DIE WALKÜRE Wagner
Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Easter Salzburg Festival
"Foremost of the Walkyries ... she was girlish and fantastic."
-The New York Sun
"Ms Porackova is a charismatic singer."
-Sir Simon Rattle (Ms Porackova appreciated this verbal quote given to her after her performance
IL TRAMONTO RESPIGHI
Fenimore Chamber Orchestra Maciej Zoltowski, conductor
“Her voice is rich,full, and expressive….Porackova singing from memory and unleashing a torrent of sound, revealed why she is so revered
on the concert and opera stage. Their truly astonishing performance was met with a rare standing ovation in the middle of the second half of the concert.”
-All Otsego, Cooperstown, NY
IMMOLATION SCENE Wagner
Longwood Symphony of Boston
Jonathan McPhee, conductor
“Porackova sang Wagner’s Immolation Scene with a powerful soprano and a heartfelt, involving sense of the music’s inner drama.”
-Boston Globe
“Porackova’s performance had a clear sense of the drama, as well as a strong comportment and gesture. Her warm smooth voice rang out over Wagner’s heavy orchestral textures. She is clearly at home in the role of Brunnehilde.”
-The Boston Musical Intelligencer
“Porackova didn’t just sing the part, she portrayed the character. She got a world of color into it: ‘O ihr, der eide/ Helige hueter,’ and was chilling in her ‘Ruhe du Gott’ dismissal of her father.”
-The Boston Phoenix
The ESSENTIAL RING, PART 1 Wagner
Lexington Symphony and Symphony New Hampshire
Jonathan McPhee, conductor
"outstanding Wagner… and for Part 1 of Mcphee’s RING he had a veteran Wagnerian in Jane Eaglen heading a superb cast that included Albert Walker as Wotan, JOANNA PORACKOVA as Fricka, Margaret Jane Wray as Sieglinde… Porackova was an unusually sympathetic Fricka.... You could hardly ask for a better RING…."
-Boston Globe
Prelude and Liebestod from TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, DIE WALKÜRE, ACT I Wagner
Richard Wagner
Symphony Pro Musica
Mark Churchill, conductor
"And that professionalism Porackova possesses in epic amounts. She is a seasoned veteran Wagnerian with performances in Salzburg, Berlin and, Paris, indeed all over Europe. You could almost sense her gradual
absorption into Isolde... she rose and supplely negotiated the rising, swooning, dying raptures of this
incomparable mood music."
"In ACT I of DIE WALKÜRE, Porackova and Schneider's voice's seemed to open, fill, swell, and overflow
the large spaces of the auditorium. A veritable Wagnerisn delirium flood across the standing, cheering
audience."
-Telegram and Gazette
THE CONSUL Gian Carlo Menotti
Opera Boston
Gil Rose, conductor
"I cannot imagine that this performance could ever be surpassed. Joanna Porackova rose gloriously to the occasion of her climactic aria 'To this we’ve come.’ In short, she was a miracle."
-The Boston Herald
"In the central role of Magda Sorel, Joanna Porackova, singing with soaring majesty, tensile passion and earth-mother conviction, moved about like a caged tigress, all pent up and in the throes of ‘paper chains.’”
-Opera Now
"Joanna Porackova gave a gripping portrayal of Magda, with her dramatically powerful voice and acting."
-Opera News
THE CONSUL Gian Carlo Menotti
Washington National Opera
Gian Carlo Menotti, Director
"...singing with great fervor and skill..."
-The New York Times
"Joanna Porackova's 'To this we've come' .. was built into a powerful and human picture of desperation and outrage."
-Washington Post
"Joanna Porackova offered passion and conviction. She captured the sheer rage of 'To this we've come' and made Magda's oddly detached reaction to the death of her child quite poignant.... A compelling effort."
-Baltimore Sun
"As Magda Sorel, soprano Joanna Porackova offered passion and conviction. She captured the sheer rage of "To this we've come" and made the character 's oddly detached reaction to her baby's death quite poignant."
-Opera News
TURANDOT Puccini
Klagenfurt, Austria
Henrik Nanassi, conductor
"...her dramatic soprano and her stage presence covered the role (TURANDOT) entirely.... Bravo, bravo for this astounding singer."
-Die Woche Kultur
MEDEA Liebermann
Stadttheater, Bern, Switzerland
Daniel Klajner, conductor
"...mastering the enormous technical and musical work with wonderful modulations in the voice and a bravura intense dramatic performance."
