She finished the first half of the recital with an exquisite rendition of the “Vocalise” that Camille Saint-Saens wrote on a visit to Egypt in 1901. It is a wonderful text-free song that allows the coloratura to use some of her most intricate and difficult maneuvers. For Oropesa, it was a pièce de résistance.

—  Maria Nockin  •  Opera Today

It was fun to watch the fidgety Hansel (the mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught) and fretful Gretel (the soprano Lisette Oropesa) trading nonsensical taunts, dancing together and skipping their chores while their parents are off working, like mischievous siblings everywhere.

—  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times

Lucia is sung by Lisette Oropesa, here making her house debut. Her voice isn’t large, but she is a true coloratura soprano. She has excellent support for the long fioratura lines, and ideal agility for the runs and ornaments. Her Mad Scene (flutes here, no glass harmonica) is more about dramatic conviction than vocal acrobatics, but is no less impressive for it.

—  Gavin Dixon  •  The Arts Desk

Nanetta, interprétée par Lisette Oropesa (Gilda surprise la saison dernière à Bastille). Elle aussi soprano, sa voix plus légère et son vibrato serré insufflent une certaine innocence au personnage, gazouillant naïvement pendant que les autres protagonistes montent des stratagèmes pour se piéger. Ses aigus cristallins et sa maîtrise du souffle impressionnent le public, notamment à l'acte III, où, déguisée en Reine des fées, elle produit de merveilleuses envolées lyriques.

—  Malory Matignon  •  Olyrix

...Lisette Oropesa's show-stealing Norina.

The Cuban-American soprano was equal to all her character's skittish bel canto demands. Hilarious, endearing and blest with immaculate timing, she made the cruel challenges of her Act 1 cavatina seem like throwaway lines and single-handedly gave the evening its class.

—  Mark Valencia  •  What's on Stage

 Son sens de la nuance, exceptionnel et charmant, lui garantit de toute façon d’emblée une ovation en fin de soirée : capable de percuter le spectateur d’un aigu flamboyant, elle allège ailleurs son chant sur quelques syllabes susurrant un aigu intense et long. Elle achève son premier air (et le public) d’un suraigu pur dont le vibrato s’élargit progressivement pour se changer en trille.

—  Damien Dutilleul  •  Olyrix

Zo’n dreamteam staat er ook op het podium met bariton Luca Salsi als Rigoletto en Lisette Oropesa als Gilda. Oropesa bracht op de premiere haar aria ‘Caro nome’ met een zoetgevooisd en zilverzacht timbre: het werd een muzikaal hoogtepunt waarin tekstuitdrukking en muzikale virtuositeit op geheel natuurlijke wijze samenvloeiden.

—  Oswin Schneeweisz  •  TheaterKrant

Making the most of her role was the raven haired Spanish lady Konstanze sung by Lisette Oropesa notable for her creamy tone. Extremely well focused she projected her voice strongly through the house right from her first aria ‘Ach ich liebte’ and I especially admired her heavenly aria ‘Martern aller Arten’ from Act II.

—  Michael Cookson  •  Seen and Heard International

The evening opened with “Ragion nell’alma siede,” an aria from Haydn’s opera Il mondo della luna. It was a gutsy move, and Oropesa easily filled the smaller venue with sound. The accuracy during runs was striking, as were the highest notes, all produced with facility. Her tone turned especially limpid on the little cadenza. Pianist Vlad Iftinca, who was a consummate musical partner throughout the program, gave vitality to the long introduction to the piece.

—  Charles T. Downey  •  Washington Classical Review

La transparence du chant, les vocalises irisées et sa simplicité désarmante ont déclenché une salve d'applaudissements bien mérités!

—  Julian Sykes  •  Le Temps

Il soprano cubano-americano Lisette Oropesa, é stata una Gilda di gran classe, con una voce molto bella, tibrata e intonata.

