PRESS
BEN BLISS IN THE NEWS
Mr. Bliss was recently featured in The New York TImes' '‘Così’ at the Met: The Week’s Best Classical Music Moments on YouTube.'
"Even in the climactic moment of the song, when he clings to a high note, Mr. Bliss sings with full-voiced intensity without sounding generically operatic. You’ll seldom hear a finer performance. "
PELLEAS ET MELISANDE
PELLÉAS | MAÎTRISE DE RADIO FRANCE
"With his warm and luminous timbre, his beautiful French, his resolute way of standing up to a sometimes overwhelming orchestra, he is the revelation of this concert version, and composes, with Mélisande a most seductive duo."
TÉLÉRAMA
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS
TOM RAKEWELL | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"easy, golden tenor and immaculate diction."
"His singing was fresh, youthful, and beautiful. It was also smart, precise, and secure. Nothing was forced, nothing was awkward. Bliss was a pleasure to listen to."
OBSERVER
THE NEW CRITERION
"Ben Bliss proved himself in this Rake to be a peer of the best Toms in the opera’s seven-decade history. Tom’s affection for Anne was apparent in the tenor’s singing of ‘Now is the season’ in the duet in the opera’s opening scene, but the boredom that precipitates the restless young man’s downfall was also discernible. Bliss performed the recitative ‘Here I stand’ and Tom’s aria ‘Since it is not by merit’ exuberantly, indefatigably negotiating the vocal writing’s assault on the passaggio."
VOIX DES ARTS
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
PHOTO BY KEN HOWARD
ST. MATTHEW PASSION
TENOR SOLOIST | LA OPERA
"Bliss’s lyric voice shone throughout, upping the emotional ante by managing to balance grace and urgency effectively"
CLASSICAL VOICE
ST. MATTHEW PASSION/LA OPERA
IPHIGENIE EN TAURIDE
PYLADE | OPÉRA DE ROUEN NORMANDIE
"Ben Bliss’ Pylade is indisputably the master piece of the cast, an incredibly beautiful timber, a sublime legato, the flexibility of the line, a blameless diction. He gratifies us with one of the most moving "Unis dès la plus tendre enfance" ever heard."
RESMUSICA
"The young American tenor Ben Bliss is a Pylade close to the ideal. His first aria is full of alliterations and nasal vowels that constitute dangerous traps for non French speaking singers. But Ben Bliss manages all of these like a real Parisian guy. He masters the French classical style in a very elegant way. Ben Bliss is definitely a confirmed artist."
PREMIÈRE LOGE
IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE/OPÉRA DE ROUEN NORMANDIE
PHOTO BY MARION KERNO
HANDEL'S MESSIAH
TENOR SOLOIST | THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
"Ben Bliss ... was the clear standout of the evening. The young tenor brought an appealing plangent voice, singing with expressive poise, dramatic strength and assured agility in every aria."
CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW
COSI FAN TUTTE
FERRANDO | SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
"His voice is of even strength from top to bottom allowing him to extol the Mozart line to its utmost. It was quite beautiful singing."
OPERA TODAY
"Bliss’ sweet tenor — fluid, bright, full of subtly shifting tone colors — seemed to have an element of heartbreak built in from the beginning. His Act 1 aria, “Un’aura amorosa,” brought a breathtaking depth of emotion and expressivity to the performance."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
COSÌ FAN TUTTE/SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
PHOTO BY CORY WEAVER
DON GIOVANNI
DON OTTAVIO | LICEU OPERA BARCELONA
"Among the entire cast, the splendid Don Ottavio of the American tenor Ben Bliss surprised, with a homogeneous and easy voice in the high-pitched, displaying a very careful line of singing, of great elegance, also adorned with careful variations in 'Dalla sua pace ', without a doubt one of the best moments of the evening."
"There were discoveries, like the magical moment that is achieved in 'Dalla sua pace', thanks also to an impeccable Ben Bliss."
PLATEA MAGAZINE
DON GIOVANNI/LICEU OPERA BARCELONA
PHOTO BY A. Bofill
COSI FAN TUTTE
FERRANDO | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"...the tenor Ben Bliss sings Ferrando with poised sweetness."
