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| Handel's La Resurrezione with Festival
Vancouver and Vancouver Early Music |
| "Richer and darker, Shannon Mercer's voice
was perfectly suited to portraying Mary Magdalene." (Georgia
Straight, 16 August 2007) |
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| "Mercer and Balzer were all you could
have hoped for, singing superbly." (Vancouver
Sun, 12 August 2007) |
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| Israël en Égypte with Les Violons
du Roy under Bernard Labadie in Québec City and Montréal |
"Des six solistes, tous à la hauteur,
je signale le soprano radieux de Shannon Mercer."
"Of the six soloists, all excellent, I single out
the radiant voice of soprano Shannon Mercer."
(La Presse, 28 mars 2007) |
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| "Du travail des solistes,
généralement excellent, je retiens surtout l'intervention
finale de la soprano Shannon Mercer, elle dont la voix, a
cappella, peut remplir l'espace aussi généreusement que tous
les autres chanteurs réunis." "Of the soloists,
generally excellent, I remember most the solo finale by Shannon
Mercer. Her voice, a cappella, can fill the hall as much as
all the other singers together."
(Le Soleil, 24 mars 2007) |
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| Making her French debut in the title role
of Sémélé at l'opéra de Montpellier |
| “Shannon Mercer interpreted Sémélé with
passion.” (Ópera Actual, March
2007) |
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| "The beautiful Shannon Mercer regally
intoned the gloriously ornamented speeches of Sémélé."
(Seen and Heard, 12 February 2007) |
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| "Canadian Shannon Mercer performs with
much freshness and aplomb." (Le
Journal des Spectacles, 11 February 2007) |
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| "As the new Sémélé, Canadian Shannon Mercer
posseses, in addition to a pure voice, a clarity of diction
which makes her interpretation even better." (Le
Figaro, 5 February 2007) |
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| Messiah performances across Canada |
| "The quartet of soloists was particularly
fine this year. Shannon Mercer, a Canadian soprano of real
promise, sang the entire part with a marked sense of musical
poise and brilliance in the rapid passages." (Calgary Herald, 8 December 2006) |
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"Of the four soloists, soprano Shannon Mercer and
alto Matthew White, both Ottawa natives, best complemented
the SMAM's delicate period timbre, with translucent voices
and weightless ornamentation." (Montreal
Gazette, 4 December 2006)
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| As Despina in Cosi fan tutte with
the Canadian Opera Company in the opening production of the
new Four Seasons Opera House in Toronto |
| "Shannon Mercer’s sparkling voice
and pert acting [were ideal] for Despina.” (Opera,
February 2007) |
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| "Soprano Shannon Mercer kept her bearings
beautifully as the maid Despina, delivering a wickedly pert
performance of Una donna a quindici anni." (Globe and Mail, 19 October 2006) |
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| "Shannon Mercer delivered an ebullient
performance as Despina, in her crisp, bright soprano."
(Classical Source, October 2006) |
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| "Mercer is a sparkly performer well-suited
for Despina." (ConcertoNet, 2 November 2006) |
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| Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff with
Opera Lyra Ottawa |
| "Shannon Mercer showed a gorgeous high
vocal end in her third-act lover's duet." (The
Ottawa Sun, 12 April 2006) |
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| "[Shannon Mercer's] singing
was particularly beautiful and her character bears a bit of
feistiness better than Fenton's." (Ottawa Citizen, 10 April 2006) |
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| In recital with Music Toronto at the Jane
Mallett Theatre |
| "Shannon Mercer proved last night that
nothing beats a strong, flexible voice, honest musicianship
and a winning smile on a concert stage. The highlight was
"Elfenlied" (Elf Song), which tells of a late-night
adventure in the woods. It's the most difficult type of music,
shifting moods and requiring the singer to deliver a dramatic
narration along with a melody line. Mercer did it all with
ease." (Toronto Star, 27 January
2006) |
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| At Lincoln Centre with Barbara Bonney |
| "W.A. Mozart's lovely "Abendempfindung"
[sung by Shannon Mercer] was a highlight..." (The
New York Times, 15 November 2005) |
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| "Canadian soprano Shannon Mercer, the
find of the evening, came off best. It's not hard to see why
Bonney picked her -- the light but pointed lyric voice, quick
and wide-ranging expressiveness, musical intelligence, and
stage presence surely reminded her of herself. Mercer's account
of the much-sung "Abendempfindung" was as touching
and well-shaped as any I've heard." (An
Unamplified Voice, 12 November 2005) |
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| As Grace in the Queen of Puddings's The
Midnight Court |
| "Shannon Mercer's Grace can make a point
with the curve of her mouth as well as the impressive use
of a coloratura voice." (Jon Kaplan,
Now Magazine, 16-22 June 2005 Vol. 24 no. 42) |
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| As Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone
with Opera Lyra Ottawa |
| "Mercer also sang the role of Lucy in
the Telephone singing with agility and fine, crisp tone in
the high notes yet lacking nothing in her lower register."
