2010 Reviews
Acis & Galatea
Opera Atelier (Damon)
"The four singers were for the most part exemplary, headed by the consummately brilliant and nimble tenor Lawrence Wiliford as the Ariel-like Damon, Olympian and witty guiding mountain spirit of the simple drama."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, October 31, 2010
"Each member of the small cast [...] brought charisma as well as fine singing to their roles. Wiliford and Asselin deserve special kudos for a glowing, compelling blend of vocal nuance and dramatic life force they brought to the show."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, October 31, 2010
"Lawrence Wiliford's performance, combining stylish singing and sharp acting, is perhaps the most striking in the production."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, November 5, 2010
St. Nicholas
Elora Festival
"Wiliford was excellent as the Saint, his emphatic voice bursting forward with laser-like intensity and precision."
- Stephen Preece, The Record, July 26, 2010
Israel in Egypt
Tafelmusik
"The soloists were first-rate.[...] Tenor Lawrence Wiliford, always a pleasure, was at his most appealing in the bright, rhythmic coloratura in the Part Three air The enemy said, I will pursue."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, May 30, 2010
Dies Natalis
Talisker Players
"Wiliford’s singing of the Finzi cantata about the holy birth had all the articulately intuitive rapture the music longs to convey."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, May 13, 2010
"Wiliford sang with assurance, bending the long phrases into careful, sometimes powerful, arcs."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, May 12, 2010
Johannes Passion
Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival (Evangelist)
"The festival this year fielded one of the strongest groups of vocal soloists in recent memory. Lawrence Wiliford brought a brilliant mix of tenderness and dramatic ferocity to the Evangelist's lines, shaping phrases as if he were sharing a tale we were hearing for the first time."
- Donald Rosenberg, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 18, 2010
Mass in B Minor
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
"Tenor Lawrence Wiliford melted our reserves in Domine Deus, his duet with the soprano. His soaring, heartfelt response to the buoyant music fulfilled it utterly. And his rapt, luminous projection of his final aria, the Benedictus, was perfection. Wiliford has become a matchless artist in his chosen repertoire."
- Ken Winters, The Globe & Mail, April 9, 2010
Acis & Galatea
Opera Atelier (Damon)
"The four singers were for the most part exemplary, headed by the consummately brilliant and nimble tenor Lawrence Wiliford as the Ariel-like Damon, Olympian and witty guiding mountain spirit of the simple drama."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, October 31, 2010
"Each member of the small cast [...] brought charisma as well as fine singing to their roles. Wiliford and Asselin deserve special kudos for a glowing, compelling blend of vocal nuance and dramatic life force they brought to the show."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, October 31, 2010
"Lawrence Wiliford's performance, combining stylish singing and sharp acting, is perhaps the most striking in the production."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, November 5, 2010
St. Nicholas
Elora Festival
"Wiliford was excellent as the Saint, his emphatic voice bursting forward with laser-like intensity and precision."
- Stephen Preece, The Record, July 26, 2010
Israel in Egypt
Tafelmusik
"The soloists were first-rate.[...] Tenor Lawrence Wiliford, always a pleasure, was at his most appealing in the bright, rhythmic coloratura in the Part Three air The enemy said, I will pursue."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, May 30, 2010
Dies Natalis
Talisker Players
"Wiliford’s singing of the Finzi cantata about the holy birth had all the articulately intuitive rapture the music longs to convey."
- Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail, May 13, 2010
"Wiliford sang with assurance, bending the long phrases into careful, sometimes powerful, arcs."
- John Terauds, Toronto Star, May 12, 2010
Johannes Passion
Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival (Evangelist)
"The festival this year fielded one of the strongest groups of vocal soloists in recent memory. Lawrence Wiliford brought a brilliant mix of tenderness and dramatic ferocity to the Evangelist's lines, shaping phrases as if he were sharing a tale we were hearing for the first time."
- Donald Rosenberg, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 18, 2010
Mass in B Minor
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
"Tenor Lawrence Wiliford melted our reserves in Domine Deus, his duet with the soprano. His soaring, heartfelt response to the buoyant music fulfilled it utterly. And his rapt, luminous projection of his final aria, the Benedictus, was perfection. Wiliford has become a matchless artist in his chosen repertoire."
- Ken Winters, The Globe & Mail, April 9, 2010