"Ben Bliss sang Ferrando at the production's premiere and, if possible, his performance is even better. In his first act "Aura amorosa", he poured his honeyed tone into Mozart's music with abandon."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
BROADWAY WORLD
"Bliss deftly wielded his silky tenor through Ferrando’s more touching scenes; faced with Fiordiligi’s initial refusal and Dorabella’s unfaithfulness, his cavatina “Tradito, schernito,” rang with a fine, crestfallen timbre. This seeming defeat tinged his later duet with Car, “Fra gli amplessi,” with a desperate passion that was hard to resist, as heard from the beckoning caress he placed on the phrase “In me alone you’ll find husband, lover, and more if you wish.”
OPERAWIRE
COSÌ FAN TUTTE/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
DON GIOVANNI
DON OTTAVIO | LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
"Ben Bliss is perhaps the finest Mozart tenor that has graced the Lyric stage in the past years. While the lighter nature of his instrument led to a few moments where the orchestra outweighs him, he positively glimmers in Don Ottavio’s two arias, both wickedly difficult. There is a saying in opera that there is no award for not breathing, but if there were one, Bliss would win it, making exceedingly long phrases seem effortless."
FRA NOI
"Amanda Majeski (Donna Elvira), Ben Bliss (Don Ottavio), Ying Fang (Zerlina), Brandon Cedel (Masetto) and Mika Kares (the Commendatore) remain a stellar ensemble, ideally cast and supreme both vocally and dramatically."
CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW
"American tenor Ben Bliss portrays Anna's fiancé, Don Ottavio. His sincere, touching and extremely beautiful voice matches characteristics of Ottavio, and Bliss finds the best way both vocally and artistically to present this role."
PATCH CHICAGO
"...Ben Bliss, making his Lyric debut as Donna Anna’s betrothed, Ottavio... There’s no missing the tonal sweetness and emotional openness of Bliss’ work in their duet “Fuggi, crudele, fuggi!”
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"Bliss’s Don Ottavio is perhaps the opera’s most sympathetic character, who shows nobility and loyalty, especially in his romantically heroic aria “Dalla sua pace,” which nearly brought down the house."
STAGE & CINEMA
"Ben Bliss sings beautifully as Don Ottavio, tossing off the two arias, written to highlight the talents of two different tenors, with ease and exactly the right style."
NEW CITY STAGE
HANDEL'S MESSIAH
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
"Tenor Ben Bliss sang with alacrity and precise, fine tunefulness. The color of his voice provided eloquence and taste and he never veered from his purpose."
OPERAWIRE
"Also impressive was tenor Ben Bliss, who set a high bar for gentle deliveries with his opening 'Comfort ye' and was arrestingly tender on the recitative, 'Thy rebuke hath broken His heart.'"
TWIN CITIES PIONEER PRESS
DON GIOVANNI/LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
PHOTO BY KYLE FLUBACKER
THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO
BELMONTE | LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY
"Kansas tenor Ben Bliss is an exemplar of the Mozartean tenor, bringing to the role of Belmonte purity of tone, vocal control and artistic sensitivity."
OPERA WARHORSES
"Ben Bliss, a native Kansas Citian, was back to make his debut here as Belmonte (as a side note, his mother is a singer in the chorus, so this was something of a family affair). His voice is elegantly Mozartian, its tones and nuances sensitively rendered, long notes well sustained, breath controlled admirably. There was nothing unrefined or forced about his tone; it was entirely fitting throughout."
BROADWAY WORLD
THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO/LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY
PHOTO BY karli cadel
COSI FAN TUTTE
FERRANDO | SANTA FE OPERA
"Bliss gave a master class in Mozart for lyric tenors, singing with style, sensitivity and easily achieved upper register. He also was not afraid to put clarity of meaning and emotional content ahead of beautiful tone at appropriate moments."
SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN
"Tall and slim Ben Bliss had a moderately sized tenor voice with a distinctive tone. He was a charming Ferrando who sang the aria: 'Un'aura amorosa' ('A loving aura') with a captivating sweetness as he showed that he, too, could move while singing."
