Pagliacci, Monte-Carlo, February 2015

 

“Maria José Siri likewise is a Nedda of great luxury with a lively temperament and a full-bodied, sensual voice projected with an enveloping, dense sound.”
Alessandro Mormile, L’Opera

“Maria José Siri was up to the task, as she lent the coquettish Nedda her generous youthfulness through an unbeatable vocal and dramatic presence.”
Jaume Estapà, Opera Actual

“Maria José Siri is an ideally intoxicating Nedda...of absolute credibility.”
Richard Martet, Opéra

“And what to say of Maria José Siri's Nedda?  The Uruguayan soprano set the audience on fire.  The resources are all there, to be sure, but above all they are put to remarkable use.  Leoncavllo would have every reason to be satisfied with the passion displayed by his heroine and by the pure Verismo engagement of her interpretation.  ...the love duet between Silvio and Nedda was a moment of absolute charm.”
L’avenir Côte d’Azur

“But since such joys never come singly, there was as well the revelation of the Uruguayan soprano Maria José Siri, who in just a few years has already had a brilliant career, as Nedda. Gifted with a dramatic temperament of the sort that has become increasingly difficult to find and a powerful, warmly timbred voice, she truly raised herself up to the level of her two renowned colleagues, recalling as an actress, for that matter, the stars of Italian neorealist cinema, to which Allex Aguilera’s stage direction made express reference.”
Christian Jarniat, Metamag

“This is a scene of particular violence, and its interpretation by Maria José Siri and Leo Nucci was formidable. The two voices were marvelously well matched, and it was from this scene on that one could foresee the tragic end of the piece.
“[…]
“The rest of the cast was equally remarkable with a particularly beautiful Nedda whose voice was round, warm, full-bodied, and charming: she was extremely sensual and one wondered how anyone could resist her charm.”
Corinne Le Gac, GBOpera

“Maria José Siri was a thoroughly seductive and self-assured Nedda.  The voice is superb, her singing full of passion and her theatrical engagement, particularly during the playing of the comedy, astonishing.”
Classissima

“It would be difficult to stand up against these two behemoths of the international opera scene [Leo Nucci and Marcelo Alvarez], but Uruguayan soprano Maria-José Siri nevertheless always had her reply at the ready: she portrayed a Nedda full of youth and fire, with a radiant vocal line and intoxicating high notes.”
Emmanuel Andrieu, Opera Online

“... Maria José Siri brings an irresistible sensuality, a comic sense, and rock solid vocal and physical health.”
Christian Colombeau, Arts-spectacle.com

“Uruguayan soprano Maria José Siri for her part found in the seductive Nedda (Colombine in the second-act play) a character that perfectly suited her vocal talents and acting abilities.  She fully demonstrated this in her aria ‘Oh che bel sole di mezz'agosto,’ followed by the ‘Ballatella,’ as well as in her duet with Silvio, at once impassioned and resigned (‘decide my fate for me’ – ‘let us forget all’), revealing this ambivalence between her ardor for a spirited fop and her presentiment of the inevitable calamity.  Without any doubt the Chinese baritone Zheng Zhong Zhou, portraying Silvio as a lover zealous to the point of self-sacrifice, belongs to this very promising new generation of singers.”
Jean-Luc Vannier, Musicologie.org

“This new production of Pagliacci had an incredible cast of international opera singers. … beautiful and exuberant Uruguayan soprano Maria Jose Siri (Nedda/Colombina)... . All the opera singers have formidable voices and sang with true passion, igniting the Salle Garnier with the public bursting into applause and shouting “Bravo” repeatedly!”
Monaco Reporter