Mahler Das Lied von
der Erde
Boston Philharmonic, Benjamin Zander conducting
Jordan Hall & Sanders Theater, Boston & Cambridge, Massachusetts
"Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was on of
the evening's bright spots. She has a dark and opulent voice...she brought intensity
and passion to her songs. She was at her best in the recitatives of 'Der Abschied,'
which also featured outstanding contributions from flutist Kathleen Boyd and
oboist Peggy Pearson. Those, as well as the repeated gentle sighs of 'Ewig' ('Eternally')
that close the piece, came closest to redeeming the evening." -
David Weininger, Boston Globe
Das Lied von der Erde is one
of Mahler's most affecting works. The even numbered lieder were sung by contralto
Gigi-Mitchell-Velasco. In "The Lovely One
in Autumn" she displayed wondrous tone and timing, particularly the doleful
stanza beginning Mein Herz ist müde." In this and the other she
admirably handled sudden shifts in tempo. Zander's conducting made sure voice
never disappeared into the orchestral maelstrom, but blended well. Her final
lied, the monumental "The
Farewell," she displayed nary a wrong note or inflection. The last lines, "Forever
. . . forever" were both heartbreaking and chilling. -Peter
Bates, http://www.stylus.batescommunications.net/performreviews.htm#mahler_erde
"In more reflective parts, such as
the concluding, half-hour 'Farewell,' her deeply felt delivery took us, like
her character, straight to heaven."-
T.J. Medrek, Boston Herald
Mahler Das
Lied von der Erde
Oak Ridge Symphony, John Welsh conducting
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
"Always
an intense interpreter, she was an extremely communicative singer
whose talent went beyond the use of her voice. Her body language
found emotional depth and her voice found vocal depth on the low
notes written for alto. Sometimes this versatile singer was a hauntingly
sonorous alto, sometimes she was a clear, forthright mezzo, but
always she colored her lines sumptuously with a bloom that animated
each note and phrase." -
Becky Ball, The Oak Ridger
Best: Applause for the singers
" Most
Exciting Singing on the Oak Ridge Stage. Noel and Gigi Velasco,
take a bow for your part in the superb presentation of Mahler's
Das Lied von der Erde, a song cycle often referred to as Mahler's
10th Symphony." -
Becky Ball, The Oak Ridger
Mahler Symphony
No. 2
Calgary Philharmonic, Hans Graf conducting
Calgary, Canada
“ The two vocal
soloists sang exceptionally well, especially Gigi Mitchell-Velasco,
whose creamy-toned mezzo soared easily to the back of the hall
when needed and who sang the fourth movement solo with rare musicianship
and taste.” - Kenneth
DeLong, Calgary Herald
Mahler Symphony
No. 3
NEC Youth Philharmonic, Benjamin Zander conducting
"Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco
sang her solo with rich tone, eloquence, and restraint." - Richard Dyer, Boston Globe
Santa Barbara Symphony, Gisèle Ben-Dor conducting
Santa Barbara, California
"Mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco took the stage for the next two movements,
which she willed with her resonant sound, as well as her sensitivity
to changes in mood and harmony." -
Jessica Wood, Santa Barbara News-Press
Mendelssohn Elijah
San Diego Symphony, Jahja Ling conducting
Copley Concert Hall, San Diego, California
"Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was pleasing in her aria "O Rest in the Lord" and truly scary in her chest-produced interpretation of the nasty queen whose hatred brings down the prophet" - Charlene Baldridge, San Diego News/La Jolla Village News
Verdi Requiem
Florida Orchestra, Jahja Ling conducting
Tampa, St. Petersburg & Clearwater, Florida
“ Mitchell-Velasco
was an expressive mezzo, showing an effortless upper register in
the declamatory solo of the Liber scriptus. Johnson and Mitchell-Velasco
blended beautifully in the Recordare, the Agnus Dei and other duets
that give the Requiem much of its theatrical quality.” -
John Fleming, St. Petersburg Times
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Ronald Knudsen conducting
Boston, Massachusetts
“Of
the vocal quartet, the lower voices carried the day. Mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, who has been studying with the great Christa
Ludwig, sounds more glamorous every time. She poured out opulent
and impassioned tone throughout the evening, thrilling the listener
particularly in the declamatory “Liber scriptus proferetur.” -
Ellen Pfeifer, The Boston Globe
Oak Ridge Symphony, John Welsh conducting
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
"Gigi Mitchell-Velasco
(mezzo-soprano) and her husband, Noel Espiritu Velasco, are the
possessors of wonderfully rich voices. Ms. Velasco's vibrant mezzo
with its awesome range is especially arresting, and she did some
fabulous things with her part, which was obviously favored by Verdi.
