REVIEWs

DON GIOVANNI

“McIntosh’s skill in the bel canto repertoire lends itself to a beautifully sung Zerlina. Her “Vedrai, carino” was sweetly sung without being saccharin. Her chemistry with both Bintner’s Don and her betrothed Masetto was lovely to watch.”

- Schmopera

TORONTO 2024

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

“The young Swiss-Canadian mezzo was the centrepiece this production had been waiting for—a classy, confident comedienne with a strong top voice, a rich lower register and an evenness in between, unfolding the recitatives engagingly and coming into blossom in her arias. Decoration were articulated musically, the vocal line emerging with gracefulness rather than as a technical tour de force. Not only did her voice fit the Theatre Royal like the proverbial glove, she also looked the part, demure innocence blending with feminine guile.”

- Opera News

EDINBURGH 2023

“Mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh impresses with her full, colourful, wonderfully carried voice. […] McIntosh interprets «Dieu! Que-viens je d’entendre? Il m'en souvient" from Berlioz's "Béatrice et Bénedict" as if she had decades of stage experience and still maintained her youthful freshness.”

- Online Merker

ZÜRICH 2023

“McIntosh delivered an ambitious opera excerpts program that showed off her musical and dramatic range, with arias by Handel; Donizetti ; Strauss ; and Berlioz. The last aria was particularly impressive, showcasing delightful acting, perfect French diction and a ravishing, clear tone that easily filled St David’s Hall.”

-Opera Canada

CARDIFF 2023

“Xerxes’ brother Arsamene, portrayed by Simone McIntosh, is more complex. She portrays the young rebels between anger and pain with blazing mezzo-soprano and physical intensity.”

- Rauchzeichen

WINTERTUR 2023

“The vocal star of the show, for me, was Vancouver native Simone McIntosh, lithe and lovely, whose crystalline high mezzo fully commanded Anna’s wide range and whose unforced expressivity shaped every phrase with eloquence; her final aria was exquisitely nuanced without seeming the least bit precious.”

- Opera Canada

NEW YORK 2022

CONCOURS MUSICAL INTERNATIONAL DE MONTRÉAL

“Certainly, fearless versatility and charisma seem to be Simone McIntosh’s trademark. As mentioned, the mezzo-soprano was awarded the first prize and met with roaring applause from the audience – and it’s not hard to understand why. Her voice promptly adapted to each piece, retaining its full, pleasant tone in both Strauss’ lyrical stirrings and Rossini’s challenging coloratura.”

- Bachtrack

MONTREAL 2022

”Simone McIntosh has a magnificent voice, full of burnished tone, astonishing range and ample power. Though slight of build, Simone McIntosh probably generates more vocal power per pound than any other singer! She absolutely stole the show in this concert, producing the true highlight of the entire evening!”

- Berkley Daily Planet

SAN FRANCISCO 2021

“Anne-Marie MacIntosh along with fellow Canadian Adler artist, Simone McIntosh, created the highlight of the evening with the “Barcarolle” duet from Les contes d’Hoffmann. MacIntosh’s limpid soprano merged elegantly with McIntosh’s richer, yet still transparent, mezzo-soprano in the plangent rise and fall of this entrancing duet.”

- Opera Canada

MARIN COUNTY 2021

“From the moment she walked on stage, barefoot, wearing a floor-length, off-white shift, Simone McIntosh virtually inhabited the music. Or, to put it another way, Messiaen’s music inhabited her. McIntosh threw herself into this music body and soul. She rarely stood still while singing. Rather, she moved, she knelt, she danced, and she imbued each of the twelve songs with its own visual component of movement as well as its particular vocal color. McIntosh’s range was extraordinary, as was her mastery of Messiaen’s unique rhythmic structure.”

- Berkeley Daily Planet

SAN FRANCISCO 2020