Semiramide - The Caramoor Music Festival
"In the title role Angela Meade fully conveyed the poignancy of the additional scene, concluding an impressive evening in which she wielded her voluminous
soprano and fine coloratura technique to elegant effect. She confidently ascended the heights of her showpiece aria, “Bel raggio lusinghier,” and descended
with expressive ease. "
- New York Times
"In the title role was relative newcomer Angela Meade, a prizewinner in the Met Auditions in 2007. She possesses a voice of ample size and agility with an
absolutely even register from C to C (and to a superb, surprising, interpolated high E at one point) and she sings off the text intelligently. She gained
strength as the evening progressed and it would not surprise me if she were to become both a great bel canto and Verdi soprano – the voice has the heft and
security of Caballé’s at her best."
- Robert Levine of ClassicsToday.com
"Angela Meade is something like America’s hidden secret in the world of opera. I have read about her for a while; the usual comment is “wonderful
material, but still not ready” – something I could never say after seeing her Semiramide. It is clear that she has the potential to do something even more
amazing than tonight; she is a young singer who has chosen roles carefully, but what she is already doing is enough to procure her the rank of the very best
in the market. I feel like using the label “golden age”. The voice itself is extremely appealing – hers is a legitimate lirico spinto, creamy toned in a Margaret
Price-like way with added Italianate qualities such as squillante top notes and rock-solid bottom register. When she unleashes her voice, it can be quite
voluminous and, in the next moment, she dazzles in perfectly articulated coloratura, easy trills, floated mezza voce. And she also has natural feeling for the
Italian language – and clear diction. She knows how to seize the occasion when a dramatic emphasis is required from her. I found her phrasing expressive,
she produced real seduction in Serbami ognor, grandeur in her duet with Assur and finally she was really touching in her second duet with Arsace. I cannot
wait to see and hear her again."
- Ihearvoices.com
None of this bothers a good bel canto singer, and Angela Meade is amongst the best. Looking every inch the Babylonian Regent, diamond earrings and dress
glittering, Ms. Meade began slowly, but in the aria where she anticipates her young lover’s arrival, Bel raggio lusinghier, Ms. Meade literally sang to the
tent-tops, and she never let up. She traveled to the heights and actually held the top notes. Was it a high E or high F? Ms. Meade didn’t jump up and fall to
a normal scale. She enjoyed those notes, played with them and slowly descended to us earthlings below her.
- Harry Rolnick of Concertonet.com
"Soprano Angela Meade was the breakout star of the night. The soprano was making her Caramoor debut as the Babylonian queen Semiramide, and
suffused the role with a rich, full, woody voice. If that wasn't enough, her confident and solid stage presence was excellent. The invulnerable princess had
great momentum and attacked, spat out, and buried all of Rossini's glittering ornamentation."
- OperaChic.com
Ernani - The Metropolitan Opera
“Meade, as Elvira, showed a vibrant voice with nice color and an assured technique. She sang like an old pro from start to finish, combining for moving
duets with Marcello Giordani (Ernani). “
- Associated Press
Anna Bolena - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade is not a rising star. She is there. Her impersonation of the doomed title character of Gaetano Donizetti's vibrantly violent Anna Bolena stood
out in a superb cast of AVA students. Meade is in her final year there, but she clearly already has one foot firmly planted on major opera stages.
A potent example of the current state of her artistry could be heard in the beginning of the second act. Anna has been banished to prison by her husband,
the more than caddish Henry VIII. None other than her rival and former lady in waiting, Giovanna (Jane) Seymour comes to visit her, stricken with guilt.
The riveting duet that ensues is powered by two enormous voices, both coated with tonal luster. Meade distinguished herself with dynamic control and
careful, never fussy phrasing that brought the character to life in stunning definition."
- Philadelphia City Paper
"A strong cast, led by soprano Angela Meade in the title role, turned the opening night performance into a bel canto triumph. She commanded the music
from Anna’s first entrance and capped the evening with a nuanced but thrilling account of the Mad Scene. Meade has a rich-toned, flexible soprano that can
spin out the long bel canto lines elegantly and also rip through the roulades and divisions with accuracy and fire. She can refine her sumptuous tone to a
fine-grained piano and also thunder out a commanding, long-held high D with effortless ease."
