Bruce Ford - Press Clips

	Bruce Ford

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As Antenore in Zelmira (Rossini) at the Edinburgh Festival
'As the villainous usurper Antenore, the tenor Bruce Ford confirmed his credentials as a pre-eminent Rossinian, matching clear, virile tone to deep musicianship.' John Allison (The Times, September 2, 2003)
As Cellini in Benvenuto Cellini (Berlioz) at the Albert Hall London (Proms)
'...the cast was led by a near-ideal Cellini in Bruce Ford, who treated us to some exquisite head-voiced high notes.' Hugh Canning (the Sunday Times, August 24, 2003)
As Uriel in The Creation (Haydn) at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York
'Bruce Ford's lyric tenor was both eloquent and elegant in the music of Uriel. ' Martin Bernheimer (Financial Times, August 27, 2003)
As Pirro in 'Ermione' (Rossini) at Carnegie Hall
'Tenor Bruce Ford returned to the role of Pirro, which he'd sung in Dallas; like Tsirakidis, he profited from the superior acoustics at Carnegie and from his recent immersion in his role, singing with tonal beauty and persuasive characterization.' William V. Madison (Opera News, August 2003)
For the Opera Rara CD 'Zaira' by Mercadante
'Such music is food and drink to Bruce Ford. He has been heard so often in Opera Rara rarities, always with pleasure. Here he joins (Alastair) Miles in the duet 'Ei geme, sospira' with its many delightful touches, and is Majella Cullagh's partner in 'Segui, deh! segui a piangere', its melody a thing of limpid beauty, its accompaniment full of lovely undulations and the clarinet contributing sextuplet figures near the end. It is not just in the 'fireworks' that Ford makes a fine impression with his well-shaped phrasing.' John T. Hughes, International Record Review, May 2003
'Bruce Ford's responsive, supple, big-boned tenor continues to amaze for both its range and fluidity.....If you love Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, this will drive you wild with joy.' Robert Levine, Classics Today, June 2003
Tenor Bruce Ford, as Zaira's brother....manages a credible synthesis of strength and sensitivity in his scenes with both Miles & Cullagh....Mercadante emerges as a distinctive, inspired creative artist, not just a stepping stone from Rossini to Verdi. Future installments in this series merit close attention. Joshua Rosenblum, Opera News, July 2003
For the Opera Rara CD 'La Rimembranza'
This is volume five in Opera Rara's Il Salotto series, and while the first four were entertaining, enlightening, and a sheer delight, to this one we might add the word "spectacular" .........A song for tenor by Verdi, dated 1843, is beautifully sung by Bruce Ford.............This CD is perfect--a glorious evening's entertainment. Robert Levine, Classics Today, March 2003 (10/10)
"As we have come to expect from this series, the connecting themes (in this case, the salons of Milan and of transplanted Italians in London ) the program booklet and selections themselves...are terrific....The diamond here is a recently discovered romanza by Verdi...This splendid song, saturated with grief, is perfectly suited to the dark voice and elegant phrasing of tenor Bruce Ford, who also brings an authoritive Italian sound, ingratiating diminduendos and emotional command to both Io ti vidi, by Brazilian composer Gomes....and Odi d'un uom che muore, a setting by Count Marco Aurelio Marliani of a somber text that also inspired Donizetti and Rossini"
Judith Malafronte, Opera News, July 2003
For the Opera Rara CD 'Meyerbeer in Italy'
" Bruce Ford excels himself in Adriano's terrific display piece from IL CROCIATO, 'Queste destre l'acciaro di morte': he rises to the technical challenges yet remains a musician and a master of enunciation." Richard Law, Opera, March 2003
"The other great delight of the disc is the singing. Meyerbeer's vocal line, like Rossini's, is written for virtuosi, and that, almost without exception, is a description to which the soloists can each lay claim. Eash has to negotiate passage-work of a kind that half a century ago would have made everybody shake their head and say it couldn't be done by 'today's' singers. Bruce Ford, particularly, performs wonders in the revised (Trieste) version of Crociato.." John Steane, Gramophone, February 2003
"Opera Rara's skill lies as much in its casting as in its scholarship and tenacity in unearthing forgotten masterpieces. Bruce Ford shows off the breathtaking agility and lucent steadfastness of his upper register in the excerpts from Il Crociato...." Claire Wrathall, BBC Music Magazine, March 2003
"Two of these are Rossinian bravura arias -- one for tenor brilliantly negotiated by Bruce Ford (the most accomplished singer in this collection).... Robert Croan, Opera News, March 2003
As Leicester in Opera Rara's recording of Rossini's 'Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra'
'Bruce Ford's Leicester is heroically sung. He has both the agility and the top notes to do the role proud.........No fan of great singing or early 19th-century opera should be without this.' Robert Levine, Classics Today.
'..he is a master of text and nuance and of an agile technique always subordinate to musical intelligence.' Richard Law, 'Opera', December 2002.
"Bruce Ford's Leicester offers a tenor sound much warmer than we usually hear in this repertoire, a fine way with narrative, and the ability to show off low notes as well as high ones. " William R. Braun, Opera News, March 2003
'Bruce Ford's tasteful yet exciting singing as Leicester ..' John Allison, BBC Music Magazine, February 2003

