“Soprano Keri Alkema returned to the COC for her fifth role, as the Foreign Princess. The character only appears in Act Two, but Alkema seized the moment, singing generously. It also didn’t hurt looking like a million dollars, bedecked with a ton of over-the-top jewelry.”
-Ludwig van Toronto, Joseph So, October 2019

“There is a second also with glorious tone and presence: Keri Alkema as the Foreign Princess, capturing the right degree of thwarted entitlement. (Let’s face it, she is the logical choice for the Prince – but if logic ruled there would be no drama.)”
-Concertonet, Michael Johnson, October 2019

“American soprano Keri Alkema masterfully brought to life the tragic Japanese Geisha. It is hard for any adult soprano to act as a convincing fifteen year old (“quindic’anni”) in the first act, but Alkema managed to be that innocent girl both vocally and dramatically. The contrast in both her deportment and her timbre between the first and second acts was tremendous. Though not a native speaker of Italian, Alkema’s diction was exemplary: “Noi siamo gente avvezza, alle piccole cose umili e silenziose” in the Act I love duet, “Oh, mi fate tanto male, tanto male, tanto, tanto” in her Act II exchange with Sharpless and most of all “Troppa luce è di fior, e troppa primavera” when she realizes Pinkerton isn’t coming back. She masterfully conveyed Butterfly’s modesty, dignity and despair in these three phrases respectively, with an uncanny naturalness.”
-Concertonet, by Ossama el Naggar, June 2019

“As Tosca, Alkema does the program proud, skillfully tackling this challenging role which calls for delicate and then declamatory singing, and intense, emotionally taxing acting. Alkema is a world-class Tosca, charming the audience in the act one duet, before ripping their hearts out in act two, navigating the extreme vocal passages where Tosca desperately pleads for mercy, and then, yes, stopping time.

Those first two, iconic, unforgettable descending vocal lines of “Vissi d’arte” seem to arise from nothing, sung in a tissue-paper delicate pianissimo. Alkema achieves something that is so rare in performances of this well-known aria: subtlety. Her prayer rolls out of her mouth softly, in a way that makes the words seem new, as if I hadn’t heard them sung a thousand times before, by two dozen other sopranos. This exquisite rendering of the diva’s anguished prayer makes it all the more viscerally compelling when the she finally delivers “Tosca’s kiss” to the villainous Scarpia with a chest voice that made me want to hoot and fist pump.In the third act, Alkema played a Tosca who was visibly shaken by the trauma of the previous scene, a Tosca who dared not hope for a happy ending, and ultimately, a Tosca with nothing to lose. Alkema’s beautifully nuanced performance is more than worth the trip to the Kennedy Center, and that’s before accounting for the luxury casting of Alan Held as the despicable Scarpia.”
-Schmopera, by Molly Simoneau, May 2019

“Keri Alkema is a beast as Tosca, and she returns triumphant to this stage, for she started her career as a member of the inaugural Domingo-Cafritz class. She seemed fearless opening night – as reckless as the “drama queen” her character Floria Tosca must be. One moment almost deliriously pious, the next wantonly hungry and wrapping limb to limb with lover Cavaradossi and practically drinking him up, then in jealous outrage accusing and pushing him away – and these are just her warm up moments! Later in the opera after such an emotional and vocal steeplechase, Tosca has to rein everything in and go inward in the opera’s rare moment of reflection. What do I stand for? Alkema starts center stage seated on the floor, beginning by spinning out a gossamer thread of sound in “Vissi D’Arte,” a gorgeous, heartbreaking aria most beautifully rendered.”
-DC Theater Scene, by Susan Galbraith, May 2019

“Of course, Tosca is about its heroine and famous arias and, here, none disappoint. In the title role, Keri Alkema is utterly credible. She is volatile but warm, strong but human. She holds herself with a poise that is at once essential to her nature, but also, in the face of Scarpia’s pressure, a last vestige of strength that is full of pathos. When she sings “Vissi d’arte” while facing the prospect of giving sexual favors in exchange for Cavaradossi’s life, it is easy to believe in her shock at the loss of her happy life to the uninvited horror of her lover’s torture and her own impending fate. Tosca is engaging and nuanced, and Alkema sings her with everything this woman must be. With a soprano that is at once as richly sparkling as it is powerful, this is Puccini delivered to the universe. To close one’s eyes and listen to this Tosca’s heart, is to thank the gods (Norse or otherwise) that Washington has a world-class opera. That Alkema began her career as one of the first of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists is just icing on the cake.”
-Metro Weekly, by Kate Wingfield, May 2019

“Alkema (Tosca) deftly communicated her anguish and desperation in Vissi d’arte vissi d’amore (I live for art, I live for love) with a soaring soprano that effortlessly negotiated the music’s vocal and dramatic demands. “
-MD Theater Guide, by Jeannette Mulherin, May 2019

