2006 Reviews
Swoon
Canadian Opera Company (Roy) *World Premiere*
"[Lawrence Wiliford's] Roy showed a singer-actor with a real talent for comedy."
- Wayne Gooding, Opera Now, March / April, 2007
"All four performers created believable characters, but it was Wiliford's initially inarticulate Roy whose dramatic skill enlivened the show."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, December 14 - 20, 2006, Vol. 26 No. 15
"A series of references to dancing (duly shown to be a metaphor for relationships) gave director Michael Patrick Albano plenty of opportunities to set his young cast in motion, and almost let Wiliford steal a scene in which he wasn't even singing. [...] Wiliford's scenes with Delorme were especially ripe, and showed even more of this tenor's physical-comedy skills than we saw in the COC's recent Cosi fan tutte."
- Robert Everett-Green, Toronto Globe and Mail, December 9, 2006
"Please, some more of Lawrence J. Wiliford: Lawrence J. Wiliford impressed a lot of people earlier this month stepping into the Canadian Opera Company's production of Cosi fan tutte at the last moment and still serving up an impressive Ferrando - with little or no time in the rehearsal hall. All of which suggests it might just be a real treat to catch this up-and-coming tenor in a performance when he is not flying by the seat of his pants. In fact, that alone is more than enough reason to book your tickets for the COC Ensemble Studio's [production of James Rolfe's new opera, Swoon]."
- John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun, November 5, 2006
A Lasting Spring
Four Seasons Centre
"The standout pieces were three Elizabethan poems set to music by 75-year-old Toronto composer Derek Holman. The execution of Holman's frankly sensual music was fascinating. Upchurch dug into the piano part with panache, while Wiliford's light, controlled singing floated over top."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, November 3, 2006
Cosi fan tutte
Canadian Opera Company (Ferrando)
"Kudos to Lawrence J. Wiliford as Ferrando who stepped in. He is a talented and lyric tenor."
- Paula Citron, Classical 96.3FM, October 20, 2006
"Lawrence Wiliford, a stylish young tenor [...], stepped in to make his major role debut on just five hours' notice. He acquitted himself with fluent and well-shaped singing. He has a [...] distinctively appealing tenor that caressed the lovely melody in Un'aura amorosa in a way that was light, lyrical and sensitively coloured."
- Stephen Cera, National Post, October 19, 2006
St. Mark Passion
Toronto Chamber Choir
"[Wiliford was a] superb Evangelist, [...] and when he stepped out of his Mark-the-Evangelist role to sing one aria, at the beginning of Part Two, his lovely sound, his lithe legato, and his beautifully directional phrasing defined the difference between the parlando of recitativo and the poetic architecture of aria singing. Wiliford is a valuable and stylish Bach singer. Cherish him."
- Ken Winters, Toronto Globe and Mail, March 13, 2006
"Lawrence Wiliford rose splendidly to the various challenges in his recital. In Schumann's Liederkreis, Op. 24 and Britten's Winter Words he was able to use his beautiful voice and superb diction to engage the audience throughout - it is always a pleasure to experience such a sense of communication."
- Stephen Ralls, Artistic Director, Aldeburgh Connection, April 2005
Swoon
Canadian Opera Company (Roy) *World Premiere*
"[Lawrence Wiliford's] Roy showed a singer-actor with a real talent for comedy."
- Wayne Gooding, Opera Now, March / April, 2007
"All four performers created believable characters, but it was Wiliford's initially inarticulate Roy whose dramatic skill enlivened the show."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, December 14 - 20, 2006, Vol. 26 No. 15
"A series of references to dancing (duly shown to be a metaphor for relationships) gave director Michael Patrick Albano plenty of opportunities to set his young cast in motion, and almost let Wiliford steal a scene in which he wasn't even singing. [...] Wiliford's scenes with Delorme were especially ripe, and showed even more of this tenor's physical-comedy skills than we saw in the COC's recent Cosi fan tutte."
- Robert Everett-Green, Toronto Globe and Mail, December 9, 2006
"Please, some more of Lawrence J. Wiliford: Lawrence J. Wiliford impressed a lot of people earlier this month stepping into the Canadian Opera Company's production of Cosi fan tutte at the last moment and still serving up an impressive Ferrando - with little or no time in the rehearsal hall. All of which suggests it might just be a real treat to catch this up-and-coming tenor in a performance when he is not flying by the seat of his pants. In fact, that alone is more than enough reason to book your tickets for the COC Ensemble Studio's [production of James Rolfe's new opera, Swoon]."
- John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun, November 5, 2006
A Lasting Spring
Four Seasons Centre
"The standout pieces were three Elizabethan poems set to music by 75-year-old Toronto composer Derek Holman. The execution of Holman's frankly sensual music was fascinating. Upchurch dug into the piano part with panache, while Wiliford's light, controlled singing floated over top."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, November 3, 2006
Cosi fan tutte
Canadian Opera Company (Ferrando)
"Kudos to Lawrence J. Wiliford as Ferrando who stepped in. He is a talented and lyric tenor."
- Paula Citron, Classical 96.3FM, October 20, 2006
"Lawrence Wiliford, a stylish young tenor [...], stepped in to make his major role debut on just five hours' notice. He acquitted himself with fluent and well-shaped singing. He has a [...] distinctively appealing tenor that caressed the lovely melody in Un'aura amorosa in a way that was light, lyrical and sensitively coloured."
- Stephen Cera, National Post, October 19, 2006
St. Mark Passion
Toronto Chamber Choir
"[Wiliford was a] superb Evangelist, [...] and when he stepped out of his Mark-the-Evangelist role to sing one aria, at the beginning of Part Two, his lovely sound, his lithe legato, and his beautifully directional phrasing defined the difference between the parlando of recitativo and the poetic architecture of aria singing. Wiliford is a valuable and stylish Bach singer. Cherish him."
- Ken Winters, Toronto Globe and Mail, March 13, 2006
"Lawrence Wiliford rose splendidly to the various challenges in his recital. In Schumann's Liederkreis, Op. 24 and Britten's Winter Words he was able to use his beautiful voice and superb diction to engage the audience throughout - it is always a pleasure to experience such a sense of communication."
- Stephen Ralls, Artistic Director, Aldeburgh Connection, April 2005