“... the music just pours out of her.”
    — The Orange County Register

 

“One does not just listen to Nicole Cabell with pleasure; she is also a joy to behold.”
    — Berliner Morgenpost

Photo © Marc Ginot / Opéra National de Montpellier

As Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore, Opéra National de Montpellier, November 2006

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“... a golden, creamy, evenly gauged voice from top to bottom; the music just pours out of her.”
    — The Orange County
       Register

“Cabell is now one of the most exciting lyric sopranos to grace the world’s concert halls.”
     — Chicago Magazine

“When Cabell opened that great smiling mouth, what we heard was liquid gold ... she was spellbinding ...”
    — The Times

“... the kind of star quality, and best of all the vocal resources, that bodes well for a long and successful international career.”
    — Chicago Daily Herald

“... a bright, expressive voice, as well as strong acting skills.”
    — Baltimore Sun

“Her sound was delicate and agile, her phrasing intelligent and secure, and her stage manner touching.”
    — Bloomberg

“One does not just listen to Nicole Cabell with pleasure; she is also a joy to behold.”
    — Berliner Morgenpost

Press acclaim for Nicole Cabell

2008 performance and recording reviews

More performance and recording reviews:
2009, 2007, 2006, and 2005

 As Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with the Lyric Opera of Chicago:

“In her role debut as the priestess torn between love and her vows of chastity, the lithe and beautiful Nicole Cabell wrapped her radiant soprano around Leila’s fragrant music with taste and intelligence. The voice had an appealing float plus finespun phrasing that proved how well-schooled Lyric’s star alumna is in matters of French vocal style.”
    — John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, October 8, 2008

“The most singularly beautiful musical highlights of the performance ... were found in the dynamic shading of [Eric] Cutler’s ‘Je crois entendre encore,’ as well as in ‘Leïla! Leïla! Dieu puissant,’ as soprano Nicole Cabell joined him in a finely-spun pianissimo reverie. Cabell brought an abundance of liquid, womanly tone to Leïla’s music, the vibrato imparting a lovely shimmer to the line. ... one senses Cabell’s instrument reaching for a meatier repertory than her youthful lyric-coloratura fare has thus far provided.” [ read full review ]
    — Opera News, January 2009

“Soprano Nicole Cabell (Leïla) showed depth and richness on each vocal level and her Act 2 duet with Cutler was a highlight.”
    — Bryant Manning, Time Out Chicago, October 7, 2008

“Beautiful soprano Nicole Cabell is outstanding with a searing emotional devotion that pierces the heart.”
    — Betty Mohr, Southtown Star, October 10, 2008

“Soprano Nicole Cabell, an alumna of the Lyric’s Ryan Center for American Artists who has exploded onto the world opera scene, portrays Leila, the the two men’s love interest. ... But there’s much more marvelous music, including Leila’s Act 2 aria, ‘Comme autrefois,’ for which Cabell received a rousing ovation at Monday’s opening night.”
    — Bill Gowen, Chicago Daily Herald, October 7, 2008

“In the role of the priestess Nicole Cabell sings with beauty of tone and flexibility, her range secure in all the scales and coloratura required at this point of the score. One senses her creation of a character with voice, since she remains stationary at first during her prayer. ... Cabell’s performance excels in varying and decorating the repeated lines, her effortless coloratura including several skillfully executed trills. ... Cabell exhibits ravishing lyrical control ...” [ read full review ]
    — Opera Today, November 7, 2008

 In a Concert of Opera Arias and Ensembles with the Lyric Opera of Chicago:

“Lyric alumna Nicole Cabell, soon to appear in Lyric’s fall performances of ‘The Pearl Fishers,’ also worked her superstar charm on the throng with her luminous and affecting account of Micaela’s aria from Bizet’s ‘Carmen.’ Cabell and fellow Lyric alumna Elizabeth De Shong also teamed up for a meltingly lovely rendition of the famous duet from Delibes’ ‘Lakme.’”
    — John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, September 8, 2008

 As the Soprano Solo in Tippett’s A Child of Our Time at the Edinburgh Festival:

“Nicole Cabell’s warm soprano soared gloriously above Steal Away. If you didn’t have a lump in your throat by the final spiritual, you probably needed to check your pulse.”
    — Sarah Urwin Jones, The Times, September 2, 2008