—  LucaDella Libera  •  Il Messaggero

Lisette Oropesa gave a simply dazzling performance as tomboy-turned-lady, Marie. From the graceful, ardent first notes (sung off stage) to the glorious finale on the shoulders of the regiment, she was seemingly born to play the part. Her garçon persona – carried off with irresistible spirit and aplomb – was belied by one of those effortlessly lovely female voices, quite thrilling at the higher register, soaring above the chorus and the other leads when needed. It was a consummate performance, sung with notable facility.  

—  Hilary Stroh  •  Bachtrack

Berlin was represented by select Mendelssohn songs, which the soprano Lisette Oropesa, accompanied by the pianist Gilbert Kalish, rendered with pellucid tone and unfussy styling

—  Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim  •  New York Times

Soprano soloist Lisette Oropesa has a rich, complexly timbred voice that works well for this music.

—  J. Robin Coffelt  •  Theater Jones

Oropesa is immediately engaging and she demonstrates impressive control of her voice, most notable in Susanna’s playful aria “Deh vieni, non tardar.”

—  Jennifer Minich  •  MD Theatre Guide

Unter den vorzüglichen Solisten, die fast alle in Doppelrollen zu erleben waren, stachen Anna Prohaska als Phani/Fatime und Lisette Oropesa als Hébé/Zima mit leuchtendem Sopran und nie steril wirkenden Koloraturen hervor.

—  Georg Etscheit  •  Musik Heute

Auch Lisette Oropesa ist von der Allerheiligen-Hofkirche schließlich herübergekommen. Sie und ihre beiden amerikanischen Kollegen, Matthew Grills und John Moore, geben Arien und Duette von Donizetti, Leoncavallo, Puccini und Rossini zum Besten. Besonders Lisette Oropesa singt sich mit ihrer glasklaren Sopranstimme in die Herzen des Publikums.

—  Jennifer Gaschler  •  Süddeutsche Zeitung

“Oropesa performed the lovely solo, “Et incarnatus” with radiant beauty, and her stunning trills, leaps and embellishments were in perfect tandem with the winds of the CSO”

“In the evening’s first half, Oropesa displayed impressive vocal flourishes and flexibility in the soprano showpiece, “Exsultate, jubilate.”

—  Janelle Gelfand  •  Cincinnati Enquirer

A special word for Lisette Oropesa, whose character, Mater Gloriosa, is supposed to appear out of the sky. The top tier of Verizon Hall was perfectly suitable, with her in a white gown and voice sounding, well, gloriosa.

—  David Patrick Stearns  •  The Inquirer

Making her debut with the orchestra, soprano Lisette Oropesa spun out a radiant sound that communicated every hopeful, calming word in the fifth movement.

—  Tim Smith  •  Baltimore Sun

Eccellenti e straordinari tutti gli interpreti, dall’ineguagliabile Pappano e dai due solisti, il baritono Vito Priante e, soprattutto, il soprano Lisette Oropesa

—  Sergio Prodigo  •  Focus Italy

Ms. Oropesa and Mr. Churchwell brought uncommon freshness to this music, which somehow hovers on the divide between breathless desire and spiritual calm.

Ms. Oropesa combined vocal refinement with articulate delivery of the texts. It’s impressive that all of the English translations printed in the program (the recital spanned Italian, German, French and Spanish) were by Ms. Oropesa herself. Clearly, she involves herself deeply in the words she sings.

—  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—  John von Rhein  •  Chicago Tribune

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

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

With svelte phrases and gleaming high notes, the American soprano Lisette Oropesa introduced a primly earnest Rosalba, a writer looking to pen a book on the diva.

—  Timothy Mangan  •  Orange County Register

Now for the human stars: Entführung is Konstanze’s show, and Lisette Oropresa doesn’t disappoint. “Ach, ich liebte” is not an easy first aria, and she falters on a few high notes and trills. But by the time she reaches Konstanze’s showpiece “Martern aller Arten”, she’s tossing off coloratura and high Ds with ease and looking fiercely defiant, to boot.

—  Ilana Walder-Biesanz  •  Bachtrack

Mais le moment de grâce absolue se niche sous les étoiles d’un ciel de rêve. Lorsque Gilda apparaît en trapéziste lunaire au-dessus de la roulotte paternelle. Lisette Oropesa offre là un exemple de chant aérien, dans une magnifique longueur de voix, aux nuances souples, à la musicalité fine et à l’humanité frissonnante. Un sommet du genre.

