G. Puccini / Turandot
Belgian Opera Guide - 16.09.2015
Patrick C. Byrne
“The Turandot was Zvetelina Vassileva. The voice was enormous cooping magnificently with the stratospheric climaxes and also handling the lyric passages with surprising ease...The acting of the principals was first hand, with Vassileva particularly effective as the complex princess.She not only did that with aplomb but added that extra layer of interplay with the ardently resolute Calaf that brings further excitement to these two larger than life characters.”
G. Puccini / Turandot
The Kansas city star - 31.08.2015
L.Hanssen
“Zvetelina Vassileva brought a fierce passion to the role of the bloodthirsty princess Turandot, though her powerful, commanding voice made her transformation from ferocious to conquered beauty melted by a kiss difficult to comprehend.”
G. Puccini / Tosca
East Wichita News – 08.05.2014
Kerry Kuplic, M. Mus
“For a truly moving performance of Tosca a powerful, beautiful soprano is needed Zvetelina Vassileva performed her role as Tosca effortlesly and with passion... Arguably, the highlight of the opera is Tosca's second act aria, "Vissi dárte". The raw emotion and vulnerability with which Vassileva executed this aria was transcendent and acould have brought even the most stoic audience member to tears.”
G. Rossini / William Tell
Opera News, WGO - "William Tell" – 01.05.2014
G. Dansker
“Zvetelina Vassileva was an ardent and regal Mathilde, offering an eloquently sung "Sombre foret".... in all it was a very well sung portrayal especially exciting during her Act III, confrontation with Gesler...”
MOZART / Le Nozze di Figaro
The Wichita Eagle – 04.2013
“As the Countess Zvetelina Vassileva’s voice was rich, powerful and expressive …some of the most beautiful singing in the performance was done by Vassileva in “Dove sono” and in “Sull’aria che soave reffiretto”
VERDI / Otello
The Wichita Eagle – 19.02.2013
“Zvetelina Vassileva as Desdemona portrayed Otello’s tragically, abiding wife. Her voice had a glowing passion to it and she delivered the emotion of her role beautifully.”
VERDI / Il Trovatore
Opera Fresh – 06.02.2012, Kansas
“The role of Leonora was played by Zvetelina Vassileva. Vassileva possesses a voice with great tonal flexibility and she was able to display great tenderness and utter pathos, her coloratura tones were breathtaking.”
VERDI / Otello
Jaime Robles, P. Post, November 10, 2009
“…Zvetelina Vassileva was lovely of both form and voice, the sweetness of her portrayal of Desdemona was one of the more engaging features of the drama and gave the opera same of its few inspired moments. The love duet closing Act 1, “Quando Narravi” was tenderly sung by both Botha and Vassileva likewise.”
VERDI / Otello
San Francisco Chronicle, November 10, 2009
“… Zvetelina Vassileva sang Desdemona with bright, alluring vocal colors…”
“… Act 4 “Willow song” and “Ave Maria” making that her most affecting scene.”
VERDI / Otello
Sacramento Bee, November 10, 2009
“Vassileva gave a sweetly tragic performance in the “Willow song”, and the duet between Desdemona and Otello at the end of Act 1 was one of the opera’s best musical moments.”
VERDI / Aida
J. Á. Vela Del Campo
El País- Bregenz, July 28, 2009
“a un elenco estupendo de cantates - magnifica la Aida de Zvetelina Vassileva”
VERDI / Aida
J. Martin Koch
Oper & Tanz, August 2009
“…an diesem 25 Juli bis auf die wunderbare Aida der Einspringerin Zvetelina Vassileva…”
VERDI / Ottelo
San Francisco - Classical voice, Olivia Stapp, November 8, 2009
"The beautiful Zvetelina Vassileva portrayed Dessdemona demurely,
sweet-natured and submissive... She sings with rich Italianate sound and
graceful phrasing. Her voice is clear and atractive, musically perfect."
