“In her two showcases, Ailyn Pérez brought down the house demonstrating she has one of the best instruments currently performing in the world. Her first aria “Chi il sogno di Doretta” allowed the soprano to display her rich and seductive tone and interacted beautifully with the audience as she walked around the stage glancing at those watching. She extended the phrase “Folle amore! Folle ebbrezza!” with an even tone that blossomed with each note. And then in the second repetition of the phrase, during which Puccini asks the soprano to reach a high C in “Ah! mio sogno! Ah! mia vita,” Pérez expanded each note with brilliant sound. Most impressive was the evenness of her voice as she went from the top to the middle of her registers with the same potency.
But in her final duet from ‘Thaïs,” Pérez brought an expressive quality to her voice that displayed her mastery of the role and which also saw her high Ds resonate effortlessly. She held out each of these climactic notes with incredible confidence. It was impossible to look away as the voice continuously soared in the hall. Her chemistry with Lucas Meachem was also impeccable as their voices blended well and they each allowed their passionate lines to flow with lush tones.“
David Salazar, Operawire
“Ailyn Pérez delivered an idiomatic, firm-toned Chi il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine, her velvety voice strident at the top yet never harsh. Her death scene from Thaïs was a masterclass in legato phrasing…”
Clive Paget, Limelight Magazine
Photo credit: Dario Acosta