As the Duke de Lavarenne in Opera Rara's concert performance of Meyerbeer's Margherita d'Anjou at the Royal festival Hall in London, November 2, 2002:
'..Bruce Ford negotiated the high-lying tessitura of the role of the Duke of Lavarenne with customary aplomb.', Barry Millington. The Evening Standard, November 4, 2002
'Annick Massis' Margherita and Bruce Ford's Lavarenne express desire and ambition in coloratura of lethal precision.', Tim Ashley, The Guardian, November 4, 2002
'Tenor Bruce Ford was untiring and impressive in his formidable role as the Duke of Lavarenne.' Peter Graham Woolfe,Opera Critic (on the web), November 4, 2002

As Tito in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, September 2002:: 'Tito must be an absolute joy to cast and the Royal Opera deserve praise for assembling the most outstanding lineup this opera has enjoyed in my recent experience. Often it's the case that this opera comes across as a ladies' night, since Tito's clemency makes him seem a bit of wimp. Bruce Ford was having none of that, investing his character with a capricious nature, almost manipulative in his intent to expose his enemy's weaknesses. His effortlessly spun legato was a true joy.', Phill Ward, Opera Now, January/February 2003
: "The cast was excellent; it would be hard - if not impossible - to locate better singers for these roles today. Bruce Ford sang his first Tito, not only negotiating the coloratura with assurance but conveying the emotional isolation and blend of anger and incomprehension that characterize the Emperor's discovery of his friend's betrayal.", George Hall, Opera America, December 2002
: "Così all'improviso il carattere di Tito nelle mani di un eccellente Bruce Ford assume nuovo spessore, e non è più una statua classica intoccabile da ogni umano sentimento: enfasi, fraseggio, dinamica, colore sono considerazioni che non appartengono più solo alle arie, ma a tutto il testo" , Barbara Diana, Giornale della Musica, Sept. 10, 2002
: "The story of Emperor Titus’s clemency, shown towards conspirators whom he had trusted, is a noble one, and Bruce Ford certainly brings nobility to the title role. His focused, lucent tenor is tailored to the part, and he shapes the phrases strongly while showing benevolent presence ", John Allison, The Times, Sept. 10, 2002
: ".....the amply humane Titus of Bruce Ford, to whom the musical manners of this opera seria are second nature...", Andrew Clements, The Guardian, Sept. 10, 2002
: "Bruce Ford was on fine vocal form as Tito and made the character less of a stuffed shirt than usual." Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, Sept. 10, 2002
: "Bruce Ford, so memorable in the title role of the Royal Opera's Mitridate, returned to play a Tito of similar authority..... his sense of style remains impeccable.", Richard Fairman, Opera, November 2002