(Earl Arthur Lowe, Opera Canada Magazine,
Spring 2005, Vol. XLVI) |
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| As Altisidore in Boismortier's Don Quichotte
with La Nouvele Sinfonie |
| "The finest singing came from Shannon
Mercer as Altisidore. Mercer's sparkling recitatives and effortless
runs were a constant delight." (Don Quixotte chez la
Duchesse - Jean Bodin de Boismortier) (Christopher
Hoile, Opera Canada Magazine, Spring 2005, Vol. XLVI) |
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| As
Oberto in Handel's Alcina with Les Violon du Roy
|
| "Le soprano Shannon Mercer donne au jeune
Oberto une voix jeune, agile, légère et, parfois espiègle,
dont le timbre fin se combine à une exécution ferme et remplie
d'adrénaline." (Le Soleil, 11 mai
2004) |
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| As Michal from Handel's Saul
with the Ottawa Choral Society |
| "Soprano Shannon Mercer, singing the role
of Michal (from Handel's Saul) with clarity, poise and vocal
beauty, was the most consistently satisfying." (Ottawa Citizen, 1 April 2004) |
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| As Nadina in Oscar Straus's The Chocolate
Soldier with the Toronto Operetta Theatre |
| "Shannon Mercer sang it (My Hero) quite
handsomely the first time around and made an attractive Nadina
throughout her encounters with the (Swiss) Chocolate Soldier
himself." (Toronto Star, 29 December
2003) |
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| "It would be hard to imagine a more ideal
Nadina than Shannon Mercer. With her pure, shining soprano
she sings "My Hero" with just the right combination
of fervor and innocence, and expertly details Nadina's inner
conflict between unfounded adoration for her idol Alexius
and her growing attraction for the down to earth Bummerli."
(Stage Door, 27 December 2003) |
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| As Rosina in Opera Ontario's Il barbiere
di Siviglia |
| "Rosina was played by Shannon Mercer,
her beautiful and wide-ranging soprano dazzling in Una voca
poco fa, the coloratura passages soaring through the intricacies
of turns and decoration with remarkable ease and control.
She, too, has a flair for comedy, playing the coquette one
minute, the wide-eyed innocent in another, and making her
presence felt in no uncertain terms in yet another. What a
delight she is to hear." (Kitchener-Waterloo,
20 October 2003) |
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| "Shannon Mercer has emerged as one of
Canada's most promising young sopranos and although most companies
these days appear to be reverting to Rossini's original mezzo-soprano
Rosina…there was something very convincing about hearing
Mercer's bright tones coming from the heroine's coquettish
mouth." (Toronto Star, 7 October 2003) |
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| “...presque irréprochable. Et on peut
en dire autant de la soprano Shannon Mercer, aussi belle qu’excellente
par son timbre clair et sa fluidité dans les mélismes.”
(La Presse, 25 novembre 2003) |
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| “Although Rossini intended the part to
be sung by a mezzo-soprano, Mercer is ideal for the role.
The Ottawa native’s bright, clear voice embodies Rosina,
who is at once innocent, flirtatious and full of guile.”
