Gilda in RIGOLETTO - San Francisco Opera, September 2012
Polish coloratura soprano Aleksandra Kurzak made her SFO debut with a gratifying depth and sturdy middle voice that could still encompass the high notes with ease. She has a genuine and unobtrusive trill that is managed to subtle and satisfying effect... she received enthusiastic and justified audience approval for her lovely "Caro, nome" earlier in the performance.
The Bay Area Reporter - Philip Campbell
Aleksandra Kurzak is ultimately lovely as Rigoletto's naive daughter, "Gilda."... Internationally acclaimed, Aleksandra Kurzak has performed the role at the Met, La Scala, in Parma, Hamburg, Helsinki, and Toulouse. Her recent recording, Gioia, includes eleven sensational arias, "Caro nome" among them. Aleksandra's opening night rendition was relaxed, crystal clear, and simply flawless.
The Huffington Post - Sean Martinfield
Aleksandra Kurzak has a throaty, dark soprano and certainly looks appropriate for Gilda. Her intonation is precise, and she never sounds shrill. Her voice sounds anchored and certain.
Opera Pulse - Charlise Tiee
The standout for me was Aleksandra Kurzak as Gilda. Sopranos often seem to be the weak link for me, but I found her voice to be clean, clear, and strong. This may have been the first time she sang with the San Francisco Opera, but I hope it won’t be her last.
wordpress.com - Sly Wit
Many in the audience said they were wowed by soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, whom they referred to as the Polish nightingale. She played the role of court jester Rigoletto's only child, Gilda, who falls in love with a licentious Duke and comes to a tragic end. Her fans included Oscar de la Renta executive Boaz Mazor, attending with philanthropist Dede Wilsey. A serious opera lover, he consulted his BlackBerry's calendar and determined he had seen "Rigoletto" 15 times since 2005. "This one was 16," he said, "and this one was the best."
San Francisco Chronicle - Carolyne Zinko
Although California audiences had already been introduced to Kurzak’s brilliant lyric coloratura [see Stylish Production, Fine Cast for “Cosi fan Tutte” – Los Angeles Opera, September 18, 2011], her Gilda served as the Polish soprano’s San Francisco Opera debut. It was a triumphant performance, whose show piece Caro Nome was both technically brilliant and affectingly sung. Kurzak’s duets with Lucic’s Rigoletto were beautifully executed, and her duets with the DeMuro’s Mantuan Duke portrayed, at least on her part, credible romantic tension.
operawarhorses.com
And Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, as the jester's loving daughter Gilda, has a voice of unusual beauty: pure-toned, silvery as flutes, shimmery and precise in its coloratura flights. Wow. This is her company debut.
Mercurynews.com - Richard Scheinin
And the weekend boasted at least one superb music revelation: Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, whose company debut Friday night as Gilda was nothing short of remarkable. In a role that is often sung with silvery, laser-like precision and naivete, Kurzak opted instead for a full-throated sound and an air of emotional assurance that made her plight all the more poignant. In the Act 1 showpiece "Caro nome," in which Gilda exults in her first stirrings of love with a series of technically demanding vocal phrases, Kurzak sang impeccably but without making too much of the aria's difficulty - the better to explore the emotions within. And in "Tutte le feste," in which she remorsefully explains to Rigoletto what's been going on behind his back, Kurzak brought dark coloration to an already mournful stretch of writing.
San Francisco Gate - Joshua Kosman
Making her local debut and providing the evening’s greatest vocal pleasure was soprano Aleksandra Kurzak. She has everything a great Gilda needs: a warm and lovely soprano, if darker than usual for the role, easy trills and runs, range, and charm. She sang Caro nome splendidly and went bravely to her death at the close of the opera.
The Classical Review - Lisa Hirsch