For the Opera Rara CD 'Tyrants and Lovers': "The third new item is Bruce Ford's outstanding account of a revenge aria from Torquato Tasso, sung with moving fire and intelligence........ Ford agains shines in a fine duet from Pacini's Maria with the excellent Miricioiu, the two singers playing to each other with notable give and take."Richard Law, Opera, November 2002
For his Opera Rara CD 'Carlo di Borgogna': "Once again Opera Rara has come to the rescue, allowing us further material to evaluate the work of one of the most prolific composers of 19th century Italian opera. Totally unsuccessful in its time, the reception of Carlo di Borgogna pushed Pacini into a temporary retirement that lasted five years. This should not lead one to think that Carlo is a dud, far from it. The music is exciting, full of dramatic confrontations, so that the duets are paramount. The singers are all up to the not inconsiderable demands of the work, with special praise for Bruce Ford in the title role and Jennifer Larmore as the wronged damsel. Elizabeth Futral is excellent as the other wronged lady, though the role may be one size to large for her resources. If you are familiar with other operas by Pacini, or if the non-RBDV repertoire of Italian repertory of the first half of the 19th century calls out to your intellectual curiosity, you will not be disappointed.", Joel Kasow, Culturekiosque, July 2002
: " Ford is the tenor mainstay of Opera Rara. His voice is ..mellifluous, elegantly produced and musical... This is a must album for voice lovers ." T. Hashimoto, San Francisco Examiner, Nov. 5, 2002
: "Bruce Ford takes the name-part, his tone virile, runs and gruppetti delivered with fluency we used to be told had disappeared with singers of the golden age", John Steane, Gramophone, October 2002
: "Texan Bruce Ford again proves himself a terrific, big-sounding bel canto tenor, able to negotiate both intricate and exclamatory music, and never afraid of heights. As the man everyone seems to be in love with, he's both heroic and ardent.", Robert Levine, Classics Today, July 2002
: "With this never before recorded opera, Giovanni Pacini has created a series of extraordinary dramatic situations clothed in some of the most glorious and demanding vocal writing of the 19th century. Not to be missed! "Vitaminic.com, July 2002
: "As Carlo, Bruce Ford has the baritonal strength that apparently formed part of the vocal armoury of Domenico Donzelli, protagonist at the premiere, but Ford's upper register still securely rings out, especially in his aria 'Del Leone di Borgogna' which he had previously recorded on a recital CD.........Something really outstanding will be needed to prevent this from being my Record of the Year." John T. Hughes, International Record Review, October 2002
: "Bruce Ford, a much neglected, tenor who specialises in Rossini and other bel canto composers is superb. He owns the part as if he were creating it - there is confidence, skill and supreme musicality in his performances. " Daniel Somerville, Q-online, September 2002
: As Leicester in Rossini's Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra, at Banqueting House, London, March 24, 2002; The Times - March 27, 2002, Rodney Milnes

" The problems posed by the two high-flying tenor roles kept Elisabetta from the stage for generations. Today we have singers who can manage them. And it's not just high-flying: for Leicester it's the bottom C's as much as the top C's that are so challenging. Bruce Ford, pre-eminent among today's Rossini tenors, was on marvellous form, especially in his beautiful prison aria.": Musica - May 2002, Stephen Hastings
"Altrettanto ammirevole è stato Bruce Ford nel ruolo di Leicester,che sembra scritto appositamente per la sua voce e che mette in evidenza il fraseggio nobilmente scolpito, la richezza timbrica dell'ottava inferiore e la sicurezza delle occasionali salite ai Si e Do acuti. Grazie a queste doti, la scena del carcere è diventato il punto focale dell'intero dramma."
As Tito in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at Minneapolis/St.Paul, January 2002
Opera News, May 2002, John Koopman: " As the Emperor Titus, tenor Bruce Ford was superb. His voice is ideal for the role, his musical taste and style are impeccable, and his dramatic portrayal of the ruler was intense and moving. In the final test for a great Titus, he sang the flashing coloratura of the notoriously difficult aria "Se all'impero" brilliantly."
As Argirio in Rossini's Tancredi at Teatro Malibran, Venice, October 2001
Opera- February 2002, Max Loppert: "as Argirio we did have Bruce Ford, whose singing, bronzed, brilliant and unstrained in the high tessitura, and commanding stage address, aided by - as ever - first-rate Italian utterance, took us to the highest level of Rossini performance."

