LORENA PAZ NIETO
Soprano
"the absolute stand-out of the evening was Spanish soprano Lorena Paz Nieto who, an alumna of the National Opera Studio, was first recognised as a future star on becoming an Oxford Lieder Young Artist before winning ‘Vocalist of the Year’ at the prestigious LUKAS awards in 2019. She made much of the supporting role of Lisette, delivering both a highly comic performance as Magda’s maid, along with vocals that give you a pleasurable shiver down the spine."
The Arbuturian
"Lorena Paz Nieto was completely charming as Lisette, throwing off Puccini's coloratura writing with effortless ease and managing to suggest the minx whilst also being sympathetic to her mistress. The comedy of manners and disguise in the Act Two scene at Bullier's was lovely"
Planet Hugill
"Lorena Paz Nieto is outstanding in this role as her soprano is clear and bright, her gestures focused and her dancing strong"
Musicomh
"Lorena Paz Nieto has more sparkle in voice and eye, making her a charmingly playful Susanna, showing which of the two has the upper hand."
Classical Source
"Spanish soprano Lorena Paz Nieto is a high-spirited and vivacious Susannah… duet with Paz Nieto, as they plot together to beat the Count at his own game, is a captivating blend of glorious voices."
“Lorena Paz Nieto’s singing of Maria is gorgeous. Her dark timbre soprano is perfect for tango singing. She is as convincing in distress and despair as in her few happy moments.”
Lubeck News
“At the premiere, the contributors and the directorial team were celebrated for a long time. Above all, the singer Lorena Paz Nieto was in the title role. ”
HL- Live
“Maria is embodied by Lorena Paz Nieto. The young Spaniard has a very colourful voice, which perfectly captures Piazzolla's idioms, from jazz to folklore. You believed in the broad and expressive world of the tango. [...] her catchy ‘Yo soy Maria’ [...] especially with this song, the singer set a musical highlight”
Unser-lubeck
“Lorena Paz Nieto embodies a versatile and intense title role. Her soprano voice sweeps pleasantly, full-bodied and earthy”
Lubeckian leaves
"Lorena Paz Nieto did a star turn as the awful-but-lovable Morgana"
Opera Now Magazine
"Full of Handelian promise... Morgana, Lorena Paz Nieto... could step into the role anywhere with honour tomorrow"
Opera Magazine
"Lorena Paz Nieto as Morgana displayed a wonderfully bright and focused soprano voice which seemed to love Handel's music. She was not only adept at all the technical demands, but was able to create a real sense of character. Morgana is one of what Winton Dean called Handel's 'sex kitten' roles and Paz Nieto got her down to a tee, so we could not only appreciate her performance in 'Tornami a vagheggiar' but delight in the character too"
Robert Hugill in Planet Hugill
"...dramatic as well as musical, was well conveyed, Lorena Paz Nieto’s Morgana quite rightly shone most brightly in the first act, seductive in her cruelty"
Boulezian
"...Much more consistent were Lorena Paz Nieto’s minxy Morgana – all effervescent coloratura and attitude –"
Alexandra Coghlan in the arts desk
"... Drusilla a very expert performance by Lorena Paz Nieto"
Opera Now magazine
"delicious, selfpossessed Drusilla of Lorena Paz Nieto"
Yehuda Saphiro in Opera Magazine
"Our Drusilla was sung by soprano Lorena Paz Nieto. Yet another superb actor, Nieto’s performance combined a highly emotive and complex characterisation with a pleasing sweetness of tone"
Dominic Lowe in bachtrack.
"Spanish Lorena Paz Nieto exhibited a thrilling shine to her soprano as Drusilla"
Claire Seymour in Opera Today.
"In the last act, Loren Paz Nieto made a highly touching Pannochka"
Robert Hugill in Planet Hugill.
“Lorena Paz Nieto’s contribution as Pannochka made for a heartfelt third act"
Matthew Rye in bachtrack.
'Lorena Paz Nieto sounded delightful as a minxish Barbarina"
Yehuda Shapiro in Opera Magazine.
"Lorena Paz Nieto a scene-stealing, brilliantly characterised Barbarina even in her unscripted, silent appearances”
Anna Picard in The Spectator.
“perky Barbarina (Lorena Paz Nieto)”
Clare Colvin in Express.
“Lorena Paz Nieto made the most of her small role – a role which yet, so often, imprints itself upon the memory – as Barbarina”
Boulezian
" And the real jewel was a brand new Masters student from Spain via the Guildhall School of Music, Lorena Paz - a delightful Despina. I look forward to seeing and hearing much of her in the future. She will no doubt join Royal Academy Opera next year if she does not get snapped up before then!"
Brian Dickie, former General Director of Chicago Opera Theatre at Royal Academy Posgraduate opera scenes.
"there were three that stood out for me. Lorena Paz, also in the Britten, once again showed special promise as Helena"-
Brian Dickie, former General Director of Chicago Opera Theatre at Royal Academy Posgraduate opera scenes.
"Lorena Paz Nieto I noticed before at the RAM's vocal faculty scenes a week or two ago - she is a major prospect".
Place de L’opera concert – Brian Dickie, former General Director of Chicago Opera Theatre at Opera Gala with Orchestra Place de l'Opera.
"Lorena Paz (soprano) and Kaoru Wada (piano) performed my Spanish song Romance de Fonte-Frida – seemingly effortlessly, given that in early days performers used to complain to me quite a bit about its high tessitura"-
Judith Weir at the Jane Manning Birthday Project.
“The highlight of the piece is...Lorena Paz... rendition of the bossa nova tune How Insensitive, with a voice so delicate it might drift away on the Ipanema breeze.”
Lyndsey Winship at Resolution Review 2012