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2007
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – North Carolina Symphony
“Gruber as the wily Susanna and…Figaro take top honors for playing a believably amorous couple in a performance accented with highly amusing physical comedy. Gruber draws all eyes whenever on stage, her perkiness and sensuality topped by a strong, clear voice capable of many colors and emotions.” – The News & Observer
“The evening began purposefully and zestfully…with an energy that inspired all cast members to bring the same level of energy and musical skill to their performances. This was especially true of Sari Gruber…whose voice epitomized the bel canto style of the true Mozartean soprano: the control of vibrato, the beauty of tone, the vocal flexibility, and the clear, ringing focus that allowed [her] to sing to everyone in the house Gruber’s beautiful, soaring soprano expressively conveyed Susanna’s warmth, wit and light-heartedness as well as the sincerity of her love for Figaro and respect for her mistress, the Countess. The role of Susanna is long, demanding, and requires professional caliber endurance; however Gruber never appeared in the least tired. From her two spirited duets…until the last note of the fourth-act finale, Gruber showed no sign of fatigue as she effortlessly sang Mozart’s unrelenting long lines and coloratura passages.” – Classical Voice of North Carolina
ROMEO ET JULIETTE – Opera Carolina
“…soprano Sari Gruber gave [Juliette] a distinct musical aura…Gruber sang with a wealth of tender inflections.” – Charlotte Observer
“Sari Gruber was in many ways a fetching Juliette. She acted appealingly and possesses a bright, pleasant soprano.” – Opera News Online
LA BOHEME – Berkshire Opera
“Sari Gruber, whose appearances with this company over the past several years have been neo-legendary, played the role of Musetta, the best flirt in Paris.” – Blog the Berkshires
2006
RECITAL –Candlelight Concerts
“I had the good fortune to hear Gruber sing Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins at the Aspen Music Festival. The performance captured many of the soprano's rare gifts: her facility with stylistically varied music, her theatrical flair and her nuanced sense of humor. Gruber is a rising star as a recitalist and opera singer. Her appearance in Columbia, part of a busy season that includes a solo recital at Lincoln Center in New York, is not to be missed.”
– Baltimore Sun
LA BOHEME – Opera Company of Philadelphia
“Secondary roles were all excellently performed, with special praise for Sari Gruber’s buoyant Musetta.” – Citypaper
2005
HANSEL UND GRETEL
–
Opera Columbus
"Sari Gruber's Gretel, all touching simplicity, sincerity and innocence,
was sung with a soft vocal gleam, handsomely blending
with Rivera in an exquisite prayer."
–
Opera News Online
"The title characters are portrayed by adult singers, but Sari Gruber as Gretel...
[is] so youthful in appearance, if it weren't for [her] operatic voice... [she'd]
almost get away with the illusion... singing the role with natural enthusiasm and
blending beautifully and flawlessly in all the duets [with Hansel], most notably
the famous Evening Prayer."
–
Columbus Dispatch
RECITAL – San Francisco Performances, Herbst Theatre
“Gruber has a gift for narrative, which became evident in songs by Hugo Wolf, especially in Der Knabe und das Immlein (The youth and the little bee), Das verlassene Mägdlein (The forsaken girl) and Begegnung (Encounter) — all stories well told…Going on to Spanish composers, Gruber's formidable chest voice came into play and her voice bloomed with color. In Jesús Guridi's Jota a distinctive, individual sound emerged to combine with her impressive musical and verbal expression, and the same qualities infused songs by Manuel de Falla and Enrique Granados…[In Szymanowski’s Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin] Gruber's voice was beautifully used in the sinuous lines and vocal outbursts….”
– San Francisco Classical Voice
"...when she warms up to the material, as she did in the Spanish
songs and in Karol Szymanowski's 'Songs of the Infatuated Muezzin,' a
welcome vibrancy kicks in and the music takes flight." – San Francisco Chronicle
AGRIPPINA –
Boston Baroque
"Soprano Sari Gruber's coloratura
was as clean and bright as a whistle, and her quick-witted duplicity as
Poppea was fun to watch."
–
Boston Globe
"The biggest hand went to [Nero] ... and soprano Sari Gruber, whose Poppea mixed minx, realpolitik, and dazzling vocalism." – The Boston Phoenix
"Soprano Sari Gruber's Poppea ... sang her role well and displayed solid acting ability,
strong stage presence, and the ability to weave into her every inflection a
gentle seduction of the audience that was hard to resist."
–
Opera Online
L'ELISIR D'AMORE –
Boston Baroque
"...the bewitching Gruber ... proved admirably alert to every change
in Adina's shifting emotions, here and elsewhere [the crucial 'Adina, credimi' scene];
always phrasing and listening, she's a real creature of the stage.