For his Opera Rara CD 'Bruce Ford - Serious Rossini'
Classics Today, Robert Levine
'His is a wonderful voice, ideally suited to the heroic roles of Rossini: wide-ranged with bright, big, well-placed top notes--to high C and above, occasionally--and a baritonal, full, rich quality reaching two octaves below. His agility is stunning, and his innate musicality for those odd Rossinian rhythms, his ability to spin out long, legato lines in the more introspective (but no less challenging) cavatinas, and his fine mezza voce are equally impressive.....As an intro to Ford, this is worthy; if you don't know Rossini's serious operas, this is a must.'
Fanfare - January/February 2002, Joel Kasow: "Opera Rara's newest offering, 'Bruce Ford - Serious Rossini', is a must for Rossinians and tenor lovers......Ford's virile approach to Rossini is noteworthy for its accuracy and expressivity........indicate that Ford is these days unsurpassable in this repertoire."
Opera News - January 2002, Joanne Sydney Lessner: "Bruce Ford is a serious Rossinian. His warm, robust tenor is equipped with
a secure, ringing top as well as virile low notes, and he sings with generosity, clarity and finesse. "
As Rinaldo in Rossini's Armida at the Edinburgh Festival, August 2001: Opera - October 2001, Rodney Milnes; "And the performance was bursting at the seams with tenors. Bruce Ford, on top form, made light of Rinaldo's over-two-octave range and technical demands - truly virtuoso singing."
: As Bajazet in Handel's Tamerlano at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, May 2001
(production awarded the 'Premio Abbati' 2001 of the Italian press)
Financial Times - May 23, 2001, Luciano Chianese: "As the defeated Turkish sultan Bajazet, Bruce Ford was the dominant voice on stage, displaying remarkable vocal control and a sensitive approach to the music. "
: L'Opera - June/July 2001, Davide Annachini; "....Sara Mingardo, Andronico di ottimo rilievo e intensita, come lo e stato il Bajazet di Bruce Ford, tenore di rara intelligenza interpretativa, che soprattutto nella sua aria finale ha dato prova di superbe qualita artistiche.
: "La Stampa - May 14, 2001, Sandro Cappelletto; "Su tutti, spicca Bruce Ford, protagonista come Bajazet, uno dei primi ruoli tenorili di cui abbiamo memoria: lui lo restituisce con controllata passione, varieta di accenti, nobile presenza scenica."
: Il Gazzettino - May 10, 2001, Mario Messinis; "...Bajazet, uno stupendo Bruce Ford. .....chi dimostra une eccellente controllo della voce, accurato nelle agilita come nei dolenti contabili...."


As Don Ottavio in the 2000 /2002 Glyndebourne production of Don Giovanni: Opera News - November 2000, George Hall; "...but the one singer who consistently flew the flag of Mozartean excellence in Glyndebourne's best tradition was Bruce Ford as Don Ottavio. ..........he delivered an impeccably stylish 'Il mio tesoro', with every sixteenth note perfectly in place. A considered stage actor, he paid careful attention to text, and he was unfazed even when Vick had him enter in drag for the trio of masks."
: The Guardian - May 20, 2002, Tim Ashley (for the 2002 revival)
"... ensemble standards are high......Bruce Ford's unusually intense Ottavio.... ": The Times, Rodney Milnes, May 21, 2002 (for the 2002 revival); "....... Bruce Ford was in his most mellifluous voice - Il mio tesoro the high point of the evening..."


