Review

"It was easy to believe this Juliet’s distress, as Dina Kuznetsova poured out her emotions in a stream of melody and coloratura that was a joy to hear."               S & H Opera Review

" "She sings with elegance and imagination... and her Juliet is a dream."                The Telegraph, London

"As Juliet, young Dina Kuznetsova proved a wonderful discovery, adding a whole repertoire of pathos-laden period airs and graces to her exquisitely tinted vocalisation and delicate phrasing, playing out the role as if in a fully-staged performance. "                David Murray,  October 9 2003,  London, Financial Times

"Dina has a spectacular voice, but she has something else, a direct communication with the audience. It's something that arises from her humanity, something you can't learn."                 Richard Pearlman, Director of Lyric Opera Center for American Artists

"The cast is led by Dina Kuznetsova, the stunning Russian soprano who is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after singers in the world. She projects the kind of voice that anticipates an important career ahead of her: fluid coloratura, beautiful line and impressive power in the high register.”                 Janelle Gelfand, The Cincinnati Enquirer

"The most interesting of the principals is soprano Dina Kuznetsova, that registers feeling with frighening immediacy.”                 Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

"There is, within a soprano's reach, a sequence of sounds, absolutely pure tones, which elevate and inspire. Dina Kuznetsova's voice rose to that pitch and stayed, beauteously poignant. Especially moving was her duet with her father, Rigoletto, played by the impeccable and masterful baritone, William Stone. Kuznetsova sang so beautifully, her voice reminded me of Maria Callas singing Saint Saens' "My Heart Moves at the Sound of His Voice" from Sampson & Dehlia, recorded live in Lisbon, Portugal. What human heart wouldn't soar when a soprano nails the tune?"                   William M. Connolly,  OperaOnline.us

"Dina Kuznetsova, making her debut in the role of Violetta, was impressive. It's a voice with a certain amount of meat in it, and she used it with intelligence and dramatic flair."                   Timothy  Mangan, Opera News, August 2005

"Dina Kuznetsova  has a captivating personality which recently wowed the hearts of the city of Chicago  when she sang the title role in the Lyric Opera’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen."                    John DeMain,  Artistic Director Opera Pacific

"Russian lyric soprano Dina Kuznetsova is adorable as the Vixen. She can act and sing, and is able to carry off the tortuous high tessitura of the role with astonishing ease. She is clearly a talent on a meteoric trajectory."                     Paula Citron,  Chicago Opera Review

"Kuznetsova brought a strong soprano and nimble antics to the role of the Vixen."                     Wynne Delacoma,  Chicago Sun-Times

"Soprano Dina Kuznetsova, as the vixen, is his nemesis and inspiration.  Her arias are like heightened folk songs. Kuznetsova lavishes upon them subtle colors, pliant dynamics and a legato that binds the notes into melodies as palpable as flesh and earth."                      Tom  Strini,  Journal Sentinel Nov. 18, 2004

"With her luscious, wide-ranging soprano, Kuznetsova makes an irresistibly feisty and charming Vixen, agile of limb as well as voice, scurrying around without missing a beat of her music; this is her great breakout role at Lyric."."                      John von Rhein,  Chicago Tribune

"Soprano Dina Kuznetsova, accompanied by Derek Han, was a splendid soloist, singing with fervor and beautifully judging the small hall's acoustics -- each vocal attack was scaled for maximum impact without a hint of oversinging."                      Joshua Kosman,  San Francisco Chronicle

"When soprano Dina Kuznetsova begins singing, all the tawdriness of the sets vanishes, every vice becomes a virtue. That, of course, is why opera still thrives. A voice like Kuznetsova's, young and fresh and supple, sparkling with flashing brilliance, capable of power without harshness, with a softness that is still clearly audible, and with room to grow into a great instrument, is what brings audiences into the hall."                      John Farrell, Correspondent  U-Press Telegram

"Gilda was sung by Russian soprano Dina Kuznetsova, who at every moment embodied the grace and innocence of her character. Her voice was bell-like, shining and clear and blended smoothly in duets first with her father and later with the Duke. Her solo, the charming "Caro nome," which is sung while she still believes the Duke is a student, was a tour de force. First she sprawled on her little bed like a schoolgirl, then danced around her room, all the while displaying a thrilling vocal stamina, with runs and trills to spare"                     Dorothy Andries,  Classical Music Critic, Pioneer Press Online