Her dark lyric sound – smooth in cantilena... suited this role well."
–
Opera News
"[Sari Gruber] delivered the coloratura flourishes with accuracy, musicality and spirit. ...She has a warm and playful stage presence, too." – Boston Globe
"Gruber deftly projected the transience of a hard-edged, self-confident young woman accustomed to being in charge, to a committed partner in love. Vocally, the role was ideal for her gorgeous soprano, which soared easily into the high registers and negotiated the coloratura roulades with sensitive consideration of the dynamic markings, notable in her beautifully spun aria, 'Prendi, per me sei libero.'" – Berkshire Eagle
"In the role of Adina, soprano Sari Gruber displays not only the vocal quality for which she is noted, she is a vivacious and energetic actress. The perfect combination for this opera." – WAMC Northeast Public Radio
"The zesty Adina was Sari Gruber whose voice soared through all the hurdles of the role.
Her ravishing soprano and intelligent artistry made for a perfect and strong Adina."
–
WBRK Radio
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO –
Austin Lyric Opera
"Soprano Sari Gruber's glowing warmth and
extraordinary color range were ideally suited to the role of Susanna,
Figaro's bride-to-be."
–
Express-News
STREET SCENE –
Portland Opera
"Sari Gruber's bright soprano enlivened Rose while letting
the young woman's pain show. Her voice blended nicely with the
shining tenor of Jonathan Boyd's Sam Kaplan, the law student ready
to throw it all away so they can elope."
–
The Oregonian
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO –
Opera Pacific
"Sari Gruber inhabit[s]...Susanna with laudible naturalness....Gruber
makes of Susanna a wise and wiley heroine."
–
L.A. Times
"Sari Gruber is no less effective as Susanna. She is captivating to watch, an actress with quick reflexes and an expressive face. Sticking her tongue out at Cherubino, fluttering her eyelashes, grimacing in disgust at the Count's caresses – she projects joie de vivre and we know she can't lose. The voice is compact, vibrant, pretty and very well controlled." – The Orange County Register
"One of the great pleasures of opera is hearing a star in a role she makes her own - a star in a star part. You could hardly ask for a better example of that than soprano Sari Gruber, who sang the role of Susanna...and she inhabits the part in every nuance and every gesture, every note and every trill.... Gruber was an expected delight. She sang in the company's recent production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, and her thrilling, dramatic voice and charming personality are still well-remembered." – U-Entertainment (Orange County)
2004
DON PASQUALE
–
Opera Company of Philadelphia
"OCP was very lucky to have secured the admirable Sari Gruber.
The young American soprano proved to be an excellent comedienne,
with flashing eyes and a convincing line in both seduction and (feigned)
bitchery. ...She coped with Donizetti's demands in excellent style, keeping
acuti brief and fielding a genuine trill."
–
Opera
MESSIAH
–
Boston
Baroque
"Soprano
Sari Gruber, admired in Mozart roles with Berkshire Opera and Boston
Lyric,
sang with silvery tone and vivid, personal expression of
the text. She was radiant in the narrative about the shepherds, then
gamboled delightfully through 'Rejoice greatly.'"
–
Boston
Globe
"Gruber,
light and airy, shone particularly on 'How Beautiful Are The Feet.'"
–
Boston
Herald
DON PASQUALE
–
Opera
Company of Philadelphia
" Sari Gruber as Norina gave [her] role conversational directness. In particular,
Gruber smartly contextualized vocal show-off moments in her music
as a breezy burst of energy."
–
The
Philadelphia Inquirer
THE SECRET MARRIAGE
–
Opera
Theatre of Saint Louis
" Sari Gruber...as [a] quarrelling sister, handled the high tessitura of
[her] chattery vocal lines with charm and looked sensational in Jane
Greenwood's costumes."
–
Opera
News
"The role of Carolina is closer to the traditional soprano ingenue,
but Gruber had plenty of wicked fun nevertheless, whether fleeing Lord
Robinson or stealing a moment alone with Paolino. She sang gorgeously
in a long role that usually seemed to put her above the staff."
–
St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
"Sari
Gruber with a jalapeno burn to her soprano."
–
The
Dallas Morning News
RIGOLETTO
–
Connecticut
Opera
" Gruber sang with graceful ease and a sparkling purity in her show-stopping
aria 'Caro nome,' fearlessly unleashing her coloratura into the
statosphere."
–
Hartford
Courant
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
–
Lyric
Opera of Kansas City
" Sari Gruber's shining soprano and vibrant presence irradiated Helena."