The Velasco's singing style was highly operatic, and together or
separately their singing was searingly intense, producing some
memorable moments... The blend in the unison duet Agnus Dei was
fascinating. Here Ms. Velasco sounded like a tenor, so rich was
her tone. Almost instrumental in quality (cello and violin) their
sound continued to reverberate when the chorus, matching each other's
voices admirably, joined them for a highly effective color... Other
outstanding solo and small ensemble work included Ms. Velasco's
gorgeous Liber scriptus..." - Becky
Ball, The Oak Ridger
Ural State Philharmonic, Sarah Caldwell conducting
Ekaterinburg, Russia
"During
her second arrival in Ekaterinburg, Gigi Mitchell-Velasco became
a most remarkable figure in Verdi's Requiem. Everyone was impressed
with the volume and mainly with the quality of her singing." -
O Sergeyev, Ekaterinburg Evening
Charleston Symphony, David Stahl conducting
Charleston, South Carolina
"The soloists
all possess well-projected voices. Gigi Mitchell-Velasco’s
mezzo is rich and ringing." - Jenni
Johnson, Charleston Post and Courier
Masterworks Chorale, Allen Lannom conducting
Cambridge, Massachusetts
"---secure,
glamorous, musicianly, ardent..." -Richard
Buell, Boston Globe
Syracuse Symphony, Daniel Hege conducting
Syracuse, New York
"Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco provided a gripping performance of Verdi's demanding score. Verdi loads much of the intimate expressive content squarely on the shoulders of the mezzo, and Mitchell-Velasco delivered with a lovely, solid sonority. Hers is a rich mezzo voice, used with great insight." -Chuck Klaus, Syracuse Post Standard
Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Back Bay Chorale, Scott Allen Jarrett conducting
Cambridge, Massachusetts
"Gigi Mitchell-Velasco brought a velvety sound
to the quieter sections of the solo alto part and passion to the supplications. " -Richard
Dyer, Boston Globe
Beethoven Symphony
No. 9
San
Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting
San Francisco, California
"This
was a well matched set of soloists...Gigi Mitchell-Velasco's mezzo-soprano emerging
from the texture with real richness... " -Harvey
Steiman, www.musicweb-international.com
"Mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco sang handsomely. " -Georgia
Rowe, The Mercury News
"Raymond Aceto
was the wonderfully imposing bass soloist, issuing his artistic call to arms
in ringing tones, and he was ably joined by soprano Twyla Robinson, mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco and tenor Anthony Dean Griffey." -Joshua
Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
Brahms Alto Rhapsody
West Virginia Symphony, Grant Cooper conducting
Charleston, West Virginia
"Brahms' Alto Rhapsody was the first half of the concert's
contrasting work. The Brahms is as focused as the Mahler
is big, and Cooper led a performance that whispered eloquently
in rich, dark hues. The mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco
sang beautifully with a voice that seemed to gather the orchestra's
timbres in and color her melodies with their warmth." -David
Williams, Charleston Saturday Gazette-Mail
Berlioz Romeo
et Juliette
San Antonio Symphony, Christopher Wilkins conducting
San Antonio, Texas
"Mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was deeply affecting in the intensely erotic
Premiers transports, and her glossy instrument rose to thrilling
high notes." -Mike
Greenberg, San Antonio Express-News
Mozart Requiem
Martinú Philharmonic, Peter Tiboris conducting
Vienna Konzerthaus, Austria
"Das Soloquartett
- Evelyn Petros (Sopran), Gigi Mitchell-Velasco (Alt), Manfred
Equiluz (Tenor) und Stanley Irwin (Baß) - ließ wegen
ihres Zusammenklangs aufhorchen. (One listened attentively to the
homogenous sounds of the solo quartet - etc.)" -
Z.A., Manual
Ravel Shéhérazade
de Falla El Amor Brujo, Pioneer Valley Symphony, Paul Phillips
conducting Greenfield, Massachusetts
"Mezzo-soprano
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco rescued the program at the last minute
after the scheduled artist was forced to cancel due to illness.