As Otello in the Opera Rara Recording 'Otello' (Rossini): Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times , January 16, 2000 (Record of the Week):
"the superbly athletic tenor of Bruce Ford has been neglected by the multinational labels, but here he reveals himself as a Rossinian without equal today; his burnished tone ..... is distinctive and his artistry puts more celebrated young tenors in the shade. He is especially moving in the final scene with Elizabeth Futral's radiant Desdemona.": Michael Kennedy, the Sunday Telegraph, January 16, 2000:
"Bruce Ford sings Otello and gives a compelling display of bel canto as well as a powerful projection of the character.": The Guardian, January 7, 2000:
"Bruce Ford confirms his position as one of the finest Rossini tenors of the present day": Joel Kasow, Fanfare, May 2000:
"Bruce Ford's engagement and perception are matched by the vocal authority he brings to the title role, from a low A to the C more than two octaves higher.": Joel Kasow, Culturekiosque, August 25, 2000:
"Bruce Ford in the title role once again demonstrates why he is the major Rossini tenor..": Diana Leva, Clasica Dischi:
"E punte ottime. Nell'Otello di Bruce Ford, per cominciare: una prestazione in bilico tra baritono e tenore tra le più difficili, e resa con equilibrio squisito di fraseggio, di timbro, di accento."
As Edgardo in the Sony recording Lucia di Lammermoor: Stereophile - November 1998, Robert Levine
" ..the reason I'll hold onto this recording and listen to it again is the performance by Texan-born tenor Bruce Ford as Edgardo. It is the most ardent, eloquent graceful singing of the role I've ever heard: in the past, the caressing in the love duet, the rage in the sextet, the hopelessness in the Tomb Scene have sounded genuine to me only in the mouth of Carlo Bergonzi (Yes, I know, di Stefano, Pavarotti, and the rest - but listen to this before you disagree). Ford has been mostly passed over by American record companies, but his recordings of the bel canto operas on the Opera Rara label are easily obtainable, and I recommend them. There, as here, his voice rings out with an easy top (he takes the written high E-flat with Lucia's C at the close of the love duet), and you can define "legato" by listening to him. Ravishing!"
As Otello at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, January 2000: The Sunday Times, Hugh Canning, February 6, 2000
"But the performance was dominated by the towering figure and voice of Bruce Ford, the only really possible casting for this nearly impossible role today. ........he sings throughout with a burnished, baritonal tone and quite astonishing agility, and he bestrides the stage with the nobility and authority of the Shakespearian model. For this superlative vocal and histrionic performance, Rossini's Otello is not be missed at Covent Garden."
The Independent, Edward Seckerson, February 2, 2000: "The American Bruce Ford (Otello) is a Rossini specialist of real stature, as sure in the vocal enticements as in the fiery coloratura. And it's a beautiful timbre, critically strong in the middle register and bright but never strident at the top."
The Guardian, Tim Ashley, February 2, 2000: "Bruce Ford negotiates this terrifying range (two and a half octaves. ed) with consummate ease and minimal showiness, underpinning his vocalism with a sense of volcanic emotion."

The Times, Rodney Milnes, February 2, 2000
"Bruce Ford has made the enigmatic title role his own. It is enigmatic in that it almost sounds as if you need a baritone (it goes very low) but one who can fling off top C's as well. All this Ford can do with ease, and he was in exceptionally warm, strong voice on Monday."
The Observer, Fiona Maddox, February 6, 2000: "the incomparable Rossinian Bruce Ford.."

As Scipio in the Naive recording of Il Sogno di Scipione (Mozart)
Alex Morin in Audiophile, May 2001
'Bruce Ford, probably today's best Mozart and Rossini tenor, presents a forthright and noble Scipio'
Stanley Sadie in Gramophone, May 2001:: '...the role of Scipio is particularly appealingly sung by Bruce Ford, with graceful and shapely lines and nicely shaded tone, with a hint of the heroic in the resolute final aria...'


As Almuzir in the Opera Rara recording 'Zoraida di Granata' (Donizetti): l'Opera - November 1999, Giancarlo Landini; 'Bruce Ford stands out among the singers in the cast...........Ford today has the technique to face and solve all the problems of this vocal writing. But there is more. He has gained a stylistic dimension that allows him to phrase and accent the music in a way that gives dramatic strength to the poetic text, and allows him to sketch the role of the wicked and evil Almuzir in a very convincing way.'

As Enrico in the Opera Rara recording Maria de Rudenz: Fanfare - March/April 1999, David Johnson; '...this Maria de Rudenz is mostly all one wishes it to be, with a splendid Enrico in tenor Bruce Ford (who grows in artistic stature and vocal heft with each new recording),

As Idomeneo in Idomeneo, Lyon: Lyon Figaro, November 20, 1999, Gerard Corneloup
'....the cast was dominated by a great distance by the tenor Bruce Ford, perfect in his musicality, virtuosity and ease in the title role. The art of the trill is not an empty phrase with him!'

As Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia: L'Opera ~ September 1997, Marcello Cervello-Eroles; Bruce Ford sung with perfect style and impeccable musicality -- but why was he not allowed to sing the 'Cessa di piu resistere', which would not have been any problem for him?'

As Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at Edinburgh Festival:: The Times ~ August 20, 1997, Rodney Milnes; Bruce Ford seems set to inherit the mantle of Alfredo Kraus in this repertory: his musicianship and the way he lives every single line of the role places him on that exalted level.

