Massenet | Esclarmonde
Washington Concert Opera, Antony Walker conducting
Washington D.C.
"Walker gave Shafer (Esclarmonde) a carefully unified supporting cast, placing an emphasis on singers who are fully at home in the French language, with the ability to caress shades of phonemes as well as to express literal meanings. I was particularly impressed by Dean Peterson, a bass-baritone who proclaimed Emperor Phorcas with splendid gravity; by mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, who brought mellow empathy to the role of Parséïs; and by the inimitable François Loup, all old-world elegance as Cleomer, King of France." - Tim Page, Washington Post

Accompanying Celena Shafer was an excellent supporting cast, including the dark and rich sound of mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco (as Esclarmonde's sister, Parséïs) - Charles T. Downe, www.ionarts.blogspot.com

Debussy | Pelléas et Mélisande
Ural State Philharmonic, Sarah Caldwell conducting
Ekaterinburg, Russia
"Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was singing, to our regret, the very modest part of Geneviève, Pelléas' mother. But from the very first sound of her voice, it became clear what a beautiful mezzo-soprano she is. And it was a great pity that the chance to enjoy it was so short-lived. It could seem strange that the winner and laureate of a number of international competitions of vocalists, Gigi began her operatic career in the orchestra where she was playing for eight years - and not bad, they say - the principal flute. And now, she is touring all over the world and we had good luck to hear her in our city." - O. Sergeyev, Ekaterinburg Evening

Debussy | La Damoiselle Élue
Grant Park Orchestra, Emmanuel Villaume conducting
Grant Park Music Festival, Chicago, IL
"La Damoiselle Élue" is an early work of Claude Debussy, but the gauzy, sensuous reading Wednesday showed the master already writing in a near-revolutionary idiom. Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was the richly hued narrator." - Michael Cameron, Chicago Tribune

"Debussy's fame is unquestioned, but he still has works that are rarely given; his early "La Damoiselle Élue" ("The Chosen Damsel," 1888) finds the composer already developing his unique gauzy atmospheres and enveloping harmonies at age 26. American mezzo Gigi Mitchell-Velasco was a fine complement. Chorus and soloists gracefully intoned the perfumed French lyric" - Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun-Times

Verdi | Rigoletto
Staatstheater Braunschweig, Fabrizio Ventura conducting
Braunschweig, Germany
"...Gigi Mitchell-Velasco mit festem Ton die Maddalena... (Gigi Mitchell-Velasco sings the role of Maddalena with a solid sound...)" - Andreas Berger, Braunschweiger Zeitung

Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel
Opera New England, Jonathan Shames conducting
Boston, Massachusetts
"Hansel and Gretel delights anew. Gigi Mitchell-Velasco seemed to relish her virago-like portrayal of the Mother and camped it up as the witch." - Ellen Pfeiffer, Boston Herald

Florentine Opera, Arthur Fagan conducting
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
"Mezzo-soprano Gigi Mitchell-Velasco served double duty singing the roles of the Mother and the Witch. As the Witch, a role designed to steal the show, she was delightfully, comically evil, often using a shrill caricature voice to define her character." - Elaine Schmidt, Journal Sentinel

Mozart | The Magic Flute
Opera New England, Evans Haile conducting
Boston, Massachusetts
"There was a pleasant trio of Ladies - Kathryn Marlow, Luz Bermejo, and a surprise, Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, whose nicely focused mezzo suggests a bright future." - Richard Dyer, Boston Globe

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