–
Opera
News
2003
SAMSON – Netherlands Opera
" Delilah was very pleasant, but she was somewhat outshone by her attendant,
sung by Sari Gruber, who produced some of the most beautiful singing
of the evening...." – Opera Now
"As Delilah's lady-in-waiting Sari Gruber also enchants
with her featherlight coloratura in the beautiful traverso accompanied
aria 'With
plaintive notes' -- cooing and seducing as the singing dove that did
not and still does not bring peace." – NRC Handelsblad
REGINA – Lyric
Opera of Chicago
"Sari Gruber made an impressive Lyric debut as Regina's daughter Alexandra
with her pure, bright voice and abundant acting talent." – Opera
"Sari Gruber's Alexandra floated delicate pianissimos in the quartet
and had power on reserve for the end of Act III,...her climactic defiance." –
Opera News
"The
fresh-voiced soprano Sari Gruber, as Regina's daughter Alexandra, emerged
at the end as a strong survivor." – Chicago Tribune
"As Regina's daughter Alexandra, soprano Sari Gruber made a convincing
transition from lively but obedient teenager to independent woman." – Chicago
Sun-Times
Mendelssohn
LOBGESANG and Bach CANTATA 79 – Berkshire Choral
Festival
"An especially stunning moment occurred at the conclusion of the
"Watchman Scene," as the tenor...asked "Will the night
soon pass?" The triumphant response of the soprano "Die Nacht
ist vergangen" ("the night is gone") was delivered in a
chilling manner by Sari Gruber, whose luminous vocal instrument was among
the evening's glories....Gruber and her soprano colleague...produced some
lovely harmonies in their duet, "Ich harrete des Herrn," managing
to soar above the choral textures, and compete as well with...the instrumental
accompaniment....Among the soloists for the Bach, Gruber again was impressive."–
The
Berkshire Eagle
ROMEO
AND JULIET –
Chautauqua Opera
"One of the great strengths of the production is the casting. Sari
Gruber is no teen-age Juliet. Both vocally and physically, she is
womanly and
gorgeous. Gounod sets the role mostly in a soprano's middle range, requiring
her to be darker in texture than the vast majority of ingenue roles,
yet
he gives her coloratura which forces her to be light and precise.
Ms. Gruber manages both with ease." –
The Post-Journal
"Sari
Gruber makes a convincing and beautifully sweet Juliet. Her difficult
role, which seems to transition from quasi-coloratura to quasi-Wagnerian
gave her ample opportunities to shine, move and captivate." –
The Chautauquan Daily
RIGOLETTO – Lyric Opera of Kansas City
“Sari Gruber as Gilda seemed fiercely connected to her role, and
… her attractive soprano…[and] potent sonority were a glue
for the complicated vocal ensembles. The father-daughter duets were
among the highlights of the evening.” –The Kansas City
Star
"...soprano
Sari Gruber was magnificent in the role of Gilda. In the famous aria "Caro
nome," Gruber's voice was both light and lovely. Her vocal line was
nicely ornamented and impeccably tuned."
–
The Johnson County Sun
RECITAL
–
New
York Festival of Song
"Sari Gruber brought charm and a fresh soprano to (somewhat less fresh)
Eisler and Bernstein songs." – Opera News
2002
THE MESSIAH – Philharmonia
Baroque
“Heading the solo quartet was soprano Sari Gruber, who deployed
her sweet, pristine tone and impeccable phrasing to superb effect in ‘How
beautiful are the feet.’ Even better was her rendition of ‘I
know that my Redeemer liveth,’ with its limpid tone and broad, luxuriant
phrasing.” – San Francisco Chronicle
"The
solo parts were also performed with an impressive blend of artistry
and assurance. Soprano Sari Gruber brought crystalline tone and
elegant musical line to Part I's 'Rejoice greatly,' and she invested
Part III's 'I know that my redeemer liveth' with exquisite tenderness."