For the London recital debut at St. John's Smith Square: OPERA ~ July 1997, Max Loppert; Bruce Ford's first London recital was a considerable success. From his British appearances in Rossini and Mozart we already knew him to possess distinctive qualities of voice and musicianship, intelligence, and a secure, well-schooled technique. To the more exposed (and therefore sometimes more revealing) conditions of a song-recital the voice stood up very well indeed; but what left the strongest impression was the Texan tenor's directness of approach. His genuine keenness to put across the dramatic context and emotional content of a song, not just its audience..... In description it may sound A Bit Much; in practice, it seemed just right, most of the time, because the enactments were based on consistently high vocal achievement - lovely, long-held tenuti, fine spun messi di voce, subtle variations of tone colour and dynamics - and because Mr. Ford is so patently sincere, outgoing, and imaginative a performer...... Un vero artista, indeed!

As Enrico in the Opera Rara recording Rosmonda d'Inghilterra
Opera Rara Records: Opernwelt ~ 1997, R. Tiedemann; The women find a congenial partner in Bruce Ford who as Enrico once again shows with his shining, secure tenor that he is capable of daring feats and that he has very little competition to fear in this repertoire at the moment.; Classical Pulse! ~ April/May 1997 by Robert Levine; Bruce Ford's Enrico is stunning - he's a real bel canto tenor with potency and range.
As Agorante in the Opera Rara recording Ricciardo e Zoraide
Opera Rara Records

Opera Quarterly, winter 2000, Roger Pines: American tenor Bruce Ford consistently justifies his formidable international reputation in a portrayal that brought his major career breakthrough when he sang this work in Pesaro in 1990. His opening scena is my nomination as the most magnificent recorded display of vocal prowess by a tenor in a bel canto opera in at least twenty years. First of all, Ford's timbre boasts a marvelous combination of warmth and incisiveness. He also commands well over two octaves - the descending scales down to a substantial low A, and the repeated octave leaps to high C in the aria, are all stunning. His skill in florid passages, long-lined legato, and messa di voce all get high marks, as does his projection of text; rare is the American singer who can boast such beautifully sculpted, authentic Italian diction. Most important, Ford's phrasing is intensely musical and unfailingly apposite dramatically, so both Agorante's majesty and his amorous longings come through. He sustains this vivid impression throughout the role (listen to his grace in the opening of the first-act quartet, and contrast that with his high-intensity of "All'armi" a few minutes later).

Gramophone, April 1997, Richard Osborne: Bruce Ford, it should be said at once, sings the part magificently... Not only is Ford's singing exemplary, his pacing of the role is masterly, allowing him to dig beneath the surface of character and reveal the 'more in sorrow than in anger' aspect of Agorante's temper.
L'Opera ~ November 1996, Giancarlo Landini: Bruce Ford.... here offers one of his best performances.

As Mitridate in Mitridate (Mozart)
Covent Garden ~ February 1997: Financial Times; Bruce Ford, Covent Garden's Mitridate in 1991, made light of the part's ferocious vocal demands, and cast a subdued but dignified figure.

As Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)
Los Angeles Opera ~ February 1997: Buzz Magazine; Loving Rossini has always meant loving mezzo-sopranos.... Bruce Ford, in his L.A. Opera debut, may change all that..... [T]he tenor from Texas has all the agility and range to out-coloratura the best of them, mezzo or otherwise. Not that it's been easy, especially when you're a tenor named Bruce. As one vocal teacher tried telling him, "Boy, you have the sweetest voice in the world.But you need to dye your hair black, get a suntan machine, and change your name to something Italian. Then you'll have a big career." Ford does, and everyone from Covent Garden to La Scala now know's he's a real Ferrari.

As Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)
San Francisco Opera ~ October 1996: San Francisco Herald Tribune; For the connoisseur, there was Bruce Ford giving the most elegant, sweet-toned performance of this role since Cesare Valletti.; San Francisco Chronicle; As Almaviva, tenor Bruce Ford who made a phenomenal debut here two years ago in Rossini's Otello -- transform[ed] the serenade "Se il mio nome" into a stunning piece of musical insinuation... turning in one comic gem after another in the scenes with Larmore.; San Francisco Examiner ~ October 11, 1996; Even with the aria in the last scene omitted, Ford reaffirmed his gifts as an important Rossini interpreter.... This was an Almaviva to rank with the major names of past and present. Bel canto lives!