—  Sylvie Bonier  •  Le Temps

The combination of his (John Relyea) big but expressive bass-baritone and her (Lisette Oropesa) lithe, silvery soprano was enchanting. Moving with the elegance of a ballerina, Oropesa flitted easily between outraged innocence and wily cynicism.

—  Wynne Delacoma  •  Chicago Classical Review

Oropesa’s light and dulcet tone was ideal for both the roles of Eve and the angel Gabriel

—  Daniel Hautzinger  •  ClevelandClassical.com

Lisette Oropesa est l'exemple même de chanteuse américaine très préparée, techniquement sans failles, mais qui a aussi une vraie personnalité scénique, lumineuse, engagée.

—  Wanderer  •  Le blog du Wanderer

soprano Lisette Oropesa, whose lovely, plaintive vocal colorings made one anticipate her Susanna in the upcoming Ravinia performances of Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"

—  John von Rhein  •  Chicago Tribune

Her beaming smile and sparkling voice lit up the stage every time she came on. She sang with bright, playful innocence throughout, and was wonderfully endearing when she flirted with the gloomy Werther. 

—  Eric C. Simpson  •  New York Classical Review

Nannetta, the winning soprano Lisette Oropesa, sings with effortless grace and lyrical bloom.

—  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times

She, for her part used her light, clear sound effectively, with no signs of strain up to high D in the climactic passage.

—  Robert Croan  •  Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Soprano Lisette Oropesa made a pleasing debut as the suffering Amalia

—  Charles T. Downey  •  Washington Post

Lisette Oropesa, who made everyone fall in love with her right from the outset in her company debut. Nothing in the evening surpassed her rendition of “Deh vieni, non tardar” in Act IV, in which she spun strands of magic in the evening air.

—  James M. Keller  •  Santa Fe New Mexican

Soprano Lisette Oropesa was brilliant in Handel's lively “Da tempeste,” hitting the best high notes of the night and showing signs of being an opera star on the rise

—  David Hendricks  •  My San Antonio

...beautifully sung from offstage by Lisette Oropesa.

—  Vivien Schweitzer  •  New York Times

Oropesa also has, perhaps more noticably for some, a pure light lyric soprano that is as balanced and classically expressive as recent decades have seen.

—  JSU  •  An Unamplified Voice

The soprano Lisette Oropesa made a fresh-faced and innocent Pamina. Her aria Ach, ich fühl’s, sung as she believes Tamino no longer loves her, was genuinely moving, with quietly intense high notes and assured, unforced articulation of quick passages.

—  David Fleshler  •  South Florida Classical Review

Oropesa’s soprano simply dazzled in the seductive “V’adoro pupille,” and she convincingly made the key dramatic arc from sexy schemer to a heroine of profound feeling

—  Mark Stryker  •  Detroit Free Press

"You could exhaust the dictionary looking for the perfect words to describe coloratura soprano Lisette Oropesa’s performance at Tucson Music Hall Saturday night. “Arresting.” “Stunning.” “Magnificent.” “Sublime.” Extraordinary.” They come to mind alongside “brilliant,” “breath-taking,” ‘divine” and “fearless.”"

—  Cathalena E. Burch  •  Arizona Daily Star

Lisette Oropesa as Isemene sang with the most beautiful sound in the cast

—  Zerbinetta  •  Bachtrack

...and the best singer of the bunch, the petit flapper that was Ms. Oropesa, had the best music. The light soprano consistently tossed off high notes and coloratura with ease, and then cleared out emotional space in the touching aria "Endless Grief."

—  Andrew Druckenbrod  •  Pittsburgh Post Gazette

"She has a real feeling for the French language and style" and "A light lyric soprano with a full arsenal of bel canto effects at her disposal, she wields a distinctive, bell-like timbre that is instantly appealing"

—  Eric Myers  •  Opera News

Lisette Oropesa as Miranda showed once again that she is one of the most radiant (yet sadly underused) talents at the Met

—  DeCaffarrelli  •  Parterre

"Making her San Francisco Opera debut, 2005 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions winner Lisette Oropesa as Romilda displayed a most engaging light soprano with an especially lovely top. The highest notes may not boom out, but their sweetness and fragility cuts right to the heart."

