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| PRESS REVIEWS SERENA KAY MEZZO-SOPRANO English Touring Opera - Anna Bolena (Smeaton); Spring 2008 ''Serena Kay sings ardently as the page Smeaton' Richard Morrison, The Times ''Serena Kay's passionate Smeaton gives good value" Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times ''Serena Kay made a personable Smeaton and her performance of Smeaton's opening lute song was very attractive" Robert Hugill, Music and Vision ''Serena Kay's gracefully masculine Smeaton holds the stage." Michael Church, The Independent Opera Theatre Company; Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel (Hansel); Autumn 2006 ''The engaging mischievousness of Serena Kay's boyishly bold Hansel ... , sung with a persuasive blend of boisterous energy and sweet-toned innocence" Michael Quinn, Opera Magazine, May 2007 “Sung by Serena Kay and Rebekah Coffey respectively, this is about two children with chores to do at home who get bored and start playing around. The physically demanding roles of the children didn’t deter careful singing, and these are particularly rich voices… (a) splendidly well chosen cast… You’ll love this opera, another OTC triumph.” Andrea Rea, Belfast Newsletter, 13 February 2007 “The four female and two male singers are all quality performers… Rebekah Coffey has a lovely, light quality as Gretel, well-matched by Serena Kay’s more boisterous Hansel, and they give a sparkling well-choreographed rendition of ‘Brother come and dance with me’, some of it performed with aplomb on the narrow confines of a table-top.” Michael Moffatt, The Irish Mail on Sunday, 4 February 2007 “Sopranos Serena Kay as Hansel and Rebekah Coffey as Gretel are the energetic and engaging stars of a fine cast” Michael Dungan, Irish Times, December 2006 Pimlico Opera; Rossini The Barber of Seville (Rosina); Autumn 2006 “Third of the conspirators was the Rosina of Serena Kay, who matched controlled agility in her most taxing music with a confident, vivacious presence in her pretty pastel-stripped dress.” Margaret Davies, Opera, December 2006 “Serena Kay’s Rosina makes far more than a brave stab at the coloratura, putting across text and directorial concept with equal conviction”. David Gutman, The Stage, 5 October 2006 "Serena Kay as Rosina is a first-class comic actor" Diana Hargreaves, The Hampshire Chronicle, September 2006 "Serena Kay plays Rosina as both minx and coquette: exactly what Rossini had in mind." Nick Kimberley, The Evening Standard, 25 September 2006 “Serena Kay's Rosina was a lively, sensible young woman; not too down to earth but with a good streak of practicality. Even without Figaro and Almaviva, you sensed she would not be too put upon. But she was also attractive; Una voce poco fo showed her to be firm willed, but not a vituperative termagant. Kay possesses an attractively warm light mezzo-soprano voice. Her vocal quality had the dark tones necessary in the role but she also sang with a soprano-ish lightness. Her way with the fioriture was completely apposite.” Robert Hugill, Music & Vision, 24 September 2006 “Serena Kay - who has sung Rosina for Clonter Opera's Barber in the past - returns to the role with a mastery of coloratura gymnastics that would be the envy of many” Robert Beale, Manchester Evening News, 21 September 2006 Bampton Classical Opera; Mozart The Jewel Box (Composer); August/September 2006 "Of the singers Serena Kay (the Composer) sounded the most experienced and accomplished." Agnes Kory, MusicOMH.com “(Serena Kay and Michaela Bloom) are spirited young singers… this was top-drawer Mozart, served up with panache.” Roderic Dunnett, Opera Now, January/February 2007 English National Opera; Adams Nixon in China (Nancy T’Ang); June 2006 “Serena Kay, Alexandra Sherman and Rebecca de Pont Davies were excellent throughout.” Timothy Ball, www.classicalsource com , 26 June 2006 Garden Opera; Cenerentola (Cenerentola); Summer 2005 "In the Lead is Serena Kay, who can muster all the notes required of Angelina - as Cinderella is called here - and sings them with convincing ingenue grace" George Hall, The Guardian, 19 July 2005 Mid Wales Opera International Tour 2002; Rossini La Cenerentola (Cenerentola) “Serena Kay as Cinderella sang some wonderful arias with exquisite vocal decoration, a wide range, and with complete control and