“When the program is delicious and the soloists are superior, there’s nothing for an audience to do but sit back and enjoy.”
“Lovely soprano Michelle Areyzaga was soloist in the “Pie Jesu” portion and durable baritone Robert Orth sang the “Libera Me,” which referenced the terrors of the day of wrath (“dies irae.”) Both “Requiem” soloists are well known by area music fans and it was a pleasure to hear them.
“Areyzaga sang Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise with amazing ease, her incandescent voice wrapping around the luscious melody as if it had been written just for her. This soprano has always had a fine, pleasing voice and a gracious stage manner. But in the last few years, her voice has grown stronger, developing a rich, luminous quality, which leaves her audiences cheering for more.”
—Dorothy Andries – Evanston Review, Sun-Times News Group, June 1, 2009 (Soloist in Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” and Faure’s “Requiem”)