- Concerto.net
Grand Passions: The Monastery Scene from La forza del destino – The Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade’s voice has the amplitude for Verdi, but also has shadings and the flexibility to uncover the emotional range of the writing. She transversed
a range of emotion and vocal colors to shape a complex, tortured character.”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Soprano Angela Meade scored in the Monastery Scene from “La forza del destino.” She found the heartfelt drama in Leonora’s soaring aria, then caught
the shifting emotions in the long duet with Padre Guardiano. Meade commands a big, vibrant soprano. Her voice opens with keen control in the climaxes and
floats with serene beauty in the more lyrical portions of the scene.
- Courier Post
“Soprano Angela Meade is already AVA’s pride and joy, and her artistry keeps growing in leaps and bounds. The only thing missing in her Forza Leonora
was the great aria from the last act.
- Main Line Times
Così fan tutte – The Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade sang Fiordiligi’s “Per pieta” with a matchless beauty of tone and inimitable style. Mozart singing does not come much better than this.
- Courier Post
“But the superior voice of Meade dominates in her ability to infuse an emotion-laden coloratura into the long passages of song that her role provides.
Moreover, she shows how ready she is to play heftier roles in the future.”
- Edge Philadelphia Contributor
“Meade exhibits plenty of spunk. When she fires off the “tempesta” section of the difficult aria “come scoglio,” the sound she produces really is
tempestuous. Especially exciting is the way she drops seamlessly into a lower register with deep, chesty, dramatic tones. Her secure high notes are connected
to a rich low voice with no break between the two. Meade easily transverses the elaborate coloratura of her part. More than that, she molds those rapid
flights of notes to make dramatic points. This is not just a display of versatility. Hers is a great interpretation of Mozart’s most challenging role.”
- Broad Street Review
“Fiordiligi’s ‘come scoglio’ with its death-defying leaps from top voice to bottom, gives Meade no problems.”
- Main Line Times
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Semifinals
“Angela Meade powered out a ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini’s ‘Norma’ that left everyone breathless.”
- The New York Times
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Finals
“More energy from the pit, rather than the gentle but leisurely approach of the conductor might have helped. Even for Angela Meade, an impressive
soprano, more spark would have benefited ‘Ach, ich liebte’ from Mozart's ‘Entführung aus dem Serail’, a small-scale choice for a strong voice that proceeded
to let loose with ease and authority in ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini's ‘Norma’. She was certainly a deserving winner.”
- The New York Times
George London Competition
“Soprano, Angela Meade, was simply superb in “Non mi dir” from Don Giovanni. Ms. Meade was recently pressed into service at the Metropolitan Opera for
the current run of Ernani and, at the Morgan, dazzled with power and pitch purity. A tough call, but this was probably the best individual performance of the
session.”
- The New York Sun
"Soprano, Angela Meade offered the Czardas from Die Fledermaus in a commanding and nimble voice. Her tone was exceptionally rich and her vocal power
extraordinary."
- The New York Sun
Oregon District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
"'I'd hate to be a judge' is the cliche, but this time it applied only to second place on down, for Meade was a clear winner. Her instrument is big and
beautiful; her technique is sound and dazzling. "Casta diva" is a double aria with a slow cantabile and a faster cabaletta, and Meade's cadenza capping the
cantabile triggered such a roar from the audience that the piano intro to the cabaletta was buried. We saw the hands of accompanist moving and didn't hear
a note."
- The Oregonian
"One powerhouse soprano out-larynxed them all—the supremely angelic Angela Meade. This
Washington-born lady's got big pipes, real instincts and a sincerity on stage that seems almost
incongruent with her enormous potential for diva status."
- Willamette Week
Der Freischütz - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade gave Agathe the requisite sincerity, singing her music in a clear, gorgeously controlled soprano reminiscent of the young Margaret Price
(there are few greater compliments); wonderful promise here. "
- Philadelphia City Paper
"The youthful cast delivers Weber's music stylishly. The women, in particular, stand out.