"The prettiest voice is Dina Kuznetsova’s. She gilds Gilda’s famous "Caro nome" ("Dear name") with exquisite pianissimo trills""                     Lloid Schwartz,  The Boston Phoenix "The role of Violetta represents one of the supreme vocal and dramatic challenges to an opera singer. The Lyric's Dina Kuznetsova is a lyric soprano who comes into her own in the quiet, intimate passages, singing the great duet of renunciation in the second act and nearly all of the death scene with glowing tones, strength of feeling, and delicacy of expression."                     Richard Dyer,  The Boston Globe, April 2006 "Russian soprano Kuznetsova seemed to inhabit Violetta’s persona with her extraordinary command of one of opera’s most challenging roles. A singing actress of remarkable gifts, Kuznetsova used her supple, lustrous soprano with polished technique and resourceful, expressive nuance. Her voice rang strongly and accurately without a hint of wobble throughout the evening and she showed individuality of phrasing and detail. No vocal demands seemed beyond her, from the coloratura acrobatics and high notes of Act I to the dramatic confrontations of Act II and the Act III death scene in which she artfully used a voice drained of color. And Kuznetsova seemed able to sing from any physical position. For example, she began the Act I bravura aria ‘‘Sempre libera’’ while sitting and daringly ended it by slowly retreating, back to the audience, to the rear of the stage. At the end, she made you want to weep for Violetta’s plight, ending with a dramatic dying fall to the floor."                      Peter Knapp, The Patriot Ledger, April 2006

"Soprano Dina Kuznetsova was compelling as Violetta Valery, her big, beautiful voice capable of negotiating both intricate coloratura passages and bel-canto legato. "                      Mark Kroll,  April 2006

"Dina Kuznetsova steals the show in Verdi's, La Traviata, performed by the Boston Lyrical Opera. As the courtesan, Violetta Valery, Kuznetsova moves, sings, and acts with such talent that to define what she does as a performer is tantamount to defining what makes Monet such a great painter. It is impossible to know if Kuznetsova is moving or dancing, singing or speaking, acting or being when she performs. She is beautiful. Her voice is an endless tap. She has brilliant stage presence. Kuznetsova sets the tone of the performance; when Violetta is happy, the audience is happy; when Violetta is sad, the audience is sad. Kuznetsova is humble too; she acquiesces when Violetta is not the center of attention. Best of all, Kuznetsova is entirely convincing; she is Violetta. "                      Andy Metzger, The Mass Media, April 10, 2006

" Kuznetsova created a harrowing portrait that was subtle, elegant and touching. In the opera’s final act, she became both ghost and angel; as she struggled to catch her breath, the audience held theirs. Vocally, Kuznetsova met the role’s demands with command and true presence. She tossed off the coloratura with brilliance and agility, and in Act II’s “Dite alla giovine” and “Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core” she called up a reservoir of deep feeling, longing and emotional fragility."                      Wayman Chin , Opera News, June, 2006

"Kuznetsova's extraordinary vocal range and power - she tosses off cadenzas as casually as earrings after a long night out partying, while moments later she belts out anguished yelps when forced to part from her unrivaled lover - merely leads this production's many splendid charms. "                      James A.Lopata, In Newsweekly, April 12, 2006

"There can be no doubt Dmitri Shostakovich's "Seven Romances on Poems by Aleksandr Blok" was familiar to almost no one in the audience. Yet the power of this lean and intense music, setting poetry of great tragic weight, held us transfixed as various combinations of instruments shared the stage with a dark and powerful Russian text conveyed by a soprano voice. Dina Kuznetsova possesses a vocal instrument of exceptional richness and power, muscular enough to soar through the wide range of this angular music and flexible enough to provide shadings of color and dynamics admirably suited to the emotional texts."                      Richard Storm, Herald-Tribune.com, April 21, 2006

"With the first two notes out of her made-for-singing mouth, soprano Dina Kuznetsova absolutely wowed SummerFest listeners. The first was mellow midrange springboard, and the second, a melting, high pianissimo.With the first two notes out of her made-for-singing mouth Aug. 11, soprano Dina Kuznetsova absolutely wowed SummerFest listeners. The first was mellow midrange springboard, and the second, a melting, high pianissimo."                     Charlene Baldridge, La Jolla Village News, August 17, 2006

