Posted12 Jun 2015

Critical Acclaim for YARDBIRD

The sold-out world premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD is a critical hit, described as “a swift-paced chamber opera with a pulsing, jazz-infused score” by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times. “The great strength of this piece is the music,” writes Peter Dobrin in his Philadelphia Inquirer review. “Opera Philadelphia has made a big commitment to new repertoire and the company’s first commission, in partnership with Gotham Chamber Opera, is terrific,” says Heidi Waleson in The Wall Street Journal.

**Here is a partial roundup of what the critics are saying about YARDBIRD:**

“Its rhythms snap and swing, its melodies… seize the ear, its ensembles crackle with energy.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Charlie sometimes sings bursts of bebop, scatting, which Mr. Brownlee deftly handles.”
—The New York Times

“A major achievement from a company that is committed to creating a fresh work every year”
—The Denver Post

“Lawrence Brownlee, internationally renowned bel canto tenor, was a passionate and beautifully sung Charlie Parker.”
—Bachtrack

“Angela Brown as Addie Parker was astonishing.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“The loss of New York City Opera has led Opera Philadelphia to boldly step into the space where an opera company producing new and challenging works should be.”
—The Daily Beast

“Coolest. Opera. Ever.”
—Philadelphia Weekly

“A jazz-infused score” with “more musical verve than most new operas”
—The Financial Times

“Yardbird is a profoundly moving and extraordinary musical experience that works on every level imaginable.”
—Broad Street Review

Listen to YARDBIRD on Radio Times