Press
IN THE NEWS
Voice Killer
THEATER AN DER WIEN
WORLD PREMIERE
Pauline/Military Cop
"Chief among the standouts was soprano Holly Flack as Pauline, the second of the killer’s three victims whose performance was exceptional. Her voice soared into the stratosphere with crystalline clarity, producing electric bell tones with ease. Her mastery of vocal color and control in the most extreme registers was virtuosic, yet never ostentatious. In a piece where the voice represents both agency and victim, Flack managed to embody both, capturing fragility and bravura in equal measure."
BACHTRACK
Animal Farm
WIENER STAATSOPER, FINNISH NATIONAL OPERA, DUTCH NATIONAL OPERA (WORLD PREMIERE)
Mollie
"The other coloratura soprano in the company, Holly Flack, stole the show—playing a coquettish mare—with her hysterically joyful exultation at being able to wear ribbons as a free horse. She is the only animal to escape the dictatorship of the pig Napoleon. She strikes up a romance with one of the farmers, Mr. Pilkington, a liaison depicted in a hilarious pantomime."
OPERA MAGAZINE
"The vain and silly mare Mollie was played by soprano Hollie Flack. The high-lying tessitura of the role proved to be well within her range as she skipped nimbly across the stage, often above the high C, without any strain whatsoever. Her tongue-in-cheek portrayal was wonderfully flirtatious."
OPERAWIRE
"Otherwise, the score frequently demands extreme high notes—especially from the vain, selfish mare Mollie: Holly Flack tosses her mane and prances about, all the while navigating the stratosphere above the Queen of the Night with virtuoso agility."
DIE PRESSE
"Neighing and displaying a remarkable coloratura soprano voice, Holly Flack makes her State Opera debut."
DIE DEUTSCHE BUHNE
"Except for those moments where, for instance, the coloratura of the mare Mollie (brilliantly portrayed by Holly Flack) meaningfully manifests itself in body language and interaction, it remains a lightweight work featuring an impeccable ensemble."
DER STANDARD
"We also applaud… the coquettish Mollie, whose eccentric coloratura is happily sung by Holly Flack, a soprano who effortlessly navigates such acrobatics while maintaining a miraculous purity of tone."
ANACLASE
"All the soloists form a homogeneous and highly effective ensemble, from the striking coloratura soprano Holly Flack (the mare Mollie) to the tenor…"
PREMIERELOGE-OPERA
"Standout performances come from… Holly Flack as the pretty white mare Mollie…"
ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN
"In another moment—a highly lyrical one, incidentally—where the young, flirtatious mare Mollie allows herself to be seduced by a neighboring farmer, the jazzy sounds Raskatov uses to depict this choice of “capitalism” are a true gem of musical irony, enhanced by the delightful performance of soprano Holly Flack."
SCHERZO AMSTERDAM
Il re pastore
ORPHEUSPDX
Elisa
"Alessandro wants Aminta to marry Tamiri, which... brings on temper tantrums, especially from Elisa (Flack) who can turn a scream into a string of high-register notes. Each soprano has an extended vocal range, but hers is the most impressive, and because Flack is such a good actress, she can bring drama–whether comedy or tragedy or in between–to the scene.”
OREGON ARTS WATCH
The Fall of the House of Usher
ORPHEUSPDX
Madeline
"Played slyly by Portland native and rising star Holly Flack as a noirish femme fatale, Madeline’s evocative vocalise provides a haunting presence. Plus she gets to unleash one of her famous high notes."
OREGON ARTS WATCH
"Soprano Holly Flack... was a dead ringer for a Hitchcock blonde with her hair twisted high around her head. She wandered the stage in a vivid red dress and makeup to match, singing notes without words in a kind of dreamy vocalise. Like Glass’s music as a whole, Flack’s vocal line was often a repetitive hum, and it was beautiful if uncanny–and not easy to do, though Flack was a violinist, which helped her remember notes without words. At one point, when she screamed, she reached a high A above a high C (she can go to high B above the A). Glass wrote the note lower, but Flack–who can reach extreme heights with her voice–sang the A an octave higher after consulting with conductor Michelle Rofrano, who obviously approved. Flack’s exacting high vocal range inspired yet another moment of chills and goosebumps."
OREGON ARTS WATCH
Dinorah
(Le pardon de Ploërmel)
AMORE OPERA
Dinorah
"7th Annual Excellence in Opera (aka the Freddie) Awards by Fred Plotkin Star-Making Performance: HOLLY FLACK sang the title role of Meyerbeer’s Dinorah at Amore Opera with astonishing fluidity and confidence. This work is seldom performed, in part because you must find the rare singer who can surmount the challenges of Dinorah’s music. Flack sang it as if it was her birthright."
WQXR
"Keep your eye and ear on Holly Flack. She’s easy on the eyes, she can dance and act and say ridiculous lines with total conviction. But the voice! An even, flexible, beautifully produced soprano, more womanly than the “canary” type, with excellent voice control, a genuine trill and a remarkable range, up to an A-flat in alt. Yes, you read that correctly: she knocked the house agog with an A-flat, not an ordinary D-flat, to conclude the Shadow Song."
PARTERRE BOX
"Standing out by virtue of her onstage charm and stratospherical extension was coloratura soprano Holly Flack. One could not have cast a better Dinorah than Ms. Flack whose instrument is gorgeous and judiciously employed to serve the character. Her performance of "Ombre légère", known as "The Shadow Song", took our breath away with such vocal fireworks that she made to appear easy."
VOCE DI MECHE
"In the title role, soprano Holly Flack showed the most explosive talent... her middle was all flowing warmth and she showed off rippling coloratura and effortless trills. She gave a brilliant account of “Ombre légère,” a nimble, tuneful show-aria reminiscent of “Il dolce suono” in its little duet between soprano and flute, and capped it with a searing high A-flat that she actually held."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
"On opening night, Holly Flack’s Dinorah unleashed a classic high-placed French light coloratura soprano with neat trills and accurate cadenzas in “Ombre légère,” capping the famous aria with a high A-flat above high C — shades of Mado Robin! Flack enacted the fey character with girlish charm."
GAY CITY NEWS
Carmina Burana
TOLEDO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Soprano Soloist
"Soprano Holly Flack delighted with a delicately crafted “In Virtute” ringing with passion. Her final “Dulcissime” flawlessly climbed to the extremes of her register and continued with effortless coloratura."
TOLEDO BLADE
Messiah
NEW AMSTERDAM OPERA
Soprano Soloist
"Soprano Holly Flack is someone to look out for. Radiant, perfect inner stillness, strong technique, a voice that will last. Gorgeous smile, her coloratura effortlessly floating on air. A mix of humility and grace, with some spice and spite."
ISENGART
Hamlet
OPERA ITHACA
Ophélie
"... her coloratura soprano defines the character."
ITHACA ENTERTAINMENT
The Magic Flute
FARGO-MOORHEAD OPERA, AMERICAN CHAMBER OPERA
Queen of the Night
"Coloratura soprano Holly Flack rules as Queen of the Night and wields an impressive two-octave range, effortlessly reaching higher than high notes in her fluttering, iconic aria. Rarely does a murderous plot sounded so delightful."
INFORUM
"... Holly Flack's brilliant coloratura added depth to the production."
CHICAGO CRITIC
