Gary Lehman
Tenor
Press Reviews
Tristan in Tristan und Isolde (Metropolitan Opera Debut)
Mike Silverman, The Washington Post
"And from the moment he appeared on the Met stage, he took control of the role, with a strong presence - enhanced by his tall, relatively trim figure - and a sturdy tenor that projected well into the vast auditorium... Lehman was particularly gripping in the long soliloquies of Act 3, when the dying Tristan ruminates about his troubled life and has delirious visions of Isolde." (Click here to read the full review)
Zinta Lundborg, Bloomberg.com
"The first glimpse of Tristan was a happy surprise. Lehman is tall and lithe, unlike most other Wagner tenors... And when it came time to sing and sip the love potion, Lehman's manly, yet sweet tenor did not disappoint; Voigt seemed to enjoy his company..."
"A tenor who'd never sung Tristan onstage before, now embarked on one of music's greatest love duets with a soprano he'd most likely met for the first time a few minutes before... And they triumphed." (Click here to read full review)
Florestan in Fidelio
Seth Williamson, Roanoke Times
"As Florestan, Gary Lehman's huge cannon of a tenor not only filled the hall and effortlessly overpowered the orchestra, but also almost literally nailed concertgoers to the wall with its power and vitality."
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Columbus Symphony)
Barbara Zuck, The Columbus Dispatch
"Best by far was tenor Gary Lehman, whose gorgeous singing in the march was a highlight of the evening."
Tannhäuser
Jochen Wiesigel, Die Neue Epoche
"Das Publikum erlebte einen glänzend aufgelegten Gary Lehman aus den USA, der als Tannhäuser mit seiner enormen Stimmkraft und Darstellungskunst eine überragende Leistung bot. Lehman hatte im vergangenen Jahr schon einmal für Aufsehen gesorgt, als er an der Los Angels Opera kurzfristig für Placido Domingo eingesprungen war. Bei seinem Deutschland-Debüt in Erfurt erntete er Beifallsstürme." (Click here to read the full review in German.
(The audience experienced the magnificent-voiced Gary Lehman of the USA as Tannhäuser, who with his enormous vocal power and with his acting prowess offered an outstanding performance. Lehman had already created a sensation last year, when he replaced Placido Domingo at the last minute in a performance at the Los Angeles Opera. Here in Erfurt, his German debut, he earned thunderous applause.)
Das Opernglas
"Mit Gary Lehman wurde in Erfurt ein Tannhäuser aufgeboten, der die schwierigen Anforderungen in jeder Hinsicht erfüllen konnte. Sein frischer Heldentenor hatte grosse dramatische Kraft und das nötige Durchhaltevermögen, so dass auch die Romerzählung noch hervorragend gelang."
(With Gary Lehman Erfurt would bring in a Tannhäusser who could fulfill the difficult requirements in every respect. His fresh Heldentenor had large dramatic strength and the necessary staying power, so that the "Rome Narrative" still excellently succeeds.)
Opernwelt
"Gary Lehman agierte auf beachtlich hohem Niveau. Seine baritonal gefärbte Stimme wurde allen Anforderungen gerecht und lief besonders in der Rom-Erzählung zu bestechender Form auf."
(Gary Lehman acted on a notably high level. His baritone colored voice would fulfill all demands and deliver particularly the "Rome Narrative" in outstanding form.)
Samson et Dalila
Scott Warfield, The Orlando Sentinel
"Lehman's bright and strong tenor made him a near equal to [Denyce] Graves in their love scene and a commanding presence when on his own."
Parsifal
Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times
"Gary Lehman was a last-minute substitute for an ailing Plácido Domingo. Mr. Lehman had the pressure not only of filling a star's shoes, but also of having to make sure those shoes stood in exactly the right spot. This prescription for disaster resulted instead in a glowing success. The Tenor proved a Wilsonian from stock-still head to unbending toe... he sounded as secure vocally as he looked physically."
Die Walküre
Timothy Mangan, Opera News
"Gary Lehman produced an eloquent, evenly gauged Siegmund."
John Farrel, The Press Telegram
"Gary Lehman's Siegmund is a wonder, and the chemistry he has with the Sieglinda is electric."
Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times
"Gary Lehman, the impressive Parsifal stand-in for Plácido Domingo at Los Angeles Opera last month, impressed once more as Siegmund."