Nicholas Phan

What a wonderful surprise! What a great discovery! The American tenor is dedicated to Benjamin Britten, and the challenging repertoire is the better served for it…The young tenor excels in this program, and while he sometimes reminds one of the young Peter Pears, it is indisputable that he invests his own personality in what he sings. His tone is clear and of great beauty. His diction is exemplary, and one understands easily the sung text. His voice flows well from top to bottom, supple and perfectly mastered, seamlessly from fortissimo to the most beautiful soft nuances…With these strengths, Phan deals with the songs with infinite variety and spontaneity, while also rendering perfect justice to the compositions, which he differentiates extremely well and with intelligence. He is delightful in his youthful and enthusiastic outbursts, he is touching in moments of great poetry. His interpretation and personal commitment to the wonderful cycle “Winter Words” is captivating in its invocations full of fantasy and intensity…