As Ernesto in Don Pasquale(Donizetti)
Lyric Opera of Chicago ~ October 1995: Chicago Tribune; Ford is a find indeed. He cut a youthful,handsome figure as Ernesto and sang with a lyric tenor that was honeyed, smooth and beautifully shaded from top to bottom. ...the serenade was the very model of golden bel canto.; Chicago Sun-Times; Bruce Ford's deftly drawn Ernesto was comically innocent amid Don Pasquale's cynical maneuverings. His light, high tenor, full of ardor, was exactly right in Ernesto's recurring outpourings of romantic despair. Its sweetness and bounce told us that this non-too-bright young man was thrilled at the romantic figure he would cut roaming the world mourning his lost love.

For Great Operatic Arias, Chandos recording: Kenneth Meltzer, Classical CD review; Bruce Ford posseses an attractive voice, and uses it in a highly musical way. Technically he is above reproach. Not surprisingly, given his eminence in Rossini, the coloratura in Almaviva's final-act aria poses no difficulties for him. He also knows how to vary dynamics for expressive effect -- his soft singing is well-supported and at full volume the voice has a welcome ring. Interpretively he is conscientious and ardent. I highly recommend this CD as a fine sampling of a considerable talent; Ford should be providing satisfying performances for years to come.

As Rodrigo in Otello (Rossini)
San Francisco Opera ~ October 1994: San Francisco Chronicle; If Rodrigo attains a new prominence in (Rossini's) version of the story, his importance was further underlined by the extraordinary company debut of Bruce Ford in the role. A prodigiously gifted young American who has done most of his singing in Europe, Ford endowed his performance with everything a listener could require - eloquent, fluid delivery, thorough going precision, a sense of ease and naturalness in even the most fiendish coloratura and a warm attractive vocal tone that never faltered.; Wooing Desdemona. The Act 2 aria in which Rodrigo tries to woo Desdemona ('Ah, come mai non senti') was so sumptuously phrased and so gorgeous in its overall effect that Desdemona seemed a fool not to run off with him immediately.; Rossini tenors are such rare and valuable creatures that even less than first-rate ones can rise to renown. On the evidence of Tuesday's performance, Ford is the genuine article.; San Francisco Examiner; Yet, the singing set its own standards for this composer... Tuesday was Bruce Ford, the American tenor who has made most of his career abroad. As Rodrigo, the Texas-born artist, who learned the part for San Francisco, has given the company its first sensational debut of the season.; Ford wields an appealing, eminently flexible instrument (which takes him up to high D natural without strain), a romantic stage manner, an imaginative, tasteful feeling for embellishment and extraordinary Italian diction. When he and Chris Merritt's Otello met for their dazzling Act II duet and duel, both tossing off stratospheric notes as if they were everyday occurrences, it was all too easy to understand the elemental appeal of the opera. Who cares if half the sports world is on strike?; The Oakland Tribune; Bruce Ford is a different kind of Rossini singer. As the composer desires, he sang Rodrigo, Desdemona's spurned lover in this version, with a silky, fluid style that was as impressive as Merritt's heroics. They were perfect antagonists.; San Jose Mercury News; Tuesday's Otello contrasted to the taut brilliance of newcomer Bruce Ford as Rodrigo.

As Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ~September 1993: The Guardian; But it's Bruce Ford, as Lindoro, who really knows what it's about. His voice is golden, rounded and beautiful, his range amazing.; Financial Times; No care was too great for Bruce Fordin Lindoro's opening aria of love, which he floated as gently as a kiss on the breeze; he has become a most appealing Rossini tenor.; The Times; Bruce Ford is perhaps the most brilliant of the new generation of Rossini tenors, and he not only negotiated the technical minefield of Lindoro's cavatina without turning a hair, but made beautiful music of it as well. The role is customarily played as a wimp; Ford is about as wimpish as Mount Rushmore, and a gifted comedian to boot.; The Observer; Bruce Ford, the Lindoro, was a Rossini tenor fleet, stylish, and true.; The Independent on Sunday; Bruce Ford's Lindoro has a pin-sharpclarity and focus: a paradigm of Rossinian finesse.; Opera News; Bruce Ford's tenor was perfect for Lindoro: golden, flexible, versatile, effortlessly high-flying.

As Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ~ February1993: The Guardian; ... sound mixes ideally with Bruce Ford's gloriously elegant Almaviva, his singing of a quality and style that is currently unmatchable by anybody and his acting very convincing.

