STRAVINSKY OEDIPUS REX
NICK MAKES HIS ROLE DEBUT AS THE TITLE ROLE IN STRAVINSKY'S OEDIPUS REX WITH ESA-PEKKA SALONEN AND PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA
photo: San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate
"...In his best work, Salonen has always proved adept at blending structural precision with a kind of stealthy emotional luxuriance. He did it again on Sunday in Zellerbach Hall, leading his orchestra, the robust Lund Male Chorus and a small cast of superb vocal soloists through the stately but poignant tale of Oedipus’ downfall...Tenor Nicholas Phan threw himself into the title role with a valiant blend of elegance and almost heedless fervor..."
"...Tenor Nicholas Phan brought elegant tone and expressive phrasing to the title role..."
"...With his Italian-sounding Latin pronunciation and the bel canto coloratura Stravinsky wrote into the part, Nicholas Phan’s Oedipus called to mind the tragic heroes of Bellini and Donizetti. His powerful, piercing tenor was ideal for the prideful monarch — Phan even incorporated some genuine shouting as the paranoid Oedipus accuses Creon of plotting against him. Elsewhere, the tenor made use of his lovely, floating head-voice in order to imbue his seemingly confident character with a certain vulnerability..."
"Nicholas Phan as Oedipus delivered a performance both convincing and moving, his smooth vocals tackling a difficult range of notes with fluidity and emotion.."