“... The superb solo quartet of angelic soprano Nicole Cabell ...”
    — Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman, September 1, 2008

 In an all-Puccini Concert in Lübeck with the NDR Orchestra:

“Nicole Cabell has a wonderful, pure and clear voice, which soars effortlessly up to a high C. She gave ample proof of this in the Finale to Act I of ‘La Bohème’. Liù’s aria from ‘Turandot’ and the warhorse ‘O mio babbino caro’ from ‘Gianni Schicchi’ were also sheer delight.”
    — TD, HL Live, August 22, 2008

 As Musetta in La Bohème with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden:

“Things picked up in the Second Act with the arrival of Nicole Cabell’s Musetta. It’s a role that’s been in her repertoire a while and it showed. Acted with a sure sense of timing and a deft comic touch, she livened up the stage with her imaginative portrayal: her truly modern, scathing caricature of publicity-seeking self-obsession gave the production a dash of contemporary relevance missing elsewhere. There’s a darkness to the voice that’s unusual in a role often filled with brighter (or shriller) singers, and what we heard was enough to suggest that Cabell’s Mimì will be something to look forward to.”
    — Hugo Shirley, Musical Criticism, July 14, 2008

“As Musetta the American soprano Nicole Cabell made a strong impression, not overdoing the goings-on in Act 2 and singing the Waltz Song most musically.”
    — Michael Kennedy, Opera, September 2008

“Nicole Cabell is effectively making her Covent Garden debut - having previously appeared with the company in concert. While her voice isn’t large, it is beautifully focused and her hyperactive Musetta gives the fun-loving vamp a neurotic edge. She looks gorgeous too.”
    — David Gutman, The Stage, July 14, 2008

“The other Bohemians were led by Nicole Cabell, showing off her classy, though not yet large, soprano as Musetta, surely a candidate for lyrical Mozart roles such as Pamina or Ilia in due course.”
    — Richard Fairman, Financial Times, July 16, 2008

“Nicole Cabell provided a highly impressive Musetta, an interpretation nicely balancing seductiveness, humour and empathy.”
    — Christian Hoskins, MusicOMH, July 15, 2008

“The dramatic heart of the work shifted to the Marcello-Musetta relationship from Act II. Her coquettishness and his jealousy gives way to their reconciliation in Act IV. American soprano Nicole Cabell revealed great comic timing and vocally went from strength to strength during and after her ‘Quando me’n vo’.”
    — Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard, July 17, 2008

“There’s much to delight in, especially Nicole Cabell’s coquettish Musetta. This Cardiff Singer of the Year 2005 has comic pace as well as vocal poise.”
    — Fiona Maddocks, Evening Standard, July 14, 2008

 As Imelda in the Opera Rara Recording of Imelda de’ Lambertazzi:

“Flaring with defiance, then riven by compunction to family duty, Nicole Cabell’s superbly realized heroine wins and breaks hearts.”
    — Warren Keith Wright, Opera Magazine, July 2008

 As Musetta in La Bohème on Deutsche Grammophon’s recording:

“As Musetta, Nicole Cabell shows many of the qualities of a well-cast Mimì.”
    — John Steane, The Gramophone, Editor’s Choice, June 2008

“Heading the supporting cast that surrounds the bohemian lovers is the young American soprano Nicole Cabell, an emerging star in her own right. She makes a strong impression as the flirtatious Musetta, the soft grain of her voice contrasting well with Netrebko’s slightly metallic sound.”
    — Mike Silverman, San Francisco Chronicle, June 3, 2008

“I rather like the glamour of Nicole Cabell’s Musetta: sometimes the character can be two-dimensional, but Cabell’s treatment of the text and beauty of tone ensure that she doesn’t get painted too broadly here. ‘Quando m’en vo’ is an excellent vehicle for her talents and she is by no means fazed by singing alongside her well-known colleagues.”
    — Dominic McHugh, Musical Criticism, May 26, 2008