"The Gounod work returned to Lyric Opera on Monday night in a handsome production borrowed from the Los Angeles Opera that showcased two major homegrown talents, tenor Matthew Polenzani and soprano Dina Kuznetsova, as the star-crossed lovers. Each is a product of the Lyric's training wing (which recently changed its name to the Ryan Opera Center), and it's wonderful to behold how far each has come artistically. We take them to our hearts immediately because they really look and sound like the desperately-in-love adolescents as originally conceived by Shakespeare. Both Kuznetsova and Polenzani sang splendidly, and their blending of voices, always secure, made the refinements of Gounod's vocal writing fall gracefully on the ear."                     John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, November 21, 2006

"The only pause for breath is Lauretta’s song, showcasing the lovely Dina Kuznetsova in an auspicious Royal Opera debut."                     Andrew Clark, Financial Times, April 01, 2007

" Singing that one well-known aria from the opera, Dina Kuznetsova gives a sufficiently sweet account of O Mio Babbino Caro"                      The Times, April 02, 2007

" The performances are superb (Covent Garden, Gianni Schicchi). Russian-born soprano Dina Kuznetsova is sparky and winsome as Schicchi's daughter Lauretta, and she sings ``O mio babbino caro'' with winning charm. "                      Warwick Thompson, Bloomberg, April 03, 2007

"Fresh Young voices like those of Saimir Pirgu and Dina Kuznetsova as the young lovers brighten the ensemble.(Covent Garden, Gianni Schicchi)"                      Edward Seckerson, Independent UK, April 03, 2007

"Dina Kuznetsova managed to make Lauretta’s famous O Mio Bambino Caro into more than a mere ‘lollypop’ which is never easy. (Covent Garden, Gianni Schicchi)"                      Keith McDonnell, April 05, 2007

"Soprano Dina Kuznetsova ran away with the opera Saturday, singing with a supple line, silvery lyricism and refined ornamentation that illuminated Gounod's gossamer French idiom the way a sunbeam reveals the delicate intricacies of a spider web. She glided gracefully through the opera but with enough backbone and stamina to morph from girlish teen to an erotically awakened woman willing to give her life for love. (Michigan Opera Theatre, "Romeo and Juliet," )"                      Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press, June 04, 2007

"Some of the singers are exeptional in all respects, one of them being Juliet, performed by Russian-American singer Dina Kuznetsova on opening night. She manages to convince the audience of her youth as well as her emotional sincerity (Michigan Opera Theatre, "Romeo and Juliet" )"                      Ruth Crystal-Zaromp, The Monitor, June 07, 2007

"Dina Kuznetsova, an outstanding Pamina, is blessed with a beautiful sound and an expressive sensibility. (San-Francisco Opera, "Magic Flute" )"                       Anna Carol Dudley, San-Francisco Classical Voice, October 16, 2007

"Soprano Dina Kuznetsova was a poignant Pamina, her dark, sumptuous tone lending an air of majesty to the performance. (San-Francisco Opera, "Magic Flute" )"                        Joshua Kosman, San-Francisco Chronicle Music Critic, October 15, 2007

"Dina Kuznetsova sang gloriously as Tatyana, her honeyed lyric soprano glowing and idiomatically responsive to text and music alike. The Letter Scene was beautifully done and earned a huge ovation from an appreciative audience. (Lyric Opera of Chicago, "Eugene Onegin" )"                        Mark Thomas Ketterson, ConcertoNet.com, March, 2008

"As Tatyana, Dina Kuznetsova augmented her fine musicianship with an earnestness and sincerity that made her role as believable as Hvorostovsky's Onegin. Kuznetsova's phrasing was remarkable in both expressing the music and shaping the text. Her range of dynamics, articulations, and vocal color gave the familiar number a rare sense of dimensionality - in fact, the audience for this Lyric premiere almost seemed to breathe with her in this scene, and burst into an almost instantaneous applause at its conclusion. (Lyric Opera of Chicago, "Eugene Onegin" )"                       James L Zychowicz, Seen and Heard International Opera Review , March, 2008

"Eugene Onegin's emotional centerpiece is the so-called "letter scene" in Act 1. When the youthful Tatyana pours out her love, in writing, for Onegin, Kuznetsova handles this lengthy aria beautifully. Later, Kuznetsova is equally as convincing in her rejection scene. (Lyric Opera of Chicago, "Eugene Onegin" )"                        Bill Goven, Daily Herald Classical Music Critic, March 2, 2008

"Dina Kuznetsova proved an abundantly satisfying Tatyana. The letter aria was impulsive and girlishly rendered, and a finely calibrated diminuendo in the final scene was one of the vocal glories of the evening. (Lyric Opera of Chicago, "Eugene Onegin" )"                       Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, May, 2008

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