| CONCERT PERFORMANCES |
| "Some vocalists sing, others make dramatic magic
that cannot be ignored. Soprano Dana Hanchard most assuredly
falls into the latter group, Hanchard's magic was center stage
in Handel's cantata "O Numi Eterni (La Lucrezia)." Performing
without extraneous gestures, she sang to her audience with an
intensity and directness that defied her listeners to tear their
eyes from her. Part of her charisma is a rich soprano voice
that seems to have an endless range. Her technique is flawless
and her scholarship superb. But a lovely voice, trained
voice and years of musicological research do not necessarily
make for musical magic. She possesses that elusive ability to
communicate, regardless of language, using musical phrase and
nuance." |
| — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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debut recital
at Merkin Hall, singing French art songs and cabaret literature:
"In France, the border between art songs and music of the streets
and bars is easily crossable and often poorly marked. Dana
Hanchard's sly, sophisticated recital embraced both frontiers
by investing them with identical values. Ms. Hanchard was made
for these songs and they for her. She has wit and taste. She
engages in musical conversation: flexible, articulate, true
in timbre and in pitch...This was Ms. Hanchard's music. Poulenc's
Toreador was clever staging in sound. She relished the
tiny sound bites of Satie's 'Ludions' and the general wickedness
of Je Cherche un Millionaire." |
| — The New York Times |
| |
as soloist in
Handel's Messiah:
"Exhibiting a lustrous and unfailing tone,
even in the most daunting sections of passage work, Hanchard
brought a smile to every face. She is capable of a wide variety
of affects, and her voice always remains beautiful...Hanchard
simply made mincemeat out of that great showpiece aria “Rejoice
Greatly”. |
| — San Francisco Chronicle |
| |
with the Boston
Camerata, Tanglewood:
"Some of the most beautiful work came
from...an exquisite and elegant guest soprano, Dana Hanchard..."
|
| — Boston Globe |
| |
as soloist in
Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass:
"Festival veteran Dana Hanchard was
splendid, from the soaring coloratura joy of the opening Gloria
to the closing quartets. Possessed of a voice fuller and richer
than often heard in classical era stagings, Hanchard retains
the flexibility usually found in the smaller instrument. She
was a radiant presence in this joyous music, both in her many
soaring passages and the luminous bloom of mesa di voce in the
Et Incarnatus." |
| — New London Day |
| |
singing music
by Lully at the Theâtre de Champs Elysées:
"A
voice of sumptuous timbre." |
| — Le Figaro (Paris) |
| |
as soprano
soloist in Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art:
"... Hanchard combining beautifully with oboist Gonzalo Ruiz...
an enticing blend of cool, pure tone and excellent technique...witty
and moving..." |
| — San Francisco Chronicle |
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