–
Contra
Costa Times
D
IE ZAUBERFLÖTE – Opera
Columbus
"Sari
Gruber's Pamina was finely etched musically, her gentle soul
the perfect complement to...Tamino." –
Opera
News
“[Tamino’s] lovely singing and sense of line … proved
worthy of all the opera's tests and trials. Sari Gruber is similarly
gifted as Pamina, his beloved. She imbues all she sings with warmth and
careful, intelligent phrasing, lending these qualities to her characterization
as well.” –
The Columbus Dispatch
PETER GRIMES – Teatro
Comunale di Firenze
“Exhilarating” – Il Giornale della Toscana
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Kentucky
Opera
“(Sari Gruber’s) Susanna a feisty, self-confident woman with
a voice of comparable boastfulness” –
The Courier-Journal
“Sari Gruber, [Figaro’s] adoring Susanna, was fresh and winning.” – Opera
RECITAL – Daytona
Beach, Florida
“Sari Gruber’s singing cast a spell over the audience at her
recital in Port Orange…. With Gruber, songs weren’t
just a matter of appealing tunes or beguiling tones – though she
delivered plenty of those along the way. No, Gruber had the voice
and personality to make a song into a glimpse of a living, breathing person. Not
just any singer could have created as varied a cast of characters as
Gruber did in her recital.” – The Orlando Sentinel
“Part of what made Gruber’s lengthy performance so compelling,
and occasionally stunning, was her ability to cast herself in the role
of one vivid character after another…. The shifts had more
to do with mood, with a slight tilt of the chin and tiptoed crescendo
than with any seemingly conscious pose. Each song, however, revealed
a different facet of Gruber’s dazzling talent. And, less obviously,
the evening’s stellar performances by Gruber and her pianist revealed
the beauty of the song in recital, both artful and infinitely varied and
personal. In the end, it wasn’t so much the artists’
abundant abilities that made Friday’s concert such a pleasure, nor
was it simply the amazing variety of moods the music expressed or the
fine, tone-perfect pitch Gruber found for each song. It was all
that and something rarer: a pure, infectious delight in bringing the music
to the audience and sharing it.” –
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
2001
COSI
FAN TUTTE
–
Berkshire
Opera Company
"...Sari
Gruber's vocally and histrionically sparkling Despina
–
a
sunny performance, warm without resorting to soubrettish cliches."
–
Opera
News Online
HIPPOLYTUS AND ARICIA
–
Opera Theatre of St. Louis
“She (Jane Glover) had some fine singers with whom to work, notably
Sari Gruber as Aricia, who offered her usual combination of beautiful
singing, fine musicianship and an attractive stage presence.” –
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Sari Gruber was an irresistible Aricia, with honeyed tone and exquisite
nuance.” – The Dallas Morning News
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS – Lyric Opera of Kansas
City
“Anne can seem a bloodless goody-two-shoes, but Sari Gruber -- determined
in her circa-1950 red dress and heels -- makes her a good character who's
actually believable. And she sings stunningly, her gleaming soprano nailing
pitches dead-on and making music of even the most disjunct lines.”
– Opera News/The Dallas Morning News
“More pleasing still was Sari Gruber as Anne Truelove, Tom’s
faithful love. Her focused soprano voice was penetrating without
being piercing, and her stage presence kept one’s eye riveted.”
– The Kansas City Star
DON GIOVANNI
–
Madison
Opera
"Soprano Sari Gruber's Zerlina acted and sang with puckish charm and a voice
well-suited to the role."
–
Opera
News Online
2000
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
–
New York City Opera
“Ms. Gruber brought a sweet timbre and an ear for nuance to her
portrayal of Susanna, and Mr. Ely…matched Ms. Gruber’s agility
and timing.”
– The New York Times
LA RONDINE – Los Angeles Opera
“What, in fact, brings the opera to life is everyone else.
Here it is … Magda's maid, Lisette, sung with appealing spirit and
a good sense of fun by … Sari Gruber.”
– Los Angeles Times
1999
DIE FLEDERMAUS
– St.
Louis Symphony
“The first two performers to appear were also the most impressive
vocally … Sari Gruber was back playing a maid as the stage-struck
Adele, holding the audience’s attention whether dusting the conductor
and mocking her employer with an engagingly sung ‘Laughing Song.’” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
FALSTAFF – New York
City Opera
“Sari Gruber was delicate yet full of spice as Nannetta.” – Newsday
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO – Opera
Theatre of St. Louis
“Sari Gruber was a blazing-voiced firecracker of a Susanna.” – Opera News
“As Susanna, soprano Sari Gruber sang beautifully, moved well and
acted convincingly.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“The most vivid singing was from Sari Gruber as a nicely conspiratorial
Susanna.” – The New York Times
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Boston
Lyric Opera
“Sari Gruber won the biggest hand for her deftly sung Susanna.