Mitchell-Velasco had only days to learn the pieces and performed
a musically pleasing program with all the expressiveness of her
operatic background... Her diction and accents were impeccable,
and her tone encompassed the full, clear, powerful, higher tones
as well as the appropriately earthy lower tones and quick ornamentation
in the emotional and folk-influenced El Amor Brujo... Mitchell-Velasco
sang Ravel's Shéhérazade starting quietly in La
Flûte Enchantée with a nice duet with the flute,
building to her full sound in L'Indifférent... Her voice
was very enjoyable. Her dramatic expression was very well-suited
to this work, making the faux-exotic piece entertaining and fun." -Thomas
W. Hutcheson, The Recorder, Greenfield, Massachusetts
"Then
an enchanted moment: Ravel's Shéhérazade,
tenderly sung by Gigi Mitchell-Velasco. She appeared
again to sing the vocal sections of the final piece,
Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo,
a sparkling work that stirs the blood even after many
hearings." -Everett
Hafner, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Bach Christmas Oratorio
Collegiate Chorale & Orchestra of St. Luke's, Robert Bass conducting
Carnegie Hall, New York City
"Alto Gigi Mitchell-Velasco possesses a rich lower register and intoned the
highlight of the evening, a sensitive "Schliesse, mein Herze, dies selige
Wunder" in tandem with St. Luke's concertmistress Krista Bennion Feeney. " -Fred Kirshnit, New York Sun
"Mercifully, the chorus itself did manage to get a good volume out into the hall, while the soloists resounded with an actually surprising force and clarity, getting every last syllable of German devotion into our ears. These four musicians actually deserve a special merit, very clearly savoring the music (especially from where they were sitting) and participating actively in this sprawling and complex religious service-cum-performance piece. Their individual musical temperaments all came through clearly and were decidedly a successful study in contrasts. The dark severity of baritone James Maddalena was well-tempered by the relative perkiness of soprano Lisa Saffer, while mezzo-soprano Gig Mitchell-Velasco and tenor Paul Austin Kelly constituted an aristocratic and highly-poised core to the proceedings. " -http://www.robertaonthearts.com/id773.html
Bach St.
Matthew Passion
Milwaukee Symphony, Andreas Delfs conducting
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bach's St. Matthew Passion was the center
of attention in Milwaukee last weekend. The Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra, a jewel of increasing luster in the cultural life
of the entire state, was guided by Music Director Andreas Delfs
into a sublime realization of a work which resides at the very
summit of musical achievement ... The MSO pulled together a
world-class team of six soloists whose lot it is to comment
on the unfolding of the events leading to the Crucifixion ...
Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was someone I'd not encountered
before, but she, too, was superb. Although hers is not a particularly
large voice, it is firmly knit, with a vibrato which pulses
quickly in all registers and gathers still more focus toward
the higher range ... She was wonderfully expressive, though
never spilling into excess (her heart-wounding Erbarme dich
was gloriously accompanied by Frank Almond's shimmering obbligato
violin). This was Bach alto singing to set beside that of Christa
Ludwig, Janet Baker or Helen Watts - undeniably superb ...This
was a great gift: disturbing, empathetic, consoling, compassionate. - Erik Eriksson,
The Green Bay News-Chronicle
At some point during
Part II on Saturday night, I became aware of the power of a great
performance in progress. The expressive and communicative case
of vocal soloists was among the strongest the MSO has ever assembled
for oratorio. Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco presented her
arias with conviction and style. -
Rick Walters, Shepherd Express, Milwaukee
Orchestra of St. Luke's & Carnegie Festival Chorus, Helmut Rilling conducting
Carnegie Hall, New York City
A Dallas mezzo with the nifty name of Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was a last-minute replacement, and she did a fabulous job. She owns a beautiful, arresting, and moving voice. -
Jay Nordlinger, New York Sun
Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, replacing an indisposed mezzo-soprano on less than a day’s notice, sang the alto arias, some of the work’s most glorious movements. She offered a distinguished account of the famous alto number in Part 2, “Erbarme dich.” -
James Oestreich, New York Times
Handel The
Messiah
Danbury Music Centre, James Humphreville conducting,
Danbury, Connecticut
"The soloists
performed their recitatives and solos with complete ease, enjoyment,
professionalism and unusually dramatic interpretations... To George
Handel: you must have been very proud indeed." -
Ann Wicks, Danbury Gazette
"When
Susan Erickson's shining soprano took over after He shall feed
his flock of Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, whose alto has the texture
of ripe fruit, for once it sounded not like one-upmanship but
like innocence echoing experience." -
Frank Merkling, Danbury News-Times
"The
alto, Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, included in the aria He
was despised a fast, bitter middle section so new locally
that the words weren't even printed in the program. Her
rich, plummy, steady voice did not lag behind conductor
James Humphreville's beat." -
Frank Merkling, Danbury News-Times
Bernstein Jeremiah Symphony
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton conducting,
Dallas, Texas
"But the music still casts a spell, and mezzo Gigi Mitchell-Velasco delivered the finale's laments from Jermiah with mellifluous authority." -
Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News
"The highlight was Jeremiah. Bernstein was only 25 when he composed it, but there was not a hint of uncertainty in his composition -- or in the DSO's performance. In the closing section, Lamentation, mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco fully realized the emotional power of the piece." -
Punch Shaw, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky
Charleston Symphony, David Stahl conducting,
Charleston, South Carolina
"Mezzo Gigi Mitchell-Velasco offered a polished and deeply felt reading of "The Field of the Dead" with some especially elegant singing" -
Charleston Post & Courier
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