“Nicole Cabell is one of the youngest members of this cast. In 2005, at the age of 27, she took top honors at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. After presenting the award to her, Joan Sutherland offered this advice, ‘Take your time. Don’t let people rush you.’ Cabell is trying to live by those words, but her career is still moving at a fast clip. She is by no means intimidated by her world-class colleagues in this operatic performance. Cabell loves the role of Musetta, and the character is a perfect vehicle for Cabell’s strong stage presence and silky soprano voice. Cabell’s Musetta is flirtatious, yet vulnerable as she works to gain the attention of Marcello the painter in her famous waltz, ‘Quando me’n vo.’”
    — Julie Amacher, Minnesota Public Radio, June 24, 2008

“Nicole Cabell’s Musetta is also noteworthy: there’s not just winking in her waltz, there’s vulnerability too.”
    — Geoff Brown, Times Online, May 16, 2008

“The rest of the cast is strong, especially American Nicole Cabell as Musetta.”
    — Bradley Bambarger, The Star-Ledger, July 21, 2008

“Nicole Cabell is Musetta. She is more coquettish than minxish, which is fine. And she does not inject the role with too much ham — which is welcome.”
    — Jay Nordlinger, The Sun, June 13, 2008

“The rest of the cast (especially Nicole Cabell as Musetta) is also of a high level ...”
    — Nicolas Blanmont, La Libre, May 21, 2008

 As the Soprano Solo in Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the San Diego Symphony:

“Nicole Cabell brought unusual strength to the ‘Peer Gynt’ vocal solos, sung in the original Norwegian. If the richness of her voice and beautifully-arched phrasing called to mind Richard Strauss’s ‘Four Last Songs,’ I gladly forgive lavishing such vocal allure on lesser musical vehicles.”
    — Kenneth Herman, San Diego.com, April 28, 2008

 As the Soprano Solo in Tippett’s A Child of Our Time with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra:

“Yet even the nether reaches must have heard, and enjoyed, Nicole Cabell’s gold-and-silver soprano. Davis’s former protégée from the Lyric Opera, Chicago, made direct contact straight away, burning up the emotions in her first aria, How Can I Cherish My Man.”
    — Geoff Brown, The Times, April 9, 2008

“... When Nicole Cabell carried her aching melisma into the rapt opening of ‘Steal Away’, the release was extraordinary.”
    — Edward Seckerson, The Independent, April 9, 2008

 In Solo Recital in Omaha:

“Sensational soprano revels in Ravel and proves her prowess singing Previn
    “Vocal recitals may be dying elsewhere in the country, but in Omaha, they’re entering a golden age.

“The Tuesday Musical Concert Series is responsible for that happy situation. For more than 100 years, the area’s oldest musical organization has brought the world’s top singers and concert artists to Omaha. On Tuesday at the Joslyn Art Museum, it presented soprano Nicole Cabell.
    “One of the fastest-rising stars in opera, Cabell gained international recognition several years ago, when she won the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff, Wales. Since then, she has appeared with many of the world’s great opera companies. She’ll make her Metropolitan Opera debut next season.
    “For her Omaha recital, brilliantly performed with pianist Spencer Myer, Cabell chose a program that tested the full range of her technique and emotions.
    “In songs by Franz Liszt, Maurice Ravel and Carlos Guastavino, Cabell demonstrated not only a virtuoso vocal technique, but also an expert command of language; she traversed German, French and Spanish during the first 30 minutes of the concert alone.
    “She was no less impressive during the second half, singing the American songs of André Previn and Ben Moore with immediacy and emotional intensity.
    “Liszt, the great 19th-century Hungarian composer, is mostly known today for his orchestral tone poems and sparkling piano music. Cabell proved that he was also an affecting songwriter.
    “His song ‘Die Lorelei,’ based on the poetry of Heinrich Heine, sounds as if it could be part of a thrilling Wagner opera. The music is emotional and dramatic, and it requires the soprano to sing in full chest voice one minute, full head voice the next.
    “Cabell moved effortlessly from the bottom of her chesty range to the top, without stripping vocal gears. And she nailed the music’s high notes, creating a sound that was positively luminous. Myer, for his part, tossed off Liszt’s dazzling piano figurations as if they were child’s play.
    “Ravel’s ‘Five Greek Folk Songs’ were more lyrical and playful than the Liszt piece. Cabell sang them with a silvery tone and with phrasing that was so impressionistic that the words almost seemed to blend together, like the overlapping impasto of a Monet.
    “She ended the first half with four short Guastavino songs. Though a 20th-century composer, Guastavino was an unapologetic romantic, and Cabell sang his music with appropriate tenderness.
    “The highlight of the second half was Previn’s ‘Take My Mother Home,’ an extended blues-like number that Cabell sang with tearful emotion. She ended the program with American spirituals, singing them with an unusual mix of authentic Southern diction and absolute operatic polish.”
    — John Pitcher, Omaha World-Herald, April 2, 2008

