“Kelsey inhabited the role so completely that I forgot I was in the theatre watching an entertainment: he laid bare Rigoletto’s soul for all to see. His warm, honeyed baritone was rich in power, nuance and color, and his body language, so organic to the hunchbacked jester, weary and beleaguered from his life at court, felt like he wasn’t acting. He moved from surly jester to doting father to a man undone by events with slight adjustments to his bearing that spoke volumes.”
Seen and Heard International
“Quinn Kelsey‘s performance in the title role towers—visually and vocally. Broad shoulders, granite jaw, a shining dome of a head—he looks monumental before he sings a note. His baritone arrives rough and burnished, textured with fear, pride, and fatherly panic. He refuses to sentimentalize Rigoletto or play him as a monster. Instead, he builds a character from the inside out, stitching together “Pari siamo,” “Cortigiani,” and “Vendetta” into a full human being. His voice carries weight without force, and he phrases with a musicality that rides the conductor’s pulse. His “Cortigiani” is a desperate, furious prayer, not just a tantrum. A man unraveling.”
Stage and Cinema
“… the opera can be truly exceptional with a convincing baritone in the title role. Quinn Kelsey more than persuades. In an era when the sound of the “Verdi baritone” is but a memory, Kelsey’s is a thrilling exception. The middle of his range recalls Leonard Warren, his high notes Cornell MacNeil … His “Pari siamo,” was engrossing vocally, commanding dramatically and physically, partially because he had to perform an onstage costume change throughout it …
“Cortigiani vil razza dannata” was magnetic, with his vocal strength and imposing physique, but ultimately vulnerability, laying bare a tormented father … the interpolated high A at the end of the evening was worth the wait. What a voice!”
Bachtrack
“Baritone Quinn Kelsey’s gripping “Rigoletto,” as good as it gets these days … The visceral energy of the anger of this guy in a clown suit is the stuff of nightmares. Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.”
LA Times
“Baritone Quinn Kelsey, the undisputed Verdi master of his generation, embodied Rigoletto with raw humanity. His performance was not a portrait of rage, but of a father unraveling—his “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata” thundered with grief.”
Indulge magazine
“Rigoletto is one of baritone Quinn Kelsey‘s best roles, and he sang it formidably. No hunchback in this production, this Rigoletto is misshapen only in the head. Kelsey reminded me a lot of the power and reserve that Sherrill Milnes brought to “Cortigiani”, but a more burnished, beautiful tone than Juan Pons. His duet with hired assassin Sparafucile (the superb bass Peixin Chen) and “Pari siamo” crackled with drama and forward momentum.”
Classical Voice
“Rigoletto’s universal themes, not to mention its irresistible music, are delivered here with impressive sensitivity and nuance by a first-class cast headlined by baritone Quinn Kelsey, commanding in the title role of the tortured court jester.”
San Francisco Classical Voice
“Baritone Quinn Kelsey, who is considered as one of the great current Verdi baritones, stars in this production. He plays the title role of the mocking jester and subtly evolves through the three acts to the closing curtain when, as a broken man, he finally assumes his guilt and the burden of the “maledizione” – the curse. Kelsey’s outsized talent is to be able to sensitively shape his rich baritone to the many deep layers of the character he portrays. His voice is cool and cruel when we first meet him as the court clown but reveals deep love and beautiful vulnerability when it comes to Gilda his daughter. He equally conveys the seething anger that the forced role of being a jester brings him and the heartbreak at the end when he learns he is responsible for the death of his daughter. Kelsey has a beautiful warm baritone full of nuance with rich top and bottom notes that add color.”
Schmopera
