Critical Acclaim

Monday, February 11, 2008: Israel Lozano recital

Bangkok Opera brought Spanish tenor Israel Lozano and pianist Trisdee na Patalung to the Pridi Banomyong Institute Auditorium last Thursday for an evening of "Mediterranean Magic." Lozano has lately been taken in by none other than Placido Domingo, having won Domingo's International Operalia Competition in 2003, appearing at Washington National Opera, and performing with il maestro at Vienna's Theater an der Wien. Domingo's style has left a mark on the young singer, though Lozano definitely brings his own playful personality to the stage. Neapolitan folk ditties by Paolo Tosti and contemporary Spanish art song by Alan Mandel got the night started right. Mandel's pieces, which Lozano premiered in 2006, and two arias from different Zarzuelas later on, saved the night from becoming a sort of "best of Italian opera" run through (not that the audience would have minded) and let the rising star show his range. The beautifully spun pianissimos in the Mandel works particularly struck me. Manuel de Falla's "Cancines Espanolas" were on the program as well, preceding the Donizetti, Leoncavallo, Verdi, and Puccini. I've played this piece in an arrangement for eight cellos, and I've heard the violin/piano version and the soprano/piano version, but never the tenor/piano incarnation. Most of it worked rather nicely, with Lozano at turns jovial and melancholy and sweet. "Jota" and "Nana" stood out as suiting the tenor timbre especially well. In addition to the Zarzuela arias, the second half of the program and the encores included "Una furtiva", "O Colombina", "Mattinata", "Quest' o quella", and "E lucevan le stelle." Really I was pretty tired and just enjoyed hearing a voice float through this beautiful music so breezily, with such ease and clarity and force; surely Lozano has a long career ahead of him. Trisdee was an extremely sensitive accompanist, and audience members got a taste of his solo playing when Lozano took a little water break (head to the Goethe Institute on March 4th to hear him perform the complete Goldberg Variations). The substantial audience was floored throughout the performance and Lozano seemed genuinely excited and grateful for the opportunity to share his gift. A good night, for sure.
Posted by Brian Hinrichs at 10:26 AM

Les Chroniques de Benito Pelegrín, France (Nov. 2006)

Les Chroniques de Benito Pelegrín, Aix-en-Provence, France. Tenor, Israel Lozano - Piano, Jacques Reynaut

Washington Post March 8 2006 Music by Alan Mandel
World Premiere!!!

Lozano took on the poetry of his texts (all of them in his native Spanish) with gusto and added compelling drama to everything he sang.
-- Joan Reinthaler, Washington Post

Washington Post, August 30th 2005

"...The finest and most finished work came from...McCall and Lozano (her beel-like clarity and fine control and his juicy, italianate ring at their most exciting in the Love-duet from "Lucia di Lammermoor). -Joe Banno

Metro Weekly Review of Luisa Fernanda

... he [Lozano] is an accomplished tenor, with good range and he brings some real power at times.

Washington Times Review of Luisa Fernanda

As the cad Javier, Israel Lozano got impressive mileage from his compact yet gallant tenor instrument...

Operaonline Review of Luisa Fernanda

Spanish tenor (yes he had the tenor lead instead of Placido) Israel Lozano, as Javier, was also vocally sound. Though slightly stiff on stage, his character had some of the most beautiful melodies of the evening and he delivered them wonderfully.

New York Times review of Luisa Fernanda

One couldn't help rooting for the tenor voice of Israel Lozano (Javier) as it faced every high note and pressure point with grit, determination and general success.

Esslinger Zeitung, 21 September 2004

The 2nd discovery of the evening was the Spanish Israel Lozano, with his razor-sharp, exactly in tune, in high and low range, tenor.

Der Neue Merker, 10/04

The sympathies went singularly on [account] of her [Violetta’s] partner tenor Israel Lozano, a young Spanish tenor with a winning stage presence, who at the moment is working from virtuoso belcanto into Verdi fach. With a melting, emotionally nuanced, grabbing tenor, whose natural sound sometimes recalls Giacomo Aragall’s in its beauty, he is on the path to becoming an Alfredo presence...

Vaihinger Kreiszeitung, 21 September 2004

He who hears tenor Israel Lozano, who sang the role of Alfredo Germont, stays deeply immersed in his beautiful singing...

Südwest Presse, 21 September 2004

Israel Lozano as Alfredo sang with a tight-packaged Italian tenor voice for connoisseurs.

Sttutgarter Nachrichten, 21 September 2004

The Spaniard Israel Lozano was convincing as Alfredo with his razor-sharp perfectly in tune tenor.

Bietigheimer Zeitung, 21 September 2004

The Spaniard Israel Lozano as her lover, Alfredo, developed his sympathetic character through his glorious singing.

Ludwigsburger Kreszeitung, 21 September 2004

The Spaniard Israel Lozano as Alfredo, with a lyric, moving tenor even in the high range, became freer and freer.