"The character of Norma goes through extreme emotional states, she loves, hates, grieves.""
Press:
“…her voice is full of the emotion and showing a new vulnerability to her voice during the convent scene towards the end of act 1.”
Opera Now | Gramophone
“[Rachel] ha una voce dal timbro gradevole, è corretta come attrice e il suo volume è di grande impatto. Il suo ingresso con “Tacea la notte placida” era molto ben fraseggiato, le altre scene erano ben risolte e il suo “D'amor sull'ali rosee” ha sortito un grande effetto. La sua voce è grande ma non fuori controllo e riesce a gestire anche le sottigliezze e i pianissimi.”
Ape Musicale
“Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen ’s Elizabeth of Valois is extraordinary for the quality of the projection and the power of her voice, especially in the upper register. Her interpretation of “Tu che le vanità” was thrilling , for which she deserved the longest and warmest applause in the open scene.”
OperaMundus
“American soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen was the most impressive member of an overall exemplary cast…I find it Herculean for a singer to ably perform the role in both French and Italian versions. In addition to immense talent, Willis‑Sørensen boasts an impressive memory indeed.”
ConcertoNet
“From her first appearance, Willis Sørensen perfectly conveyed Elisabetta’s introverted character…The role can be overshadowed if the soprano doesn’t have the necessary charisma, and there are very few that can convey the character’s complexity…This patrician character can make Elisabetta seem cold, but Willis‑Sørensen managed to masterfully convey the character’s nobility as well as humanity.”
“In her Act II aria, she effectively conveyed her humiliation by Philip IV in “Non pianger, mia compagna,” which was beautifully phrased. Her final Act IV aria, “Tu che le vanità,” was the vocal highpoint of the evening... I maintain the same high opinion I had of her in the French Don Carlos in Chicago: Rachel Willis‑Sørensen is a revelation. Her rich spinto voice is ideally‑suited for the role. Hers is a beautiful voice with natural trills, and easily recognizable within seconds. Her diction here was as impeccable as it was in French in Don Carlos. Whether it is Elisabetta or Elisabeth, the role requires poise and charisma. Willis‑Sørensen has loads of both.”
“Rachel Willis-Sørensen era al suo debutto al San Carlo e ha affrontato Elisabetta con il piglio dell'interprete matura. Voce sonora, corposa, tecnica sicura e attenta al fraseggio e a tutte le sfaccettature di carattere.”
OperaClick
"La présence dans le rôle principal de Rachel Willis-Sørensen, soprano américaine malheureusement rare à Paris, était sans aucun doute l’attrait principal de la distribution. Dotée d’une grande voix au timbre onctueux et sombre, avec une note de lumière qui sonne comme un sanglot, d’un grave riche et d’une ligne de souffle qui semble sans fin, elle est une Violetta sensible, incontestablement touchante. C’est dans les passages les plus lyriques, où la ligne vocale s’étend en legato lui permettant de s’épanouir vers l’aigu que Willis-Sørensen est la plus séduisante, dans un « Amami Alfredo » volcanique, dans un « Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo cor » épuré et bouleversant. Son « Addio del passato », grand moment de la soirée, tout en reflets d’un timbre oscillant entre obscurité et lumière est une merveille, l’envol vocal de « Ah, della traviata, sorridi al desio » déchirant. Une grande Violetta, justement ovationnée aux saluts."
Forum Opéra