VERDI / Aida
The Spectator, June 7th, 2008
"The star of the show is certainly its heroine sung by Zvetelina Vassileva, who established her character in all its complexity with a magnificent "Ritorna Vincitor"."
The Independent on Sunday, June 1st, 2008
"In the title role Zvetelina Vassileva has the ideal balance of strength and vulnerability, a gentle and touching presence, stamina, bite and effortless tonal radiance."
VERDI / Aida
Sunday Times, June 6th, 2008
"...Zvetelina Vassileva`s lissome, youthful Aida with lovely phrasing of her arias and gleaming tone."
The Guardian - May 29th, 2008
"Zvetelina Vassileva`s pianissimo phrases were exquisite."
VERDI / Aida
The Independent, May 30, 2008
"Zvetelina Vassileva brings tenderness, brilliance and a certain edgy vitality to a part that can lapse into psychological vacuity.
Her "Ritorna Vincitor" beautifully expressed the irresoluble conflicts in her situation and with marvelous control that she retained to the very end."
VERDI / Aida
Houston Chronicle -16 April 2007
Vassileva's dramatic soprano eloquently expresses Aida's conflict, torn between love for
Radames and loyalty to her homeland. If she seems to hold back a little in early scenes, her voice reveals its full radiance and power in her third-act area lamenting the fate of her people and her final tragic yet transcendent duet with Radames.
PUCCINI / Toska
Madison State Journal 2006
"Madison Opera's Toska is a triumph.
Zvetelina Vassileva, the Toska in Madison Opera production staged in Overture Hall, thoroughly explored the interpretive opportunities in a complex heroine - emotionally volatile, immediately jealous and suspicious, quickly impassioned, eventually despairing, and ultimately bold in action.
Because Ms. Vassileva did so, and because she sang beautifully - no less important, because opera is foremost a vocal art form - this production of one of the most popular operas in the repertoire was a success. The Toska voice must embody the strength of a strong personality, even in despair. It demands a lirico-spinto or a dramatic soprano. Vassileva has the voice. She demonstrated a consistent ability to spin out a long legato line and make it vibrate with emotion. A beautiful woman, she acted the role with great intensity and conviction, with physicality.
Her brutal encounter with Scarpia in the second act was stunning."
TCHAIKOVSKY / Eugene Onegin
Opera news - January 2006
"Zvetelina Vassileva's Tatyana was a delicately etched portrayal of uncertain youth coupled with sound musicianship; her creamy voice owns just enough edge to project clearly....
Courier Journal - January 2006
"...The cast for this production is strong and deep. Soprano Zvetelina Vassileva's Tatyana matures persuasively from the bookish romantic innocent of Act I to the more worldly, pragmatic woman two acts (and some years) afterward. Her Letter Scene, the opera's chief glory, was sung Friday with impetuous, desperate fury."
PUCCINI / Turandot
Los Angeles Times, October 11th, 2004
"Zvetelina Vassileva was a strong - dark toned focused Liu."
VERDI / Il Trovatore
Orange County Register, May 1, 2003
"Zvetelina Vassileva, who sang the role at the Met this season, brought equal parts poise and brilliance to Leonora. She turned on a dime from dramatic heft to chirping coloratura, no sweat. Golden-toned with a silver edge, she tended to take things on the slow side, as if to highlight the quality of her voice. The line may have occasionally sagged; her voice did not."
PUCCINI / La Boheme
Opera, April 2002
"Casting: Very good, especially the Mimi of Zvetelina Vassileva, who was, from her first entry, worldly-wise but never vulgar. Although beautifully responsive to the text and to the delicacies of the scoring, she was bold where necessary and at the big moment took vocal risks - successfully."
TCHAIKOVSKY / Eugene Onegin
Dallas News, February 5, 2002
"Zvetelina Vassileva brings a strong, finely polished soprano to the role of Tatyana, and from escapist adolescent to noble wife, she's persuasive all the way."
