Russell Thomas Joins MET Orchestra on International Tour • Summer 2023
New York, London, Paris, Baden-Baden
Following a kickoff performance at Carnegie Hall, tenor Russell Thomas joined the MET Orchestra in their first international tour in more than two decades. Under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Russell brought his Otello to audiences at the Barbican Centre in London, the Philharmonie in Paris, and the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden.
Photo by Jonathan Tichler / The Metropolitan Opera
Photo by Evan Zimmerman / The Metropolitan Opera
Critical Acclaim
“Russell Thomas has a sonorous timbre that flows effortlessly through authoritarian outburstswith panache and freshness rarely heard from the singers at the end of the opera. Solid as a rock, he easily makes the last pages of ‘Niun mi tema’ more brilliant than painful.”
–Olyrix
“Thomas nailed it all with an exciting intensity, there was a real sense of both threat and then anguish in his singing.”
–New York Classical Review
“Thomas showed magnificent interpretations as Otello. He alternated from violent to overwhelmed with a sober quality.”
–ResMusica
“This was the complete package. Vocal honors in the second half include Thomas’s raging Moor.”
–The Guardian
“Thomas sang with great solidity and vigor: the metal of the voice, the projection are well worthy of an Otello, and ‘Niun mi tema’ is phrased with a beautiful eloquence.”
–Forum Opera
“This concert was one of the hottest tickets in town with a stellar line-up of vocal soloists including Thomas. He used his virile tenor as Otello to telling effect.”
–MusicOMH
“Thomas shone on stage. As Otello, mad with jealousy, he presented his straightforward, powerful tenor.”
–Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“Thomas sang with heartbreaking beauty. In a performance of power and pathos, he convincingly communicated the character’s inner torment.”
–Seen and Heard International
“Remarkable performance by Thomas. The tenor lends his solid and powerful voice to the character of Otello ravaged by jealousy.”
–Classykeo
“Thomas dominated the stage with a voice that felt simultaneously penetrating and soothing in its power and beauty. Each note seemed to come from the depths of his soul to combine into a composition of passion, pride, and despair. His voice, like a carefully hammered bronze bell, resonated. His ability to blend the powerful and gentle aspects of his voice made his portrayal of Otello so unique.”
–Wochenblatt Reporter