BROADWAY WORLD
"All four singers— Ben Bliss (Ferrando), Jarrett Ott (Guglielmo), Amanda Majeski (Fiordiligi), and Emily D'Angelo (Dorabella)— have glorious voices that blend beautifully and are ideal for these roles... During Mr. Bliss's exquisite performance of 'Un'aura amorosa' which can be just a pretty tenor aria, the subtle body language of [Rod] Gilfry and Tracy Dahl, an irrepressible Despina, told us that they were now hearing it as an echo of their old, now rotted, love affair."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
COSÌ FAN TUTTE/SANTA FE OPERA
PHOTO BY KEN HOWARD
SUMMER RECITAL SERIES
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"Next was 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon,' sung by tenor Ben Bliss. This early romantic number saw Bliss delivering lovely, ornamented phrases while treating the repetitions with a rising forte that bolstered his passion with sufficient power; his expressions conveyed the sense of one taking in the new and exciting possibility of love... Ben Bliss’ selections were all based around love, exploring the myriad of circumstances it creates. From Massenet’s Manon, Bliss sang 'En fermant les yeux,' reaching a breathtaking delicacy with the high A which comes in the middle of the closing phrase... His performances of Lenski’s aria 'Kuda, kuda, kuda vy Udalilis,' from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, took things in a more dire direction as he awaited what would become a fatal duel; his somber phrases escalated before Bliss sighed them away to close the opening stanza... Just as the following lighter section began to brighten the mood, Lenski’s thoughts of Olga dyed Bliss’ phrases with a rueful, ardent beauty. One of his later numbers was the duet 'Caro Elisir! Sei Mio!… Esulti pur la Barbara,' from Donizetti’s L’elisir d’Amore. Bliss’ fun, earlier indifference took a more meaningful turn when Fang made her entrance, the accompaniment likewise becoming more sentimental. Their harmonies spoke of a deeper connection while they maintained their facades and exchanged sparring phrases. Their dual cadenza came to a soft and beautiful close, with Bliss and Fang sharply turning and walking away from the other, opting to brush off rather than bask in the romantic atmosphere."
OPERAWIRE
"The inclement weather on Monday actually made the ardent performances of these undeterred singers more special. The evening began with a short medley from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte... Mr. Bliss brought his honeyed lyric tenor voice to Tamino’s declaration of love..."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
DON GIOVANNI
DON OTTAVIO | HOUSTON GRAND OPERA
"Holten’s staging pointed up how ineffectual Ottavio is: During his first aria, “Dalla sua pace,” the agonized Anna turned and left as he sang to her. But tenor Ben Bliss’s dignified bearing and fluent, graceful singing at least gave Ottavio a genuine sincerity."
TEXAS CLASSICAL REVIEW
"...Her lovable but stuffy fiancé Don Ottavio (played by magnificent tenor Ben Bliss)..."
HOUSTONIA MAGAZINE
"As Don Ottavio, Kansas tenor Ben Bliss provided a textbook lesson on how to sing the character’s two great arias 'Dalla sua pace' and 'Il mio tesoro', with melodic variations for the second verses of each. He sang beautifully in the trios with Donna Anna and Donna Elvira."
OPERA WARHORSES
"Meanwhile, Donna Anna continues her pursuit, with puppy dog finance Don Ottavio (blissful tenor Ben Bliss) in tow for revenge..."
HOUSTON PRESS
MOZART REQUIEM
TENOR SOLOIST | NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
"The four soloists each had distinctive qualities — standouts were the tenor Ben Bliss, who brought the dramatic textures you might hear in his Mozart over at the Metropolitan Opera..."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"...Ben Bliss showed why he is one of the leading Mozartian tenors on the scene today."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
DON GIOVANNI/HOUSTON GRAND OPERA
PHOTO BY LYNN LANE
MOZART REQUIEM/NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
PHOTO BY CAITLIN OCHS
COSI FAN TUTTE
FERRANDO | CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY
“…[As] Ferrando tenor Ben Bliss [is] at his lyric best.”
