Press Comments on Alissa Grimaldi
Sacramento Union: “The highlight of the evening was indisputably the lyric soprano [Alissa] Grimaldi. Her presence on stage was electrifying, even before she sang a note of ‘Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod’ by Charles Griffes…. Grimaldi was fantastic. Her enunciation, singing in English, was clear, making the poems meaningful. Her vocal quality changed as the music changed.… Dramatically, her stage presence enhanced the meaning off the text. She didn’t use the songs as an excuse to demonstrate vocal gymnastics. She used her training and experience to make a living work of art from the notes on the paper. Every nuance of the poem was heard as well as seen. She is a rare jewel.”
Sacramento Bee on Alissa Grimaldi in Flower of the Mountain with the Camellia Symphony: Alissa Grimaldi is “a wonderful singer who used her warm pure soprano with a powerful fervor.”
Sacramento Union on Alissa Grimaldi in The Marriage of Figaro: Alissa Grimaldi was the “sparkling jewel and the center of the production. She is a pretty, dark-haired soprano who acted naturally. She is very good without relinquishing stylized opera convention. Her non-verbal asides to the audience, raised eyebrows, a wink, a glance, a blank look drew us into the action.”
Vallejo-Times Herald on Alissa Grimaldi in The Magic Flute: “Grimaldi is lovely to look at with a beautiful voice to match. She is an excellent actress who has total command of the stage whenever she is present. Her aria ‘Ach, Ich Fuhls’ in the second act was superb.”
Shasta College Lance on Alissa Grimaldi as Guest Soloist at Shasta College: “Grimaldi has extraordinary expressivity. Her ‘Pie Jesu’ was beautifully sung. Her power and range resounded throughout the hall and easily over the 60-voice choir in Rossini’s Inflammatus Est. She may be small in stature but big in resonance and energy.”
Ellsworth American of Maine on Alissa Grimaldi in The Magic Flute: Alissa Grimaldi as Pamina “literally brought the house down with her expressive and beautifully controlled singing.”
Bangor Daily News on Alissa Grimaldi in the St. John Passion: Alissa Grimaldi “performed the solos of Bach’s St. John Passion and made them memorable. She infused the arias with passion and soaring beauty. Produced smoothly, her lyric soprano is full and delicately textured. She has a trill that many a Metropolitan Opera singer would envy. Her art of shading is mastered so that what she sings has much meaning. In a word she communicates.”
Bangor Daily News on Alissa Grimaldi in West Side Story: Alissa Grimaldi’s “sensuous lyric voice was the highlight of the evening. She has a natural ease, gaiety and presence on the stage to which she was born. A consummate performer, she gives controlled, shaded and professional performance as Maria.”