Weber gives Agathe two superb solo scenes. Soprano Angela Meade scores in both. Her lovely, lyric soprano spins out a smooth legato and flows gracefully
through the florid sections of Agathe's Scene and Aria. Meade held the audience breathless in Perelman Theater with the beauty of her singing in the third-
act cavatina. Her limpid, pure voice seemed to float magically in the air, cradled by Macatsoris' lovely accompaniment."
- Courier Post
Il barbiere di Siviglia - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade is an unusually strong presence...her aria was a model of subtle modulation from a singer who is destined for leading dramatic soprano
roles."
- Broad Street Review
Seattle Regional Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
"All the turns, the glissandi, the re-iterations of the A's on top, a true messa di voce tossed in where appropriate. The vocal line is spun seamlessly and
effortlessly. The glorious high C at the end shook even the most uninitated listener to the core; and the foyer and smoking alcove outside were abuzz. This
is fine singing, at any level....The crowd thought they'd been wowed by 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma, but they went absolutely bananas after her 'O
zittre nicht' from Die Zauberflöte.
- trill.com
"As Angela Meade stepped onstage to sing the magnificent aria 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma, she must have realized that the audience would
automatically compare her to Jane Eaglen, or to Christine Goerke, whose Norma electrified Seattle two seasons ago. A most favorable comparison, it turned
out to be. She was honored with bravas from the house."
- Cornichon.org
Palm Springs of the Desert Opera Competition
"Her soaring delivery of 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma was marked by gorgeous trills...¦she
navigated all sorts of vocal pitfalls that demanded a vast range, and her glissando ornamentation demonstrated extraordinary breath control. "
- Desert Sun
Rossini: Stabat Mater - Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade commanded a warm, round soprano.”
- Broad Street Review
Hans Gabor Belvedere International Competition
“Angela Meade sang ‘Casta Diva’, which gave everyone goose bumps. She also sang ‘Non mi dir’ from Don Giovanni with amazing breath control and
impressive coloratura, as well as a technically perfect ‘Czardas’ from Die Fledermaus.”
- Der neue merker
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
“The singing of the solo quartet was highly expressive and satisfying.”
- The Classical Voice
"In the title role Angela Meade fully conveyed the poignancy of the additional scene, concluding an impressive evening in which she wielded her voluminous
soprano and fine coloratura technique to elegant effect. She confidently ascended the heights of her showpiece aria, “Bel raggio lusinghier,” and descended
with expressive ease. "
- New York Times
"In the title role was relative newcomer Angela Meade, a prizewinner in the Met Auditions in 2007. She possesses a voice of ample size and agility with an
absolutely even register from C to C (and to a superb, surprising, interpolated high E at one point) and she sings off the text intelligently. She gained
strength as the evening progressed and it would not surprise me if she were to become both a great bel canto and Verdi soprano – the voice has the heft and
security of Caballé’s at her best."
- Robert Levine of ClassicsToday.com
"Angela Meade is something like America’s hidden secret in the world of opera. I have read about her for a while; the usual comment is “wonderful
material, but still not ready” – something I could never say after seeing her Semiramide. It is clear that she has the potential to do something even more
amazing than tonight; she is a young singer who has chosen roles carefully, but what she is already doing is enough to procure her the rank of the very best
in the market. I feel like using the label “golden age”. The voice itself is extremely appealing – hers is a legitimate lirico spinto, creamy toned in a Margaret
Price-like way with added Italianate qualities such as squillante top notes and rock-solid bottom register. When she unleashes her voice, it can be quite
voluminous and, in the next moment, she dazzles in perfectly articulated coloratura, easy trills, floated mezza voce. And she also has natural feeling for the
Italian language – and clear diction. She knows how to seize the occasion when a dramatic emphasis is required from her. I found her phrasing expressive,
she produced real seduction in Serbami ognor, grandeur in her duet with Assur and finally she was really touching in her second duet with Arsace. I cannot
wait to see and hear her again."
- Ihearvoices.com
None of this bothers a good bel canto singer, and Angela Meade is amongst the best. Looking every inch the Babylonian Regent, diamond earrings and dress
glittering, Ms. Meade began slowly, but in the aria where she anticipates her young lover’s arrival, Bel raggio lusinghier, Ms. Meade literally sang to the
tent-tops, and she never let up. She traveled to the heights and actually held the top notes. Was it a high E or high F? Ms. Meade didn’t jump up and fall to
a normal scale. She enjoyed those notes, played with them and slowly descended to us earthlings below her.