-The Neue Züricher Zeitung
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER Wagner
Würzburg Stadttheater, Germany
Daniel Klajner, conductor
Katharina Wagner, director
"As Senta, Joanna Porackova... transmitted the character’s obsessive passion with warmth"
-The New York Times
"Her musicianship, the vitality of her phrasing are in unison with conductor Daniel Klajner... her tempo are perfect, the language modulated with the music - one hears the touch of Bel Canto. This musically she gives us a towering grand opera. ... her top notes sit perfectly... it is definitely a Wagner voice may be even more Isolde than Senta."
-Main Post Blatt/ Volksblatt/ Tagblatt/ Würzburg, Germany
"Her gorgeous, mature, and truly beautiful voice put the audience into a state of trance and brought them under the spell of a true Wagner experience which a true Wagnerian needs in order to get close to complete transfiguration."
-NEW FORUM monthly magazine for Culture, Politics, and Science, Germany
SALOME
Theatre Stralsund, Germany
Daniel Klajner
"Strongly expressive and compelling in a superb vocal performance by Joanna Porackova who was performing the title role as a guest from the USA."
-Stralsunder Zeitung
NORMA Bellini
The Boston Bel Canto Opera
Francisco Noya, conductor
"...mythic soprano with heroic declamation, suave cantilena, delicate fioritura and a huge vocal and emotional range, a poet’s feeling for nuance and the staying power of a triathlete ... sending the audience into frenzies with her melting cadenzas, impassioned recitatives and floating high notes. ...gave us the full Norma, the majestic, guilt racked, motherly, tantrum throwing, murderous, self immolating woman the old fashioned way with her voice….Porackova is a stunning visual presence.”
- Boston Globe
"...fine bel canto style, passion, color and phrasing."
-Opera News
NABUCCO Verdi
Boston Concert Opera
Jeffrey Rink, conductor
"A spectacular performance by soprano Joanna Porackova....Porackova triumphed in this next to impossible role of Abigaille. Her bronzed tinged timbre and seemingly limitless power guaranteed that her portrayal of the power hungry slave would be a dramatic force to reckon with."
-The Boston Herald
MOSE IN EGITTO Rossini
Alice Tully Hall, New York Lincoln Center
Ars Musica Chorale
"...the absolutely phenomenal dramatic soprano" Joanna Porackova for her performance as Anaide to Jerome Hines’ Mose in Rossini’s MOSE IN EGITTO at Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center."
-The American Record Guide
"...the most stageworthy in the cast and her soprano blossomed throughout the evening."
-The New York Times
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Strauss
Opera East
Tom Diamond, Director
"The principal voices were magnificent, especially that of Soprano Joanna Porackova (formerly Joan Hill).... her powerful voice, animated by her urgency and commitment, rose magnificently to the challenge of Strauss's full out rhapsodic lyricism."
-The Chronicle Herald. The Mail Star
Nova Scotia, Canada
AMNERIS RADAMES DUET, AIDA Verdi
Commonwealth Lyric Opera of Boston
Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor
“ Joanna Porackova is a great artist who can totally embody and project a variety of roles. As AMNERIS, she was powerful without stridency and raging without loss of dignity.”
-The Boston Musical Intelligencer
NINTH SYMPHONY Beethoven
Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra
Federico Cortese, conductor
“...Porackova could be heard gloriously..."
-The Boston Musical Intelligencer
"...anchored by the solo vocal quartet, Joanna Porackova, alto...soloists fervant."
-Boston Globe
REQUIEM Verdi
Mezzo Soprano Solo
Masterworks Chorale
Stephen Karioyanas
"...using her impressive instrument to full dramatic effect."
-The Boston Musical Intelligencer
SONG RECITAL Rachmaninoff, Medtner, Verdi, Puccini
Gerlesoborgsskolan, Sweden
John Bell Young, piano
Brilliant Special Performance from the USA
"Opera-arias and romances are seldom heard at the music series of Gerlesborgsskolan. The distinguished special performance from the U.S. on Saturday by soprano Joanna Porackova and pianist John Bell Young altered this image. Qualified artists, fine musical ambassadeurs from the U.S. did one single appearance in Sweden during their tour to Britain. Joanna Porackova and John Bell Young did really sing and play themselves into Gerlesborg. Porackova first in some romances, and later in opera arias, real pearls. Except providing nice accompaniment to Porackova, John Bell Young was also a prominent soloist. Porackova and Young complemented each other to a concert success.
In an apt introduction, they created exciting encounters in the romances by Russian composer Alexander Skrjabin. Irrespective of Skrjabin's influences from Chopin, Liszt and Wagner, Joanna Porackova sung brilliant and personal, with attack in the soprano in "Album Leaf" and "Romance." She also presented "When Roses Wither" by Medtner. Bold and winning outsinging, where Porackova at intervals consciously sung with a rather strong vibrato, something that not at all was unbecoming to her song, at the contrary, it flavoured her womanly authority.