Her soprano is blithe and disciplined; she’s a good musician and
sings in Italian (as opposed to the international phonetic alphabet, which
is what too many others fall back on). She’s a presence onstage. – The Boston Globe
“That left Sari Gruber, as Susanna, as the main engine driving the
plot. She was more than equal to the task. Her characterization
was detailed, charming, resourceful and sympathetic. Gruber uses
her gifts with intelligence and musicality.” –
Boston
Herald
“Sari Gruber acted as well as she sang and she sang extremely well.” – Digital City Boston
“Quick moving and full of personality, soprano Sari Gruber was delightful
as Susanna, Figaro’s bride. One thought this sharp-witted
bundle of energy would be more than a match for any lecherous aristocrat.” – The Patriot-Ledger
COSÌ FAN TUTTE – Anchorage
Opera
“Sari Gruber as Despina stole every scene she was in.” –
Anchorage Press
“Sari Gruber’s performance as the maid, Despina, highlighted
the first half. She played the role to its comic fullest while keeping
her tone strong without being brassy. She made every note important
and filled with movement.” – Anchorage Daily News
1998
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
– Los
Angeles Opera
“Sari Gruber’s Miss Hedgehog was the vocal standout, singing
her one great aria with wonderful technique and conveying great pathos.” – Das Opernglas
“Sari Gruber sang prettily as Miss Hedgehog.” –
The
Orange County Register
“Sari Gruber as Miss Hedgehog gives a standout performance.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Life’s darker side, in the bittersweet song about loss and
aging of Miss Hedgehog, nicely shaped by Sari Gruber, offered one of the
opera’s most touching moments.” –
The Albuquerque
Journal
“Sari Gruber as Miss Hedgehog really gets a chance to shine.” – Back Stage West/Drama-Logue
HANSEL AND GRETEL – New
York City Opera
“Sari Gruber was entirely adorable as Gretel.” –
New York Daily News
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE – Berkshire
Opera Company
“Soprano Sari Gruber proves once more a winsome Mozart singer, her
Pamina a vision of innocence,with high notes that float effortlessly.” – The Berkshire Eagle
“The singing was highlighted by the flawless and instinctive artistry
of Soprano Sari Gruber as Pamina.” – Union-News
“Sari Gruber’s Pamina was delightfully elegant in her singing
– particularly her expressive legato in the aria ‘Ach, ich
fühl’s.’” – Times Union
“Sari Gruber was a spunky Pamina. When she reached her great
aria she offered exquisitely Mozartean tone, phrasing, and dynamics.” – The Boston Globe
"Soprano
Sari Gruber who previously charmed Berkshire Opera audiences in THE
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO once more proves herself to be a Mozart singer and
character interpreter par excellence."
–
Curtains
Up
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – New
York City Opera
“Sari Gruber’s Susanna was nothing short of sensational, and
this is, of course, Susanna’s opera: she merely lets Figaro believe
he is pulling the strings. Perky, pretty and very musical, she also
sang a lovely, leisurely ‘Deh, vieni.’” – Opera
1997
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
– Berkshire
Opera Company
“English articulation was excellent, particularly in the case of
Sari Gruber’s cutie-pie Susanna. She was clever at comic
gesture, and her vocal intonation was exact.”
– Opera News
“Sari Gruber’s Susanna was brightly, sweetly, and tirelessly
sung.” – The Boston Globe
“Sari Gruber was a pert Susanna, singing with nimble vigor.
She not only sang but acted with comic flexibility as well as illuminating
Susanna’s more passionate side.” – WBRK
“The attractive soprano Sari Gruber was delightful as Susanna.
Her aria, ‘Deh, vieni,’ delivered straight-faced before a
huge crescent moon, was a triumph of innocent guile.” – The
Berkshire Eagle
TWO POEMS FROM THE SUNG DYNASTY (Bright Sheng) – New
Juilliard Ensemble
“The soprano Sari Gruber, singing in Chinese, brought rich-toned
beauty to her work.” – The New York Times
1996
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
– New
York City Opera
“Sari Gruber was an engaging Susanna with fine comic instincts.
Her fresh, focused soprano blossomed in a beautifully shaped account of
‘Deh, vieni, non tardar.’” –
The New York
Times (1996)
SLOPIEWNIE (Szymanowski) – Festival
of Contemporary Music
“Sari Gruber’s direct musicality in the Szymanwski songs was
a delight.” – The New York Times
ELEGY FOR YOUNG LOVERS – Juilliard
Opera Center
“Sari Gruber, already a nice Susanna in City Opera’s FIGARO,
shone as the young mistress.” – The Village Voice
“Perhaps the most impressive of the cast of still very young professionals
was Sari Gruber as the poet’s young mistress, whose
movements on stage were a catalogue of submissiveness.” – Opera
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Juilliard
Opera Center
“Sari Gruber was charming as Susanna.” –
The New
York Times
DON GIOVANNI – San
Francisco Opera Center
“Sari Gruber was a charming Zerlina.” –
San Francisco
Chronicle