—  Jason Victor Serinus  •  San Francisco Classical Voice

Ismene, the (eventual) bride of Farnace, was the American soprano Lisette Oropesa, whose performance was remarkable: A very attractive voice and an excellent singer.

—  José MªIrurzun  •  Seen and Heard International

And Lisette Oropesa, also a soprano, was charming as the chirpy Amor, meeting the production’s demand that she sing dangling from wires high above the stage with aplomb.

—  James R. Oestreich  •  New York Times

New Orleans-born soprano Lisette Oropesa sang the role of Leila, the priestess at the apex of the love triangle. Audiences will recall her debut with the company a couple of seasons ago as Gilda in “Rigoletto.” Here she has truly found her voice, which has developed beautifully. She has the lightness and flexibility for Bizet’s lines, while also showing an impressive depth and richness, adding layers of color. She also is a charming singing actress, drawing out all she can from the sketchily defined role.

—  Theodore P. Mahne  •  The Times-Picayune

Ms. Oropesa was exquisite in “Caro nome” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

—  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times

I was even more taken with Oropesa, the bright-voiced, very musical singer who played the chambermaid Susanna. Her sharpwitted and beautifully sung portrayal was a smooth fit with John Relyea's amused and amusing manservant, Figaro.

—  John von Rhein  •  Chicago Tribune

Musically, things were more successful, starting with soprano Lisette Oropesa as Konstanze. Mozart put some of his most taxing vocal writing in “Seraglio,’’ including two arias for Konstanze — the mournful “Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose’’ and the defiant “Martern aller Arten’’ — one after the other in Act II. Oropesa handled both with blistering power and assurance, as well as a range of vocal colors and emotional shadings. She is one to watch.
 

—  David Weininger  •  Boston.com

Lisette Oropesa tiene una voz pequeña pero bella. Su Nannetta, junto al Fenton de Sola, formó un dúo de enamorados, juveniles y tiernos, y destacaría, entre las características de su técnica, su excelente fiato.

—  Javier del Olivo  •  Mundo Classico

...while Oropesa's ardent, dewy soprano makes "Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose" the high point of the work and delivers "Marten aller Arten" with ease while being showered with furs, silks, jewels and shoes (shoes!)...

—  Anna Picard  •  The Independant

As his fiancée, Susanna, Lisette Oropesa was a dynamo: her singing had a bell-like purity and enviable agility; her stage presence was magnetic.

—  Steve Smith  •  New York Times

Her voice strengthened act by act, but Oropesa had no problem with the singing even from the start, showing an easy trill and confidence through the part's range.

—  JSU  •  An Unamplified Voice

Yet the hottest number of the evening was Oropesa. Resplendent in a cornflower-blue dress, she defied the mikes by tossing off impeccable trills in “Caro nome” from Rigoletto and coquettishly charming the audience with “Quando m’en vo” from La bohème (a last-minute change to the program that proved to be a brilliant move). Her agile, silky soprano earned the most bravos of the night.

—  Olivia Giovetti  •  Time Out New York

...and the coloratura soprano Lisette Oropesa as, appropriately, Lisette offer sweet, lively and well-sung portrayals.

—  Anthony Tommasini  •  New York Times

Her bright lyric soprano resulted in a rendition of "Caro nome" that literally stopped the show.

—  Maria C. Montoya  •  The Times-Picayune

Ms. Oropesa’s last-minute elevation turns out to be a more interesting story than a pregnant Susanna. She proved a vocally and physically agile Susanna, with an attractively silky, flexible timbre. Her fine comic instincts and cheerfully bright sound put her in command of the stage during much of the first two acts. But she conveyed emotional depth too, most notably in her moving, dark-hued account of “Deh vieni, non tardar” in the final act.

—  Allan Kozinn  •  New York Times