 In Solo Recital in Tryon, NC:

“When the recitalist is a singer, the relationship between performer and audience is unique. It feels like dialogue. It feels personal. It feels a little dangerous.
    “Nicole Cabell, lyric soprano, closed Tryon Concert Association’s season March 29 with warmth, ease, and charisma. She is soulful without affectation, beautiful without a hint of arrogance, and competent beyond comment. Her voice is even from top to bottom with high notes that are round like river rocks, yet densely soft like gold ingots.
    “Cabell sang to us in a way that felt more direct than the usual singer, which helped her sell an unusual program of Actual Songs to a group geared up for at least one dazzling warhorse of an aria. (I don’t fault opera singers for choosing to sing Songs rather than Arias in recital. It’s a valid expansion that can be just as rewarding, not to mention more interesting for the accompanist who often gets to play an Actual Piano Part rather than a reduction of an orchestral score.)
    “Three songs by Franz Liszt opened the program. It’s too easy to forget that Liszt wrote many beautiful songs with ‘Es Muss ein Wunderbares sein,’ ‘Die Lorelei,’ and ‘Oh! quand je dors’ certainly among the most beautiful.
    “Argentine composer Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) eschewed the avant-garde style of his time and wrote accessible, emotionally appealing music well-suited to Cabell’s gorgeous sound and finely tuned sensitivity. Myer’s technical skill was a blessing in these pieces as it would prove to be for the remainder of the evening.
    “Three Toni Morrison poems set to music by Andre Previn (from their six-song cycle “Honey and Rue”) opened the second half. Captivating texts, tricky rhythms, and devilish leaps were handled with ease. ‘Take My Mother Home’ was the loosest we would hear the fastidious Myer as he shifted effortlessly from stiff recitative into convincing bluesy playing.
    “Ben Moore’s three songs were similarly modern and equally captivating. Hearing such an unforced and incredibly beautiful sound at both top and bottom of such a wide range was intriguing — certainly enough to make anyone’s imagination run wild.
    “Three spirituals — ‘Oh! What a Beautiful City,’ ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,’ and ‘Ride On, King Jesus’ — were a fitting ending for this sophisticated and challenging recital.
    “After her standing ovation and a swooshing Strauss encore, I headed for home thinking of the many possibilities and changes ahead for such a young and gifted singer. I plan to stay tuned.”
    — Rita Landrum, Tryon Daily Bulletin, April 11, 2008

 As Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Pacific:

“Nicole Cabell, 2005 winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition (which also launched the careers of baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Bryn Terfel), made her company debut as Pamina. A soprano with aristocratic poise, warmth and lyric line, Cabell also proved an actor of sensitivity and credibility. Her despairing aria when she mistakes Tamino’s silence for a change in his love for her ("Ach, ich fühl’s") was detailed and touching.”
    — Chris Pasles, The Los Angeles Times, January 25, 2008

“The chief vocal reason to see this ‘Flute,’ and it’s quite enough, actually, is Nicole Cabell. The Ventura native, winner of the 2005 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, more than lives up to her advance notices. It’s a golden, creamy, evenly gauged voice from top to bottom; the music just pours out of her. It’s a lightish soprano at this point, but there’s a depth and richness in it that allowed her to sing Pamina with eloquent, subtly shaded phrasing and exquisite diminuendos. She seems to be a natural actress too, lending the role a girlish earnestness; when she eventually helps Tamino through his trials, she’s a trooper. It’s really a kind of ‘oh, my goodness’ performance.”
    — Tim Mangan, The Orange County Register, January 24, 2008

 More performance and recording reviews: 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005.

Represented by Columbia Artists Management

Photo © Decca/Kasskara