- Harry Rolnick of Concertonet.com
"Soprano Angela Meade was the breakout star of the night. The soprano was making her Caramoor debut as the Babylonian queen Semiramide, and
suffused the role with a rich, full, woody voice. If that wasn't enough, her confident and solid stage presence was excellent. The invulnerable princess had
great momentum and attacked, spat out, and buried all of Rossini's glittering ornamentation."
- OperaChic.com
Ernani - The Metropolitan Opera
“Meade, as Elvira, showed a vibrant voice with nice color and an assured technique. She sang like an old pro from start to finish, combining for moving
duets with Marcello Giordani (Ernani). “
- Associated Press
Anna Bolena - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade is not a rising star. She is there. Her impersonation of the doomed title character of Gaetano Donizetti's vibrantly violent Anna Bolena stood
out in a superb cast of AVA students. Meade is in her final year there, but she clearly already has one foot firmly planted on major opera stages.
A potent example of the current state of her artistry could be heard in the beginning of the second act. Anna has been banished to prison by her husband,
the more than caddish Henry VIII. None other than her rival and former lady in waiting, Giovanna (Jane) Seymour comes to visit her, stricken with guilt.
The riveting duet that ensues is powered by two enormous voices, both coated with tonal luster. Meade distinguished herself with dynamic control and
careful, never fussy phrasing that brought the character to life in stunning definition."
- Philadelphia City Paper
"A strong cast, led by soprano Angela Meade in the title role, turned the opening night performance into a bel canto triumph. She commanded the music
from Anna’s first entrance and capped the evening with a nuanced but thrilling account of the Mad Scene. Meade has a rich-toned, flexible soprano that can
spin out the long bel canto lines elegantly and also rip through the roulades and divisions with accuracy and fire. She can refine her sumptuous tone to a
fine-grained piano and also thunder out a commanding, long-held high D with effortless ease."
- Concerto.net
Grand Passions: The Monastery Scene from La forza del destino – The Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade’s voice has the amplitude for Verdi, but also has shadings and the flexibility to uncover the emotional range of the writing. She transversed
a range of emotion and vocal colors to shape a complex, tortured character.”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Soprano Angela Meade scored in the Monastery Scene from “La forza del destino.” She found the heartfelt drama in Leonora’s soaring aria, then caught
the shifting emotions in the long duet with Padre Guardiano. Meade commands a big, vibrant soprano. Her voice opens with keen control in the climaxes and
floats with serene beauty in the more lyrical portions of the scene.
- Courier Post
“Soprano Angela Meade is already AVA’s pride and joy, and her artistry keeps growing in leaps and bounds. The only thing missing in her Forza Leonora
was the great aria from the last act.
- Main Line Times
Così fan tutte – The Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade sang Fiordiligi’s “Per pieta” with a matchless beauty of tone and inimitable style. Mozart singing does not come much better than this.
- Courier Post
“But the superior voice of Meade dominates in her ability to infuse an emotion-laden coloratura into the long passages of song that her role provides.
Moreover, she shows how ready she is to play heftier roles in the future.”
- Edge Philadelphia Contributor
“Meade exhibits plenty of spunk. When she fires off the “tempesta” section of the difficult aria “come scoglio,” the sound she produces really is
tempestuous. Especially exciting is the way she drops seamlessly into a lower register with deep, chesty, dramatic tones. Her secure high notes are connected
to a rich low voice with no break between the two. Meade easily transverses the elaborate coloratura of her part. More than that, she molds those rapid
flights of notes to make dramatic points. This is not just a display of versatility. Hers is a great interpretation of Mozart’s most challenging role.”
- Broad Street Review
“Fiordiligi’s ‘come scoglio’ with its death-defying leaps from top voice to bottom, gives Meade no problems.”
- Main Line Times
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Semifinals
“Angela Meade powered out a ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini’s ‘Norma’ that left everyone breathless.”
