Foto: Manfred Esser
Foto: Manfred Esser

Selected Reviews

 

Wonderful primadonna: her consisently beautiful and virtuoso soprano was secure and Francis possessed all the necessary coloratura and high notes. The audience already gave appreciative applaus during the performance. Some members of the audience reached for a tissue whilst Lauren Francis set a crown on the scene with a plaintive Addio del passato and let her voice float over the Teutoburger Wald. For Lauren Francis came passionate italian bravos  in the style of the Arena di Verona. She was rewarded with a standing ovation for an emotional performance.    Münstersche Zeitung

 

Violetta Valéry... sublimely depicted by soprano, Lauren Francis. What an exceptionally gifted voice, what a wealth of theatrical  ability and communicative gesture! Already with the souvereignly mastered first act aria and not least because of the  difficult coloratura passages, the artist had quickly acted her way into the hearts of the audience.    Schwarzwälder-Bote

 

The performance of Verdi´s La Traviata on the open-air stage thrilled the 1500 strong audience. The welsh soprano Lauren Francis convinced in the role of Violetta and offered a wide performance spectrum from flirtatiousness, to desparation and tragedy, and impressed with her vocally powerful presence...a complete success, as the audience´s enduring final applause with standing ovations showed.    Westfälische Nachrichten

 

Lauren Francis, extraordinarily enchanting...has at her disposal a charisma, a likeability...her crystal-clear and multi-faceted voice...that caused goosepimples. Fantastic! The standing ovations left no room for doubt.    Hallertauer Info

 

Lauren Francis shone in this big role...Her acting was stirringly authentic and convincing...she cast a spell...her voice was sublime beyond any argument: not only did she sing with storybook-timbre and admirable vocal art, she also had the sovereignty to build creative subtleties into her virtuose coloratura. To experience Lauren Francis as Violetta ist a true- despite the ending- bittersweet pleasure.         La Traviata Neuburger Rundschau

 

this moving production was about deep emotion, burning pain and immeasurable suffering. Lauren Francis in the title role of Violetta Valery embodied all this with staggering aplomb. With expressive gestures in the multifariously interpreted arias, brilliant technique for the coloratura and incredibly smooth vocal line...from the recitatives to the coloratura, a perfect and also theatrically captivating performance from Lauren Francis.    La Traviata Donau Kurier 

 

And Lauren Francis is in a class of her own. Her passionate portrayal of Gilda was applauded even by Fagone                                                (from the Bavarian State Opera, Munich)   Rigoletto Donaukurier 

 

Lauren Francis played this role with stirring intensity. Also vocally the soprano...with her excellent technique and experienced professionalism.    Rigoletto Neuburger Rundschau 

 

An enthusiastic public thanked with a standing ovation... the audience was not only enraptured with the vocal perfection of the soprano, but also by her extremely likeable and humourous manner. She sparkled with acting talent and a many-layered voice, that effortlessly mastered hazardous coloratura, but also proved a velvet abundance in the lower registers. Thanks to her crystal-clear articulation wit and lyric came into their own in the songs...Exulting, deeply grieved, self-ironic and enraged until the sparks flew: Lauren Francis sang herself through all emotional outbursts with powerful vocal spirit and harvested spontaneous bravos.    Pfaffenhofener Kurier

 

...the diva without airs and graces...the public´s darling...   Der Westen

 

It was the  general consensus: This was a highlight of "Summer in the City". Lauren Francis as Konstanze  commanded the stage and the vocal hurdles of the role with her lithe soprano effortlessly.   With  expressive phrasing from her also technically excellent voice she enchanted the audience...Applause that didn´t want to stop and absolutely deserved cheering for Francis...    Ipf und Jagst Zeitung 

 

a soprano with a magnificent voice and immense performing ability: Lauren Francis...gave a captivating and thrilling performance, mounted... a charm attack, that was contagious. Arias like...conjured up the pure desire to exist.   Siegener Zeitung 

 

Even more beautiful, as the smooth, songlike soprano of Francis seized one time and time again and touched.    Der Westen

 

With Lauren Francis one has the feeling, that she doesn´t just play the roles, rather she lives them...thereby, the whole room echoes with her coloratura, that is both sweet and vocally powerful.    Donaukurier

 

The undisputed star of the production is the magnificent Lauren Francis...she gives Mimì ravishingly, passionately, tenderly, shyly, and absolutely enchantingly. Her voice brings you to your knees with it´s beauty, she sings with well-formed and very expressive phrasing. In every second, Lauren Francis is present and outstandingly on form.    Neuburger Rundschau

 

With great capacity for understanding Lauren Francis portayed famous tragic female opera characters who gave their hearts in vain, like Mozart´s Donna Anna, Bellini´s Norma und Donizetti´s Lucia. The Welsh singer knows how to lend her voice both bittersweet grief as well as burning desperation. A voice, that touches the heart- and knows how to tell a story. Francis´ warm vocal colour, her masterly phrasing and clear intonation transformed heartache into artistic great joy.     Memmingen Zeitung

  

Entirely remarkable touches were provided by the youthful charm of young Welsh Lauren Francis, who is practically a revelation, and whose Lauretta “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini`s Gianni Schicchi sparkled, and whose ethereal coloratura was completely moving (Gilda  “Caro Nome“ Rigoletto), as was her Musetta La Bohème “Quando m`en vo“. And this was clear in reality, as the public beamed delightedly in the face of Lauren Francis´ enchanting appearance, in hearing her flawless, poetic, exceptional voice, glass in which sunbeams refract.    Passauer Neue Presse

 

Moreover the performance of Lauren Francis (Konstanze) in particular should be rendered prominent, who with exceedingly beautiful vocal colour, striking vocal performance and impressive technique brought this vocally difficult role convincingly over the “boards”.      Die Entführung aus dem Serail Passauer Neue Presse

 

The big surprise of the evening was certainly Lauren Francis in the role of Konstanze..: an operatic voice that leaves nothing to be desired, clear in every register, as well as expressive and full of emotion- a sublime  performance...     Die Entführung aus dem Serail Wochenblatt

"ihre Stimme ist zum Niederknien schön..." "The beauty of her voice is breathtaking..."