Houston Press, February 8, 2002
"Bulgarian soprano Zvetelina Vassileva has an instinct for playing Russian heroines. As Tatyana, she exudes a calm diffidence in early scenes... During her lengthy aria, she slowly transforms. The-singer's brooding strains build into bold, lyrical resolve, as Tatyana risks her heart to win Eugene. When Tatyana fails to win him with an impassioned letter, Vassileva bursts out in mortified lament."
Opera Japonica, February 7, 2002
"Zvetelina Vassileva was a girlish Tatyana, unsure of herself in the letter scene, but she matured before out eyes becoming a sophisticated society matron by the finale ... she was able to encompass the role effectively, singing with the light sound of a young girl at the beginning and finished with passionate, womanly tones full of dramatic colorations.
VERDI / Il Trovatore
Opera, July 2001
"This impressive, full-toned soprano ... threw off 'Di tale amor che dirsi' with plenty of theatrical glitter and discovered an exquisite control and pathos in 'D'amor dull'ali rosee'.
VERDI / Il Trovatore
London, The Times, 8.5.2001
"Zvetelina Vassileva has an athletic steely voice with all the necessary notes."
Financial Times, 10.5.2001
"... It's hard to imagine a prettier Leonora than Zvetelina Vassileva - but the beauty goes much further than looks. She sculps "Tacea la notte" with refinement and expressive fibre, moves intelligently and brings violetta - like fragility to the last act."
BORODIN / Prince Igor
The New York Times, January 29, 2001
"Zvetelina Vassileva sang Yaroslava with a powerful spirit and a clean, abrasive soprano."
New York, The Wall Street Journal, 6.2.2001
"Zvetelina Vassileva's big, passionate soprano was ideal for Yaroslava and her great laments."
VERDI / Otello
Opera News, January 2001
"Zvetelina Vassileva's Desdemona, the most fully responsive performance, provided limpid tone and arching phrasing [and] refreshingly assertive characterization.
VERDI / Otello
Opera, December 2000
"Zvetelina Vassileva's Desdemona was beautiful, graceful, vulnerable with a full lyric soprano which could ride the third-act ensemble...Vassileva was superb [in] Desdemona's exquisitely moving Willow Song and Prayer..."
VERDI / Giovanna D'Arco
The Toronto Star, March 20, 2000
"As Giovanna, the dramatic Zvetelina Vassileva delivered an unflagging, soaring quality of expressiveness, singing with such fine-honed conviction that like Hamelin's Pied Piper she could have enticed the audience to lay violent siege to Mayor Mel's former playground next door. She understands what Verdi is all about, communicating emotions, building and stirring emotions. Her affection for her rustic roots ("O fatidica foresta") was a delicate, yearning lament, but elsewhere her feelings, encased in truly vivid timbre, were projected with fervent intensity. (Fortunately, she'll be seen again next season as Desdemona in the COC's Otello."
The Globe and Mail, March 20, 2000
"Soprano Zvetelina Vassileva grew in stature as the performance progressed, her phrasing ardent, her rich voice ever more free, as Verdi sends Giovanna soaring above the crowds that clamour around her."
VERDI / La Traviata as Violetta
The Sun, November 15, 1999
"It is, therefore, a shame that Zvetelina Vassileva is not singing every performance in the Baltimore Opera Company's current production of this great and popular opera.... Last Saturday evening in the Lyric Opera House, Vassileva made it difficult to imagine how any singer could portray Violetta's frailty and passion for life more powerfully than the Bulgarian soprano did. She inhabited the role."
The Washington Post, November 16, 1999
"Among the principal singers, illness forced the last-minute recasting of the role of Violetta. Zvetelina Vassileva proved an unusually complete Violetta, with a soulfully introspective element to her acting.....her gorgeous voice, with its dark cast and quick vibrato, handsomely served the coloratura in Act 1 and the passionate outbursts in Act 2."