- The New York Times
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Finals
“More energy from the pit, rather than the gentle but leisurely approach of the conductor might have helped. Even for Angela Meade, an impressive
soprano, more spark would have benefited ‘Ach, ich liebte’ from Mozart's ‘Entführung aus dem Serail’, a small-scale choice for a strong voice that proceeded
to let loose with ease and authority in ‘Casta Diva’ from Bellini's ‘Norma’. She was certainly a deserving winner.”
- The New York Times
George London Competition
“Soprano, Angela Meade, was simply superb in “Non mi dir” from Don Giovanni. Ms. Meade was recently pressed into service at the Metropolitan Opera for
the current run of Ernani and, at the Morgan, dazzled with power and pitch purity. A tough call, but this was probably the best individual performance of the
session.”
- The New York Sun
"Soprano, Angela Meade offered the Czardas from Die Fledermaus in a commanding and nimble voice. Her tone was exceptionally rich and her vocal power
extraordinary."
- The New York Sun
Oregon District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
"'I'd hate to be a judge' is the cliche, but this time it applied only to second place on down, for Meade was a clear winner. Her instrument is big and
beautiful; her technique is sound and dazzling. "Casta diva" is a double aria with a slow cantabile and a faster cabaletta, and Meade's cadenza capping the
cantabile triggered such a roar from the audience that the piano intro to the cabaletta was buried. We saw the hands of accompanist moving and didn't hear
a note."
- The Oregonian
"One powerhouse soprano out-larynxed them all—the supremely angelic Angela Meade. This
Washington-born lady's got big pipes, real instincts and a sincerity on stage that seems almost
incongruent with her enormous potential for diva status."
- Willamette Week
Der Freischütz - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade gave Agathe the requisite sincerity, singing her music in a clear, gorgeously controlled soprano reminiscent of the young Margaret Price
(there are few greater compliments); wonderful promise here. "
- Philadelphia City Paper
"The youthful cast delivers Weber's music stylishly. The women, in particular, stand out.
Weber gives Agathe two superb solo scenes. Soprano Angela Meade scores in both. Her lovely, lyric soprano spins out a smooth legato and flows gracefully
through the florid sections of Agathe's Scene and Aria. Meade held the audience breathless in Perelman Theater with the beauty of her singing in the third-
act cavatina. Her limpid, pure voice seemed to float magically in the air, cradled by Macatsoris' lovely accompaniment."
- Courier Post
Il barbiere di Siviglia - The Academy of Vocal Arts
"Angela Meade is an unusually strong presence...her aria was a model of subtle modulation from a singer who is destined for leading dramatic soprano
roles."
- Broad Street Review
Seattle Regional Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
"All the turns, the glissandi, the re-iterations of the A's on top, a true messa di voce tossed in where appropriate. The vocal line is spun seamlessly and
effortlessly. The glorious high C at the end shook even the most uninitated listener to the core; and the foyer and smoking alcove outside were abuzz. This
is fine singing, at any level....The crowd thought they'd been wowed by 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma, but they went absolutely bananas after her 'O
zittre nicht' from Die Zauberflöte.
- trill.com
"As Angela Meade stepped onstage to sing the magnificent aria 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma, she must have realized that the audience would
automatically compare her to Jane Eaglen, or to Christine Goerke, whose Norma electrified Seattle two seasons ago. A most favorable comparison, it turned
out to be. She was honored with bravas from the house."
- Cornichon.org
Palm Springs of the Desert Opera Competition
"Her soaring delivery of 'Casta Diva' from Bellini's Norma was marked by gorgeous trills...¦she
navigated all sorts of vocal pitfalls that demanded a vast range, and her glissando ornamentation demonstrated extraordinary breath control. "
- Desert Sun
Rossini: Stabat Mater - Academy of Vocal Arts
“Angela Meade commanded a warm, round soprano.”
- Broad Street Review
Hans Gabor Belvedere International Competition
“Angela Meade sang ‘Casta Diva’, which gave everyone goose bumps. She also sang ‘Non mi dir’ from Don Giovanni with amazing breath control and
impressive coloratura, as well as a technically perfect ‘Czardas’ from Die Fledermaus.”
- Der neue merker
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
“The singing of the solo quartet was highly expressive and satisfying.”
- The Classical Voice