As Belmonte in Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail
Lausanne ~ January 1993: L'Opera; It's a while since I've heard a Mozart tenor as complete as Bruce Ford (Belmonte) in Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail at the Lausanne Theatre Municipal. His 'Konstanze, Konstanze', performed withan almost chamber music-style gracefulness, should be framed and remembered as one of the greatest examples of Mozartian singing.

As the title role in Mitridate, re di Ponto
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ~ November & December 1991: The Financial Times; Strongest impression of all is left by Bruce Ford, and American Rossini tenor who throws himself into the fiendishly difficult title role with heroic fearlessness; the voice, full-grained, even in the highest heights, is a phenomenon.; The Evening Standard; There's only one possible criticism of Bruce Ford in the title role:he's so good that he almost makes you forget how impossible the tenor arias are, with their wide leaps and intricate coloratura.; The Times; The challenging tenor title role is sung by Bruce Ford, whose decoration in his first aria is stunning.; The Daily Express; Bruce Ford is a strong, vocally fearless Mitridate.; The Guardian; Mitridate himself is sung impressively by the American lyric tenor,Bruce Ford, coping well with the highest tessitura.; The Sunday Telegraph; Mitridate was sung by American tenor Bruce Ford with asuperb blend of heroic and lyrical tone.; Opera; Bruce Ford - who in a Wimbledon of tenors uniting agility and velocity with grace and charm would now be No. 1 seed - sang the 'impossibly' florid role of Mitridate as if it had been composed for him.

As Agorante in Ricciardo e Zoraide (Rossini)
Pesaro Rossini Festival, August 1990: The Guardian; When Chris Merritt became indisposed less than two weeks before opening night,they managed to find the gifted young American tenor, Bruce Ford,who stepped in and mastered the long, difficult role of Agorante, offering a commanding interpretation of it.; Corriere Adriatico; 'A star is born' said the Festival Director, Dr. Mariotti, about the tenor Bruce Ford. 'We are delighted to have helped his birth. He has signed a three year contract with us.'; Financial Times; Only Bruce Ford cuts a convincing figure, inspired evidently by Yul Brynner's King of Siam, but still coherent and credible.; Gramophone; The American tenor, Bruce Ford, was the best in the cast, proving to be one of the most accomplished Rossini tenors.; Speaking of Bruce Ford, I heard him during the recent Frequenz recording sessions in Treviso of Rossini's Armida, where he demonstrated a voice of warmth and beauty as well as the agility to project the fast 'fioriture' the composer frequently gives his tenor.; The Wall Street Journal; Even more surprising was the Agorante, Bruce Ford. he got the score 10 days before opening after Chris Merritt arrived late without having mastered a part full of tricky coloratura and miles of boring recitatives. With a feat of memorization, the young Texan acquitted himself superbly, while showing a natural affinity for the Rossini style and a secure top range.; Opernwelt; Namely Bruce Ford, who took over the difficult role at short notice, proved to be a versatile and exquisite Rossini interpreter. Originally written for the tenor-baritone Andrea Nozzari, the role requires a sonorous, manly voice, but with the ability to go into extreme heights, which was not a problem during Rossini'slifetime, as it used to be done in falsetto. These days we need specialists for these parts; and Bruce Ford proved to be one. His through and through manly tenor provided the necessary weight for the role, and his enormous security in the height, sung without audible change of registers, brought him much admiration. A new Rossini tenor for opera seria has been discovered.; Gazzetta di Parma; And Bruce Ford , who proved himself capable, convincing and growing in stature...; La Gazzetta; Bruce Ford has an extraordinary technique and acquitted himself marvelously.; Musica; Also excellent was Bruce Ford, a tenor of the American school, in a part which is anything but easy. His voice soars securely to the top.; Bruce Ford, who substituted for Chris Merritt at the last moment, deserved his unconditional applause.; La Gazzetta; It was also good to see the emergence of Bruce Ford, who courageously learned the part of Agorante in a few days.; IlGiornale; All the singers were excellent, as is usual at Pesaro, even the Texan tenor Bruce Ford, who substituted at short notice for Chris Merritt.; Suddeutsche Zeitung; The discovery of the evening was a young American, Bruce Ford who had been found to substitute for Chris Merritt. On only ten days he mastered the difficult role of the wild Agorante and was able to convey that this chap is actually the central figure of the drama.

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