The Saturday Sun, September 25, 1999
"The cast of this particular production is pretty delicious as well, at least in a vocal sense led by Bulgarian soprano Zvetelina Vassileva as the consumptive courtesan, Violetta."
VERDI / La Traviata as Viloletta
The Globe and Mail, September, 1999
"Vassileva has a wonderfully rich soprano voice, and her characterization grew stronger with each scene."
MONTEVERDI / L 'lncoronazione di Poppea as Drusilla
San Francisco Examiner, June 1998
"...soprano Zvetelina Vassileva sparkled throughout the recitatives as Drusilla..."
BARTOK / Duke Bluebeard's Castle (Blaubart Burg) as Judith
Opera, June 1998
"....veteran Victor Braun...and the excellent Svetelina Vassileva as the insistent Judith gave highly effective performances."
VERDI / Otello as Desdemona
Opera, February 1998
"The vocal highlights of the evening were all supplied by Svetelina Vassileva's lovely soprano, a voice of shining purity and creamy undertones easily able to ride the ensembles. Her portrayal of the humiliated Desdemona was almost unbearable in its poignancy...free of unwanted sentimentality."
PUCCINI / Turandot as Liù
The Toronto Star, October 3, 1997
"In the debuting Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vassileva, The Canadian Opera Company introduced yet another of its welcome East European discoveries, a singer with her heart on her voice."
Opera, January 1998
"The best performance of the evening came from Svetelina Vassileva's waif-like Liù, ravishingly sung and tragically portrayed."
FIBICH / Šárka as Šárka
Opera Now, January/February 1997
"Svetelina Vassileva's singing of Šárka simply had everything, so praise with no bounds for her, the vocal honours of the festival and a talent to look out for...."
Opera, January 1997
"Svetelina Vassileva, from the Sofia Opera (a Violetta, Leonora, Desdemona), was a shining young heroine, now tender, now fiery, steady and beautiful through all the range, rising through big phrases withouit strain or impurity."
FIBICH / Šárka as Šárka
Sunday Times, 1996
"....the young Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vassileva a thrilling dramatic soprano who...ought to be the name on every opera impresario's lips."
The Sunday Telegraph, October 27, 1996
"One came away spellbound by the thrillingly beautiful singing of the Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vassileva as Šárka, a performance by this fast-rising star to remember and cherish."
Punch, October 26, 1996
"Svetelina Vassileva, the Bulgarian soprano who sang the title role, must be one of the great operatic finds of the decade. It sounds to me as if she is ready to do just about anything - even Brünnhilde in the Temple of Tension. She has a huge, highly concentrated voice and a dynamic stage presence which proclaims her a massive star before she has even finished incanting her first phrase."
The Times, October 26, 1996
"The Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vassileva (Šárka) is a discovery on the Gorchakova scale: beautiful, sword-like soprano tone allied to real musical sensibility."
The Daily Telegraph, October 26, 1996
"My personal Palme d'Or goes to Svetelina Vassileva, a Bulgarian soprano who attacked the title role with fearless accuracy and total commitment...."
Opera News, February 8, 1997
"As Šárka, Svetelina Vassileva's strong, steely voice was equal to the heavy demands of the warrior maiden, but she also had warmth and lyricism for the love music."
Opera Canada, Spring 1997
"The electrifying voice and acting of Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vassileva had the festival agog."
The Belfast Newsletter, October 21, 1996
"The heroine, Svetelina Vassileva, in the title role is yet another intriguing and promising Bulgarian soprano whose delivery was beautifully rich and coloured with notable technique...."
The Spectator, October 1996
"Svetelina Vassileva, the Bulgarian soprano who sang the title role must be one of the great operatic finds of the decade. It sounds to me as if she is ready to do just about anything."
VERDI / Il Trovatore as Leonora
San Francisco Examiner, December 2, 1994
"She comports herself with dignity, floats a creamy pianissimo when necessary and binds notes in sweeping phrases in a manner that augers well for the future...."
