Seattle Opera – Seattle Washington
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
August, 2011
"As Maria, the town busybody, meanwhile, Gwendolyn Brown steals the show – a no-nonsense mama whose flips from rich alto to deep Southern back talk have both stage and audience in thrall."
Rosemary Ponnekanti, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Washington

Seattle Opera – Seattle Washington
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
August, 2011
"With her attitude, comic timing, and imposing alto, Gwendolyn Brown nearly steals the show as Maria, Catfish Row’s matriarchal cook."
Thomas May, Seattle Crosscut.com

Seattle Opera – Seattle Washington
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
August, 2011
"Brown tends to steal every scene she's in with her grand, take no prisoners attitude."
Jay Irwin, Broadway World, Seattle Edition

Seattle Opera – Seattle Washington
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
August, 2011
"Contralto Gwendolyn Brown held the stage whenever she came to the fore, as Maria."
Philippa Kiraly, The Sun Break, Seattle, WA

New Orleans Opera

Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

October 2010

"Gwendolyn Brown (clearly an audience favorite) was the spirited Maria."

George Dansker, Opera News

New Orleans Opera

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

October 2010

"Contralto Gwendolyn Brown’s Maria proved to be the steely spine of Catfish Row"

Theodore P. Mahne, Times-Picayune

75th Anniversary Tour

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

PAB Theater, Incorporated, Michael Capasso, Producer

May 2010

"Playing Maria, who tells off Sportin' Life in one of the opera's sure-fire numbers, Gwendolyn Brown was gutsiness personified."

Steven Brown, Charlotte Observer

75th Anniversary Tour

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

PAB Theater, Incorporated, Michael Capasso, Producer

April 2010

"Other fine work is provided by Gwendolyn Brown's Maria . . . whose stirring, solo voice can rise above the crowd and harness audience attention."

Andrew Beck, Hartford Arts Examiner

Grand Rapids Opera

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

April 2010

"(Sportin' Life) meets his comic match in Maria (Gwendolyn Brown), who puts him in his place with the patter song, “I Hates Yo’ Struttin’ Style.”"

Sue Merrell, Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press

Washington National Opera

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

March 2010

"Gwendolyn Brown was a Maria with an ample voice to match her vivid personality."

Tim Smith, Opera News

Washington National Opera

Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

March 2010

"Contralto Gwendolyn Brown as Maria sang with one of the richest voices I have ever heard, in some instances singing comfortably in what would be considered the tenor range. She brought the forceful, maternal element to the cast, keeping everyone in line and being the voice of reason. The audience was brought to laughter several times by her 'frank' dialogue, as it related to her dislike for both Sportin’-Life and Bess."

Patrick McCoy, Kennedy Center Examiner

The Chicago Sinfonietta

“A Dream Unfolds - Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King”

January 2010

"[The] "Four Negro Spirituals" by African-American composer and arranger Hale Smith which was sung alternately by soprano Jonita Lattimore and contralto Gwendolyn Brown, each milking gorgeous sound."

Dennis Polkow, Chicago Classical Review

The Chicago Sinfonietta

“A Dream Unfolds - Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King”

January 2010

"Such incredible talent performing such earthy, simple-folk tunes . . . Brown's soulful and sassy rendition of "Witness" was a highlight of the performance."

Jonathan Rayfield, Chicago Splash Magazine, Spash Magazines Worldwide

The Chicago Sinfonietta

“A Dream Unfolds - Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King”

January 2010

"It was Brown that blew me away during her solos in “Jesus Lay Your Head in the Window” and “Witness.” Brown has a voice that makes you get goose bumps. It is buttery, smooth and strong, and she might be the best singer/storyteller I have ever heard. In “Witness” she had the crowd laughing as she changed her voice to imitate characters in the song and had a few people muttering “Amen!” under their breath as she infused some spunky attitude into soulful verses. I was smitten!"

Devin Kidner, Making Chicago Home

The Chicago Sinfonietta

“A Dream Unfolds - Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King”

January 2010

"Gwendolyn Brown brought a spiritual depth to “Jesus Lay Your Head in the Window” and a bit of sassy humor to “Witness.” She added some needed levity that drew the audience closer to her."

Dwight Casimere, National Food and Entertainment Writer and Reviewer

Hollywood Bowl

“Porgy and Bess”

July 2009

"Gwendolyn Brown was a fabulously vivacious Maria."

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

“Beyond The Score” - Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,”

June 2009

"Sunday also marked a wonderful breakthrough for Chicago contralto Gwendolyn Brown, an alumna of Lyric Opera of Chicago's training program and a regular at Lyric as a cover and in small roles. Her interpretations of Negro spirituals, with ever-dependable pianist Elizabeth Buccheri, were deeply moving, even stirring. She also absolutely captured the harmonic, narrative and dramatic qualities of this music that spoke so directly to Dvorak. Stunning."

Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun Times

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Holy and Ivy Holiday Concert

December 2008

"Soloists were fine, with the standout being mezzo Gwendolyn Brown, haunting in Leo Nestor's 1998 arrangement of the 1933 John Jacob Niles Appalachian-inspired standard "I Wonder as I Wander.""

Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun Times

Altamura-Caruso International Vocal Competition

Encounter with the Masters

August 2008

"Speaking of voices that will haunt you through Metropolitan Opera performances anywhere featuring a mezzo-contralto for years to come, to hear Gwendolyn Brown is to experience that primal thrill which comes in the presence of a singer whose fusion of soul with a vast, resonant instrument is total."

Kitty Montgomery, Saugerties Post Star

Tulsa Opera

Porgy and Bess, Gershwin
April 2007

“Gwendolyn Brown brings a large helping of sass to the role of Maria; her face-off with Sportin’ Life is one of the comic highlights of the opera.”

James D. Watts, Jr., Tulsa World

Chicago Sinfonietta, Chicago, Illinois

Alexander Nevsky, Tchaikovsky

November 2006

“Gwendolyn Brown brought a rich contralto voice to the lament of the Russian girl as she searched for her lover's body among the battlefield dead.”

John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

Yachats Music Festival
Yachats, Oregon
July 2006

“Once again Saturday night there were astonishments, particularly Gwendolyn Brown, a contralto who silenced our breathing with the celebrated "Samson et Dalila" aria "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" ("My heart opens at your voice"). Brown slowed the phrases down . . . her dusky voice inhabited the music so completely, we were spellbound.”

David Stabler, The Oregonian

Yachats Music Festival

Yachats, Oregon

July 2004

"This is her second year at the festival, and she's making an impression with her poise and deep contralto voice. She sings Ulrica's great anger aria from Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" ("A Masked Ball"), the aria that Marian Anderson sang in her debut as the first African American in a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955. Brown recalls Anderson's muscular sound: low notes that are dark, almost earthen."

David Stabler, The Oregonian

Yachats Music Festival

Yachats, Oregon

July 2004

 "Gwendolyn Brown positively chilled the warm night air with the gypsy's fortune teller's aria from Verdi's Un ballo in Maschera." 

South Lincoln County News (Oregon)

Yachats Music Festival

Yachats Oregon

 July 2004

“Verdi never saw the Pacific Ocean.  But, hearing a young singer before the rest of the world discovers her during a Yachats sunset matches one of life's greatest moments."

David Stabler, The Oregonian.