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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
Calgary Philharmonic, Hans Graf conducting
Calgary, Canada
“ 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 Globe

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 Messia
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 (1990)

"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 (1993)

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

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