(Cancette, October, 2003) |
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| “Shannon Mercer’s winning portrayal
as Susanna displayed as many histrionics resources as vocal;
her limpid soprano remained perfectly focused under pressure,
and her bewildered look in the Act Three Sextet (“Suo
madre/ suo padre/ etc.”) was a gem.” (Classical
Voice, 10 August 2003) |
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| “As Susanna, betrothed to the rakish Figaro
but desired by the Count, soprano Shannon Mercer was a singing
and acting miracle.” (Santa Barbara Voice, 9 August 2003) |
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| L'italiana in Algeri with the Canadian
Opera Company |
| "…the show was all but stolen by
Shannon Mercer, in the role of Mustafa's wife, the wronged
Elvira. She played Oscar, the King's servant, in the COC's
recent production of Verdi's "A Masked Ball" and
commanded the audience's attention then, too, with her rich
soprano and sympathetic stage presence. She has a voice of
strength and beauty." (Buffalo
News, 7 April 2003) |
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| "Soprano Shannon Mercer, an alumna of
the COC's Ensemble Studio, brightly shines as King Mustafa's
discarded wife, Elvira. Her histrionics, brilliant timing
and musical leadership - especially in the finales - capture
the audience's rapt attention." (Torontostage.com,
3 April 2003) |
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| In duo recital with Katherine Kohrer in
San Francisco |
| "You don't often hear singers meshing
as beautifully as soprano Shannon Mercer and mezzo-soprano
Katherine Rohrer did Sunday night during their joint Schwabacher
Debut Recital. In duets by Mendelssohn, Britten and Rossini,
the two women displayed an almost uncanny knack for blending
their voices in tune, supporting one another's phrases and
modulating each other's delivery to great effect. The four
Mendelssohn duets…were the program's most luxuriant delights,
where the two singers' gift for lushly intertwined textures
came most ravishingly to the fore." (San Francisco Chronicle, 19 February 2003) |
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| In the Canadian Opera Company's Un Ballo
in Maschera |
| "The Canadian light soprano Shannon Mercer
was witty, crisp and delightful in the supporting role of
the king's page, Oscar." (Globe
and Mail, 27 January 2003) |
| |
| "The bright spot of the evening was Shannon
Mercer's radiant performance of the young page Oscar. Because
Mercer was the only compelling actor of the stage - she was
also in splendid voice - this sprite-like character of ambiguous
gender became the fulcrum of the opera...Mercer was also the
only one who sang with her whole body; as she knelt over the
dying King in the final scene, hers was the only believable,
and touching grief." (National
Post, 27 January 2003) |
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| "Shannon Mercer gives a lyrically engaging
performance. Her energetic personality and youthful charm
in her portrayal of Oscar, the Count's page, makes her a prominent
standout. Ms. Mercer executes two very famous arias with impeccable
panache and vocal beauty. Her presence on stage grabs the
viewer's attention and brings the story to life." (Torontostage.com,
29 January 2003) |
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| "The sad girl (Shannon Mercer playing
the part with loveliness and grace) opened her mouth and sorrow
billowed out. You had to feel for her." (Buffalo News, 14 April 2002) |
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| "It was the soprano who secured
our interest in two declamatory works by Monteverdi, transforming
the conventional complaints of a woman betrayed into statements
of immediacy and expressive force...and a motet by Antoine
de Boésset. The latter proved to be a showcase for Mercer's
technical qualifications." (Montreal Gazette, 25 February 2002) |
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| "No typical baroque squeaker,
[Mercer] had a full, radiant voice and a natural way of using
it. Nor did her virtues as a performer end with her sound.
Mercer conveyed the plight of the abandoned queen almost as
potently with her stageworthy face as with her singing. Yet
there was no straining for histrionic effect. Dido's great
farewell aria, Thy Hand, Belinda, was dignified as well as
moving...Mercer made the show." (Montreal Gazette, 25 February 2002) |
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| "Dans le rôle principal, celui
de Didon, Shannon Mercer constitua une petite révélation.
Jeune, grande et belle, avec une voix impeccable, un port
très noble et beaucoup de naturel, la jeune chanteuse d'Ottawa
a tout pour une importante carrière." (La
Presse, 25 fevrier 2002) |
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| "Shannon Mercer is a sweet-voiced
pleasure as Pomey's son Sesto." (Now
Magazine, 13 December 2001) |
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| "Shannon Mercer brought charisma
and vocal agility to the role of Sesto, son of the murdered
general Pompey." (National Post,
7 December 2001) |
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| "Soprano Shannon Mercer has
a lovely rich sound and power to spare." (Classical
96.3, 4 December 2001) |
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| “Shannon Mercer (Sesto), a
woman playing a boy who then has to play a woman, has a bright,
clear soprano and fine acting to bring off this complicated
role with panache.” (Stagedoor,
December 2001) |
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| “Shannon Mercer made every
word tell, and sang in the tonal quality of a blushing rose.”
(Boston Globe, 17 August 2001) |
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| “Shannon Mercer has some affecting
moments as her questing Rapunzel, trying to win her place
in the world, and showed some nice comic timing as Little
Red on her way to granny’s. Mercer’s soprano is
direct, clear and unaffected.” (Globe and Mail, 15 May 2001) |
| |
| “...soprano Shannon Mercer
gave a glowing, youthful interpretation of the same composer’s
(Strauss) Morgen.” (National Post,
19 February 2001) |
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| “Shannon Mercer was particularly outstanding
with the soprano solos. There was breathtaking beauty to the
Benedictus as she sang it, and her contribution to the various
vocal ensembles was always solid and attractive.” (Ottawa
Citizen, 18 October 1999) |
|
| “Shannon Mercer’s incarnation of
Cleopatra was stylistically and idiomatically irreproachable.
Her performance was of rare musical distinction. With a voice
of crystalline purity and warmth of timbre, she offered a
seductive and alluring portrayal. If V’Adoro Pupille
was of a rare sensuality then the sublime Piangero was achingly
drawn.” (Montreal Gazette, 30 November
1997) |
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