Reviews
Julia Bentley is quite irresistible [in Cendrillon]. Her creamy mezzo-soprano takes on a plethora of color in her first act solo scene, and she imparts a humanity to this ingenue that makes us forget she's just a fairy tale character. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
Soprano Julia Bentley, as good a singing actress as you’ll see on any stage, is a perfect Susanna. Her voice is bright and pretty and she played the role wonderfully at every turn… Albany Gazette |
The most impressive performances belonged to Bentley, her mezzo soprano voice - in volume, range, and control- defies her young age. The Durango Herald |
Mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley gave a vivid performance... wonderful stage presence... Chicago Tribune |
The strongest acting within the decidedly strong cast came from Bentley, whose every movement—down to each detail of her facial expressions—placed herself squarely in character as the capricious Despina. Musically, her two charming arias were quite lovely. Syracuse Daily |
Mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley’s considerable charm made for a memorable evening… Bentley’s delivery is a marvel. Her voice, of course, is lovely, but her comic sense is something to behold. Rosina is by turns romantic and petulant, and she handles both facets of the character well— sometimes hilariously. The Forum [Fargo] |
Matching Figaro in vocal and dramatic ingenuity is Julia Bentley, whose Carmen (last year) was as alluring as her Rosina is enchanting. Bentley’s mezzo-soprano has just the right touch of velvet to wrap itself around Rosina’s music, and she is full of temperament… no wonder Count Almaviva is smitten. Cleveland Plain Dealer |
Vivacious and voluptuous, both musically and dramatically Milwaukee Sentinel |
Tender, voluptuously sung... opera at its best. Windy City Times |
Ms. Bentley has a lush soaring tone and can pour out extended high notes which are meltingly beautiful, yet she has fine dramatic gifts and guides a song with an unerring feel for the musical structure as well as the drama and meaning of the words. Redmagazine.com |
The best singer was Julia Bentley, who doubled brilliantly as Ino and Juno, delivering “Iris, hence away” with controlled abandon. Chicago Tribune |
Bentley offered an emotional gamut that said as much about the human experience as the acoustics of sound. Chicago Sun-Times |
The finely focused projection and wide range of dynamic and expressive nuance that soprano Julia Bentley brought to the vocal part was remarkable. Bentley’s tour de force performance recalled Cathy Berberian in her full-metal rendering … Chicago Tribune |
The mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley brought rich sound, deep expressivity and an uncanny sense of pitch to the work's [Le Marteau sans Maître] restless vocal lines, alive with sudden skips and spiky rhythms one moment, hushed and Impressionistic the next. The New York Times |
Your engaging performance was a meaningful expression of the importance the humanities play in all our lives. We have received so many positive responses from those who attended the concert in Orchestra Hall. Eileen R. Mackevich, |
Thank you for your splendid contribution... I thought the performance was really powerful, and your participation in it was pivotal. Shulamit Ran |