“Mancasola, with her flawless coloratura and dreamy trills, gives one of the evening’s great performances.”

TIM ASHLEY, THE GUARDIAN

“Only Sydney Mancasola is in any way special as Gilda. The finest actor of the three, she is radiant and glittering in the more stratospheric writing.”

DAVID GUTMAN, THE STAGE

“Sydney Mancasola brings a shyly glinting soprano to Gilda.” 

JOHN ALLISON, THE TELEGRAPH

 

“The unforced grace with which Sydney Mancasola delivers Gilda’s arias is a delight.”

MICHAEL CHURCH, THE INDEPENDENT

"...Massenet’s Manon was graced by a brace of principals who displayed extraordinary dramatic commitment. Sydney Mancasola was an enchanting Manon, her soprano radiant and glittering in the display writing, and offering a surprising dose of lyric weight in mid-range."

MARK THOMAS KETTERSON, OPERA NEWS

"Is this the birth of a star? Sydney Mancasola comes to Des Moines between assignments in Berlin and London, playing the title character in "Manon," one of opera's great tragic heroines. She commands the stage on the strength of her voice alone, a soprano that, even as it soars, suggests midnight chocolate and cabernet.

What matters most, though, is her range as an actor. Mancasola wrings terrific feeling out of a face that, by itself, can set folks staring. Her features don't just light up or darken, but also add shades of innocence or sophistication. Is this a star? In any case, it's the biggest 'wow' in a breathtaking show." 

JOHN DOMINI, DMCITY VIEW

"It has to be said that Sydney Mancasola was luminous in the title role. She sports a secure, silvery soprano of enormous flexibility, wedded to an unfaltering musicality. There is a generous dash of humanity in her portrayal and she is possessed of a charismatic presence in her well-rounded assumption of a richly complex personality." 

JAMES SOHRE, OPERA TODAY

 

"And wait till you see soprano Sydney Mancasola's magnificent portrayal of Manon herself, one of the most difficult of all French heroines and one of the most rewarding for a great singing actress. Mancasola's gorgeous voice has all the dazzling technical agility that she first demonstrated here two seasons ago in Rossini's "Count Ory." and in addition all the strength and subtlety needed for Manon's varied and supremely passionate emotions, whether innocent or sentimental, or commanding for seductive…or pathetic and remorseful."

BRUCE CARR, DES MOINES REGISTER

"As Cleopatra, American soprano Sydney Mancasola was in excellent form both acting and vocally. …I relished her secure, fluid, highly attractive vocal….this evening's performance was her international debut, her role debut as Cleopatra, and her first ever performance of an opera by Handel, which makes her achievement in such a challenging role even more remarkable." 

MICHAEL COOKSON, SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

"…rising star Sydney Mancasola offered cascades of spot-on vocalizing as the Countess Adele. The silvery soprano seemed to gain in heft after her spectacularly sung entrance aria, and her immaculate coloratura was matched by her poised stage presence. In addition to meeting every challenge of some of Rossini's most difficult ornamentations, Ms. Mancasola admirably acted with her voice which, in a comedy, is to say she found myriad ways to be funny. The inspired, heaving sobs that she interjected into her "weeping" moments were worthy of Carol Burnett. This was just one of many memorable vocal effects. Having recently seen the uniquely gifted Cecilia Bartoli in this punishing role, I can say that Ms. Mancasola found an equally effective vocal identity as Adele, and lavished the part with dazzling pyrotechnics. 

JAMES SOHRE, OPERA TODAY

"Sydney Mancasola's Marie was a slim, petite hoyden that emanated the charm that makes her character so beloved. Her buoyant personality matched her lovely voice as she easily moved from the boisterous "Chacun le sait" and the lesson scene trio to the deeply felt "Il faut partir" and (especially) "Par le rang""

KARL W. HESSER, OPERA NEWS

"Magda's maid, Lisette, is a delightful role. Sydney Mancasola sings Lisette, and she nearly stole the show for me. Her performance is strong, bright and sassy - filled with enormous confidence. Her voice is sweet and clear and her diction superb." 

STEVEN CALLAHAN, BROADWAY WORLD

 

"As Leila, the woman with whom both men are in love, the young American soprano Sydney Mancasola, a Grand Finals winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, gave a full-voiced, committed performance. She adroitly and elegantly handled the complex coloratura of “O, dieu Brahma,” never letting the difficult runs and ornaments interfere with the aria’s lyricism.

Throughout, she sang with a rich, focused, gleaming voice. But more than that, she showed a gift for infusing the character’s emotion into every moment, her voice turning urgent and fearful as she recalls the terror of an angry mob bursting into her house when she was a child, or when her voice radiates gladness as she realizes Nadir is nearby. She made the most of every moment, singing with a sorrowful intimacy as she handed one of the villagers her necklace before what she believed would be her execution."

DAVID FLESHLER, SOUTH FLORIDA CLASSICAL REVIEW

"Californian Sydney Mancasola sang a bewitchingly full-voiced and vocally agile Leila. A highly engaging singer and actress, Mancasola made us feel the priestess's panic in "J'étais encore infant" before she soared to coloratura heights in "Comme autrefois.""  

JEAN–FRANÇOIS LEJEUNE, OPERA NEWS