expression. Serena Kay was outstanding not only for her flexible, lyrical approach to the technical minefield of Rossini’s writing, but for her dramatic portrayal of the heroine. Humour abounded in her interactions with her step-sisters, Prince Ramiro and Dandini” Richard Duncan, Shropshire Evening News / Shrewsbury Chronicle October 2002 Benjamin Britten International Opera; Puccini Gianni Schicchi (Zita); June 2002 “Serena Kay’s tight-lipped Zita boldly and successfully flirts with the grotesque.” David Blewitt, The Stage, July 2002 “...there was some superb singing from Serena Kay. The management of the characters was extremely skilful, with every comic ounce being wrung out of Serena Kay¹s marvellously acid Zita, she sang beautifully too, and the standard of Italian diction was exceptionally high.” Melanie Eskenazi, S&H Opera Review, June 2002 Crowborough Choral Society; Durufle Requiem & Mendelssohn Lauda Zion “Serena Kay, mezzo soprano, has a thrilling voice that belies her attractive frame and she gave an effortlessly haunting performance.” Keith Harcourt, March 2002 Waverley Singers; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle “The alto, Serena Kay, with her lovely tone, created a wonderfully pleading effect in Agnus Dei.” Brenda Nevett, Farnham Herald, November 2001 The Britten Theatre, London and The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh; Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia) “Lysander meets the ripe, plum-coloured mezzo of Serena Kay’s ardent Hermia.” Hilary Finch, The Times, 21 November 2001 “Serena Kay (Hermia) the voice already has a beguiling lustre.” Nick Kimberley, The Independent, 22 November 2001 “Serena Kay stands out as Hermia.” Tom Sutcliffe, Evening Standard, 22 November 2001 “Serena Kay’s vivacious Hermia…delightful acting and vibrant, polished singing.” Len Mullenger, S&H Opera Review,19 November 2001 “Serena Kay’s soulful Hermia ensures that team work is more important than prima donnas.” Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman, 29 November 2001 “I prophesy successful careers, especially for Serena Kay (Hermia).” Charles Osborne, The Oldie “The lovers played together marvellously. Serena Kay deployed a pleasing light mezzo.” David Blewitt, The Stage, 29 November 2001 “Serena Kay was outstanding - not merely promising but already achieving.” Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 25 November 2001 “Serena Kay (Hermia) matched vocal excellence with dramatic credibility, the girls’ quarrel being especially vituperative.” Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph, 25 November 2001 “The lovers were equally well-matched with Serena Kay, a name to watch, as Hermia.” Richard Fawkes, Opera Now, July 2002 Clonter Opera; Rossini The Barber of Seville (Rosina); May 2001 “Serena Kay’s Rosina was competently sung in ‘Una voce’ and rather more than that in the ‘Lesson’ aria.” Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph, May 2001 “In Serena Kay he has a delightful Rosina.” Philip Radcliffe, Manchester Evening News, April 2001 “Serena Kay sings beautifully in the coveted role of Rosina and shows some nice comic timing.” Natalie Anglesey, The Stage, April 2001 Jack Lyons Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, London; Rossini Il Signor Bruschino “In the not insignificant role of the maid, Serena Kay’s expressive eyes spoke volumes when she had nothing to sing.” Margaret Davies, Opera Magazine, February 2001 Concert with Philharmonic Chorus, Victoria Hall, Singapore; J S Bach B Minor Mass “Of the soloists, I think no one will disagree that the hero of the night was British mezzo soprano Serena Kay. From the Laudamus te through to the Agnus Dei, she sang with a most attractive voice, lightly firm in texture, clean, well-projected with clear words. She imbued a kind of formal beauty into the concert whenever she sang - and it seemed sometimes as if the Mass had turned into an extended cantata for solo mezzo, such was her presence.” The Straits Times, Singapore, November 2000 Concert with the South Chiltern Choral Society, University Great Hall, Reading; Durufle Requiem “There are some very serene moments such as the Pie Jesu which was sung beautifully by Serena Kay, mezzo soprano.” John Evans, Henley Standard, April 2000 | ||||||
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