Rackmaninov was a highlight. Porackova interpreted with bearing and strong soprano a sweat summer in "O never me again" and in "Spring Waters." The soprano who sometimes touched upon level of mezzo in sequences, gave advanage in rich voice-colorings...
The Romanticist Richard Strauss came in focus thanks to Porackova and Young. The jewels "Four last songs," "Fruhling," "September," "Beim Schiafengehm" and "Im Abendrot" Porackova interpreted with lustre and rich nuance with Young at the grand piano to lean the voice upon...
And then more into opera. Joanna Porackova gave herself to the audience presented living opera characters with theatrical move. She was irresistible in "Vissi d'arta" from Puccini's Tosca, and in a couple of arias from Verdi's Aida and "Casta Diva... Ah bello a me morra" from Bellini's Norma. "
-Bohuslaningen
EVENING OF VERISMO OPERA Puccini
Boston Bel canto Opera
Thomas Bo, Conductor
“Certainly the highlights of the performances were by Joanna Porackova…she demonstrated a middle register that sounded as plush as quilted velvet and high notes that excited the ear with dead on accuracy.”
-Boston Globe
IL TROVATORE Verdi
Boston Bel Canto Opera
Thomas Bo, Conductor
“Joanna Porackova, as Leonora, melted hearts with her tender liquescent phrases, her clear fioritura and her blazing high notes.”
-Boston Globe
AIDA Verdi
Boston Bel Canto Opera
Francisco Noya, Conductor
“The one element of distinction was the work of Joanna Porackova in the title role…. compelling intense actress… knows how to maneuver her own impressive instrument through it securely.”
-Boston Globe
“...and certainly Porackova is in complete command of a voice - with a steely quality that gives it a built in authority that she uses fearlessly but never recklessly.”
- Boston Herald
“Joanna Porackova made a powerful impression. She is a remarkably dramatic singer who projects over a wide range.”
- Essex County News
TOSCA
Anchorage Opera
"The high point of the evening probably was Porackova's delivery of "Vissi d'arte" which she started with her face pressed to the ground. Yet she delivered smooth, beautiful music with a riveting example of real Diva breath control at the end."
-Anchorage Daily News
"Joanna Porackova sang accurately and was in good voice. The soprano showed impressive physical stamina, beginning a vocally secure 'Vissi d'arte' prostrate, her voice flat against the floor."
-Opera News
IL TABARRO
Boston Academy of Music
Richard Conrad. Artistic Director
"Joanna Porackova used her big, sometimes brassy voice and vivid stage presence to create an earthy, restless, heroine trapped in a troubled marriage."
-Boston Herald
Boston Bel Canto Opera
Night of Opera
Symphony by the Sea
Thomas Bo, conductor
"Porackova of course nearly stole the highlights portion of the evening with a voice that's better described as simply stunning rather than merely beautiful." She caressed each living phrase of "Ebben?" Ne andro Lontana".... and filled "In questa reggia". With not only plenty of power but also the character's terror - an aspect that sopranos who have to work to just sing the difficult music usually don't even bother with. Stunning for sure."
-Boston Herald
"Certainly the highlights of the evening were the performances of Joanna Porackova. In "Ebben? Ne andro lontana." Porackova demonstrated a middle register that sounded as plush as a quikt d velvet and high notes that took on a certain edge, but nonetheless excited the ear with dead on accuracy. In Turandot's second act apologia, "In quests reggia" she poured on the heat and venom of offended womanhood, depicting the violation and murder of the ancestress with bloodcurdling power.
-Boston Globe
Verdi Centennial Gala
Boston Bel Canto Opera
Thomas Bo, Conductor
“Joanna Porackova scorched listeners’ hearts and ears in a powerful performances.”
- Boston Globe
SONGS PAST AND PRESENT: LIEDER FAHRENDEN GESELLEN Mahler, DREI LIEDER Warren, CHICAGO POEMS Warren, HESSE LIEDER Brody, WESENDONCK LIEDER Wagner
Boston Wagner Society Recital Series
Matthew Larson, pianistBoston Wagner Society Recital Series
"I was thrilled to attend the recent recital of international opera star, Joanna Porackova, in Boston. Miss Porackova possesses a voice of power, subtlety, and unparalleled beauty. She is an artist of the first rank, and the program she represented showcased her command of an extraordinary range of styles. I look forward to the next occasion to hear her. She is in a class by herself: no one can touch her."
-Ruth Harcovitz, from Wagneriana Vol. 14, No. 2
"The concert was great. Joanna sang the challenging pieces one after another very well with a powerful voice and deep emotion."
-K. Kobayashi, from Wagneriana Vol. 14, No. 2
"Joanna's performance was brilliant. So generous as an artist."
- Adam Russell, from Wagneriana Vol. 14, No. 2