TORONTO STAR
"I first heard tenor Ben Bliss (Ferrando) sing in Doctor Atomic and Capriccio in Santa Fe, and it’s great that he is making his Canadian debut here. His “Una aura amorosa” among the best I’ve heard."
LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
COSÌ FAN TUTTE/CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY
THE MAGIC FLUTE
TAMINO | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"Ben Bliss sang Tamino with a tender yet ample lyric tenor voice and earnestness."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Ben Bliss, who is becoming a leading Mozart tenor... [was] sweet, lovely, and graceful..."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
As Tamino, tenor Ben Bliss captured the development of the character as he matures from headstrong to heroic. His aria “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön,” contained a tender passion... The emotion of Bliss’ recitative before the aria “Wie stark ist nicht dein Zaubertön,” made for a nearly-seamless transition between speech and song.
OPERAWIRE
THE TURN OF THE SCREW
PETER QUINT | SEATTLE OPERA
"Ben Bliss projects a gently menacing and persistent Quint, who transmits terror through piercing and knowing gazes as much as his ephemeral singing."
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
"It’s hard to imagine anyone better suited to play Peter Quint than Ben Bliss, whose presence lends a sense of menace about to pounce."
THE SEATTLE TIMES
THE MAGIC FLUTE/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
DOCTOR ATOMIC
DR. ROBERT WILSON | SANTA FE OPERA
"Tenor Benjamin Bliss did a superb job as Wilson, displaying a side to his elegantly modulated singing that was considerably more dramatic than the strictly lyric parts with which we most associate him. He managed to inject real life into lines that, while drawn from authentic sources, land with a thud in the libretto.”
SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN
"Ben Bliss [was] pure-voiced and worried as the conflicted physicist Robert Wilson."
"Mr. Bliss…makes [a] vigorous impression..."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
THE TURN OF THE SCREW/SEATTLE OPERA
DOCTOR ATOMIC/SANTA FE OPERA
IN CONCERT: BRITTEN
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL & SCHOOL
"Tenor Ben Bliss and French horn master Andrew Bain delivered sensitive contributions...Bliss, who was a student here only a few years ago and now sings principal roles at the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera, articulated the poetry of Tennyson, Blake and Keats with clarity in a sweet tenor that had no trouble ascending to the high range the score requires."
THE ASPEN TIMES
COSI FAN TUTTE
FERRANDO | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"Bliss was, well, blissful. His legato line was pristine and every sound that came out of his voice was suave and gentle. He caressed with every phrase, the higher notes coming off effortlessly. The latter aria had a bitterness in its coloring, yet he retained a restrained singing, the accenting kept in check. You felt that Ferrando was, more than disappointed, deeply hurt and his singing had a pleading and weeping quality to it. In his scenes with Fiordiligi, the passion came from his sweetness."
OPERAWIRE
"Bliss’s graceful, flowing performance of “Un’aura amarosa” was the most musically compelling moment of the performance."
"Ben Bliss is wonderful as Ferrando, with an ideally sweet voice and boyish earnestness."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
Ben Bliss...is a truly exceptional tenor.
NATIONAL REVIEW
[Bliss's] legato line was pristine and every sound that came out of his voice was suave and gentle. He caressed with every phrase, the higher notes coming off effortlessly.
BACHTRACK
COsi Fan tutte/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
STEUERMANN | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"...Mr. Nézet-Séguin guided Mr. Bliss in a performance that had the directness and intimacy of a Schubert lied."
"Ben Bliss practically stole the third act."
OBSERVER
"Tenor Ben Bliss ... performance was equal parts sheer loveliness and charm—the “Helmsman’s Song” was extraordinarily mellifluous."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
NY CLASSICAL REVIEW
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
THE MAGIC FLUTE
TAMINO | OPERA PHILADELPHIA
"Tenor Ben Bliss as Tamino sings with such an exquisite sound and impressive command, that we forget just how difficult of an aria "Dies Bildnis" is."
"Bliss...earn(ed) high marks for beautiful lyric singing."
