Dido and Æneas with Il Pomo d’Oro

“Feb. 8 welcomed a bracing touring attraction, with Maxim Emelyanychev leading his energetic, excellent ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro with their regular collaborator Joyce DiDonato, clearly beloved in Paris. The American mezzo-soprano’s first-ever Dido and Aeneas proved absolutely spellbinding, with ravishing timbre binding Purcell’s unparalleled prosody to commanding, affecting ends.”

Classical Voice North America

“Singing with heart-touching poignancy, Dido/DiDonato held the entire audience, her court, transfixed, an effect intensified by the dimming of the Hall lighting in the chorus’s final commentary – sung with beautiful nuance and oneness by the newly formed Il Pomo d’Oro Chorus – leaving Dido spot-lit centre-stage, alone.”

Opera Today