Alisa Garin Photography
PRESS
Louis Andriessen "Theatre of the World" recording on Nonesuch with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
"There are superb performances from Cristina Zavalloni as Jana Inés de la Cruz, the Mexican nun in whom Kircher thought he had discovered a soul-mate, and Lindsay Kesselman as the boy who guides him on this surreal journey through his memories."
— The Guardian (September 28, 2017)
Louis Andriessen "Theatre of the World" recording on Nonesuch with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
"Premiered in 2016 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Reinbert de Leeuw, Theatre of the World takes the 16th-century German Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher as its unlikely starting point, although his life and work is only one strand in a complex dramatic scenario. Possessed by a need to become recognised as the foremost thinker of his age, Kircher (vividly characterised in the baritone Leigh Melrose's performance) arrives at the Vatican, where he meets Pope Innocent XI. Accompanied by a young boy with magical powers (excellently portrayed by the lyric soprano Lindsay Kesselman), the three are transported through time and space to various locations including ancient Egypt, the Tower of Babel and Dutch-colonialist China."
— Gramophone (November 2017)
Chris Cerrone "The Pieces That Fall to Earth" with Present Music, Milwaukee
"Soprano Lindsay Kesselman gave the music heartfelt presence in exciting singing that roused the audience to spontaneous ovation."
— Shepherd Express (November 21, 2017)
John Mackey "Songs from the End of the World" on "Antique Violences" album on Blue Griffin, released summer 2017, with Michigan State University, Kevin Sedatole, conductor
"Kesselman, an artist of growing reputation for her artistry and intelligence, sings the uncommonly beautiful songs with heartbreaking restraint and a voice of goddess-like splendor. I predict great things for her career."
— Fanfare Magazine
"Theatre of the World" by Louis Andriessen
"Theater of the World" finds Kircher near the end of his life, guided through a stylized journey by a boy (sung with creepy precision by the soprano Lindsay Kesselman) who seems harmlessly curious at first but eventually begins to act savagely, even satanically. (Is he angel or devil?)"
— New York Times (May 8, 2016)
HAVEN recording of Atonement
"...Kesselman is captivating in her selections, rendering them with her gorgeous voice, crisp diction, and a compelling tragic character. Her singing and enunciation in the English language are so good that one scarcely needs the text; it rolls off her tongue with perfect strength and clarity. Moreover, her wordless chant in the final movement of the Chambers is both vivid and haunting."
— American Record Guide (September 1, 2015)
La commedia by Louis Andriessen, with Great Noise Ensemble
"The limpid soprano Lindsay Kesselman, as Beatrice, shone in her few appearances."
— New York Times (April 8, 2014)
HAVEN Bright Angel recording
"She has a fully loaded palette of tone color... the real star of this offering is the soprano, Lindsay Kesselman. Her singing is simply gorgeous."
— Fanfare Magazine (November 3, 2013)
Mr. Tambourine Man at Carnegie Hall
"Soprano soloist Lindsay Kesselman made (Corigliano's Mr. Tambourine Man) her own in a performance filled with passion. Her diction was excellent and the colors of her voice really brought out the meanings of Dylan's lyrics. There were countless moments of excellence, but I will mention just one that caught me off guard. The last line of Masters of War ('Til I'm sure you're dead) was delivered with a bone-chilling, angry hiss that I was not expecting from such a radiant voice! She was a joy to watch and hear, and when she finished Forever Young, the audience gave her a richly deserved and prolonged ovation. Mr. Corigliano came to the stage and shared his enthusiasm for the superlative performance the amazing Ms. Kesselman gave of his work."
— New York Concert Review
From the composer:
"Lindsay Kesselman possesses a marvelous voice which she uses in an incredibly musical way. She is unafraid of taking chances, and that puts her in a special category of artist. I think she is wonderful."
— John Corigliano (2013)
HAVEN Bright Angel recording
"Luevano has great energy, a pleasant tone and solid fingers... Koga is solid at the keyboard, granting each score the essential character and rhythmic intensity... Kesselman steals the show with exceptional color and clarity, superb diction and heartfelt phrasing; her command of both traditional lyricism and Sprechstimme is breathtaking... important contribution to the repertoire."
— American Record Guide (September 30, 2013)
Mirage Trio Performance at Atlas Performing Arts
"The Mirage players — Nicholas Photinos on cello and Yasuko Oura on piano, as well as soprano Kesselman — played with virtuosity and conviction all afternoon, and those qualities were on full display in perhaps the most accomplished work on the program, Kaija Saariaho's shimmering, otherworldy "Mirage" — a piece that inspired the group's name. It's a work of ravishing sonic beauty and imagination, rich in both complexity and poetry, and the trio gave it a vivid and completely assured reading — a memorable performance in every way."
— Washington Post (September 24, 2013)
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
"Amy Kirsten's "L'Ange Pale" (The Pale Angel) was magnificently sung by soprano Lindsay Kesselman. Kesselman reached heights of ecstatic virtuosity while always maintaining remarkable accuracy."
— Pittsburgh Tribune (July 25, 2012)
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
"The cornerstone was a work of haunting beauty, Joseph Schwantner's "Sparrows" for full ensemble. Set to haiku by the eighteenth-century Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa, stark strains gave way to swirling neo-romanticism. Soprano Lindsay Kesselman intoned the text with simple, radiant expression."
— Pittsburgh Post Gazette (July 25, 2011)
From Phyllis Look, Director of Marketing, Hawai'i Public Radio
"Hawai'i Public Radio was honored to present the Honolulu premiere of Twinge in our Atherton Performing Arts Studio on January 21, 2017. This new music concert had all the elements we look to bring HPR's discerning audiences: the celebration of a creative work by a Hawai'i resident (the composer John Magnussen), inspiration from artists from beyond our shores (the Haven Trio), quality storytelling and social relevance (from the source material by Barry Bearak for the NY Times Magazine on the 2004 Indonesian tsunami). I found the performance deeply moving as well as technically thrilling, and others in the audience were evidently equally engaged, as the majority of them remained for the post-performance discussion with the composer, performers, and author."