"Sweet voiced and elegant."
BACH TRACK
BROADSTREET REVIEW
SCHMOPERA
THE MAGIC FLUTE/OPERA PHILADELPHIA
HANDEL'S MESSIAH
TENOR SOLOIST | NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
"[Bliss] was a model of relaxed, assured singing—and the diction champion of the night—as his clear voice, woody at the core, curled easily around the phrases of “Ev’ry valley” and achieved trumpet-like intensity in “Thou shalt break them."
"Bliss was an excellent tenor, strong and attractive of tone and manner."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
"Tenor Ben Bliss stole the show whenever he opened his mouth, with powerful but sweet, evenly produced tone, impeccable diction, and unforced attention to the words. Of the four soloists, he offered the most stylish and confident ornamentation, making his flourishes sound spontaneous. He’s one to watch."
OPERAWIRE
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS
TOM RAKEWELL | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
“Enough good things cannot be said about the cast. As the impetuous young Tom, Bliss initially let warm high notes flow with the easy assurance of someone who knows fortune has favored him, and later added a bitter edge and delicate quaver as his character was corrupted and then driven insane.”
BOSTON GLOBE
“…Ben Bliss pulls out all the stops for this role, growing gradually stronger and surer as his character progresses. His powerful “Here I stand” opens the show, and his gorgeous hymns to Venus in Act III almost bring us to our knees with him.”
“Ben Bliss is destined to be a star, at turns cocky and vulnerable with just a slight change of vibrato.”
BOSTON UNIVERSITY NEWS SERVICE
BOSTON MUSICAL INTELLIGENCER
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS/BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
THE MAGIC FLUTE
TAMINO | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"Ben Bliss was outstanding as Tamino, meeting all the vocal demands of his role without betraying any effort. His light, ringing sound is ideal for the prince, and he combined earnest feeling with innate lyrical sense in his singing."
"Ben Bliss’ captivating tenor was a perfect fit for the handsome Prince Tamino. His “Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton” was performed with robust acumen."
NEWYORKTHEATREGUIDE.COM
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
THE MAGIC FLUTE/THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
THE MAGIC FLUTE
TAMINO | LOS ANGELES OPERA
"...an ever-elegant and solid Tamino."
LA TIMES
"Bliss, a towering young tenor...is a wonderful Tamino, possessing exactly melodious tone that Mozart’s music calls for."
"...A dashing, clear-voiced presence."
LA WEEKLY
LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
THE MAGIC FLUTE/LOS ANGELES OPERA
DIE ENTFUHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL
BELMONTE | GLYNDEBOURNE OPERA TOUR
"Ben Bliss makes a tremendous Glyndebourne debut as her beau...whose beautiful tones are particularly showcased in a tender O wie angstlich."
THE REVIEWS HUB
"(Bliss) has the perfect voice for his exquisite music. Mr Bliss is a real find and worth the price of the ticket just to hear his voice."
"A lyric tenor of considerable beauty and sensitivity... His third-act duet with Konstanze was quite ravishing of tone."
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
WOLFIEWOLFGANG.COM
BELMONTE | THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"...The marvelous Ben Bliss—a true Mozart tenor. ...Bliss sang with a purity of tone, eloquent phrasing, and superb breath control. He was believably ardent and anguished, and he did full justice to all of his arias, including the very challenging “Ich baue ganz.” He also acted extremely well – loving to Konstanze, suitably arrogant with Pedrillo (who had been his servant) and dignified in the last act confrontation... I am very much looking forward to his Tamino with the Met next season."
OPERACRITIC.COM
ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO/ATLANTA OPERA
Summer Recital Series in central park & brooklyn bridge park
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
"The tenor Ben Bliss offered a passionate rendition of “Lunge da lei,” from Verdi’s “Traviata,” and beautifully sung interpretations of selections from Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte” and “The Abduction From the Seraglio,” as well as a delicately shaded and moving performance of an aria from Karl Goldmark’s “Queen of Sheba.” Mr. Bliss partnered with the sonorous-voiced baritone Alexey Lavrov for “Au fond du temple saint,” from Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers.”"