“Keri Alkema, as Tosca, had a second role as local-girl-made-good, in that she was part of the original Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program in 2002-2004 (as a mezzo). To Tosca, a role she’s sung a number of times around the world, she brought a distinctive touch: not over singing or forcing her voice but bringing out the creamy gentleness in parts of the role, a soft quality in a character known for her steel. Her high notes were a little wiry, but her “Vissi d’arte” was meltingly affecting, particularly at the end. And in Act III, when she reunites with Cavaradossi before their tragic end, she sang so affectingly that she made music I don’t usually find especially interesting a highlight of the evening.”
-The Washington Post, Anne Midgette, May 2019

“As the upwardly-mobile Giovanna Seymour, Keri Alkema gives us the best singing of the night – and in spades. Alkema was on the top of her game as well as everyone else’s if you ask me. Her range is out of this world. Alkema’s Giovanna was also adept at displaying the dramatic dichotomy that Seymour faces – her feelings for and duty to the King and her loyalty to her friend and queen.”
-Schmopera, by Greg Finney, May 2018

“Keri Alkema also gave a wonderful performance. Her Tosca, Vitellia and Giulietta at the COC did not prepare me for her incredible Jane Seymour. Her warm and gleaming soprano was a pleasure to the ear, and her portrayal was entirely sympathetic. Giovanna is usually sung by a high mezzo, but in this case, Alkema’s timbre is even a touch lighter than Radvanovsky’s. The two blended beautifully in their duet and they played off each other beautifully.”
-Ludwig van Toronto, by Joseph So, May 2018

“Alkema’s gorgeous tone and empathic dramatic instincts help her establish Giovanna’s conflicted nature…”
-Now Toronto, by Glenn Sumi, May 2018

“…and the moments when Alkema and Radvanovsky sing together are some of the most transcendent of the entire show. Not only is their singing is intense and lyrical, but the combined richness of their characterizations clashing together after long scenes apart makes for absolutely stirring drama.”
-Mooney on Theater, Lin Young, May 2018

“Keri Alkema, (Giovanna Seymour)…was more and more convincing as the opera progressed and powerful in her last scene with Enrico, when she is finally allowed ascension to the throne. The vocal line sounded almost effortless, sculpted smoothly and precisely, and the acting became more involved.”
-Opera Canada, by Lydia Perović, April 2018

“ Keri Alkema, splendid lyrico-spinto soprano, familiar with Verdi, plays with a sensitive, touching Amelia, with the broadest ambitus, warm, with superb trebles. From his first tune “S’inalta il ciel”, the qualities are obvious. The voice is long, the roundness and the softness compete for power. “
-ForumOpera, by Yvan Beuvard, March 2018

“The Amelia by Keri Alkema ………Little by little, it refines and gains in intensity. The dramatic accents of her imposing voice feed her interpretation, marked by a dark timbre and a worked phrasing. It even delivers in the final of act I a jewel of messa di voce (sequence of a crescendo and a decrescendo on a note kept). “
-Olyrix, by Damien Dutilleul, March 2018

“…. the soprano Keri Alkema imposes a generous song, embodying an Amelia full of tenderness with a perfectly adapted and slightly vibrant tessitura.”
-Concert Classic, by Michel Le Naour, March 2018

“Keri Alkema gave an extremely effective portrayal of Roman opera star Tosca, more girlish and vulnerable in the first act than the raging diva of most interpretations. This had the effect of heightening the impact of the fortitude and courage she summoned up in the second act to face down the terrifying police chief Scarpia.
The American soprano’s plush, dark-hued voice carried easily over the orchestra, yielding many powerful moments aside from set-piece arias – her pleading for Cavaradossi’s life, for example, when she denounces Scarpia as a monster. Her aria “Vissi d’arte” had both the raw emotion and a spontaneity, her pleasing desperation, singing “Perché, perché, Signore” as if speaking at that moment to God.”
-South Florida Classical Review, by David Fleshler, January 2018

“Keri Alkema portrays Floria Tosca as a true diva, bringing out the humor of her extreme jealousy, the sincerity of her religious faith, and the depth of her love for Cavaradossi. Her ‘Vissi d’arte’, in Act Two when she is in the company of Scarpia, Cavaradossi being tortured by the Baron’s henchmen, is artfully phrased – powerful and moving. Another highlight is her gloriously sung Act Three duet..”
-Classical Source, by David M. Rice, January 2018

Keri Alkema, who replaced Ekaterina Metlova as Amelia, also interpreted this character in the Toulouse premiere of the production. Her voice is ample and attractive……The best part of her performance was the aria ‘Morrò, ma prima in grazia’…”
-Seen and Heard International, José M. Irurzun, October, 2017

“…American soprano Keri Alkema in the title role. A firm and plump stature that also seems to be transferred to the luminosity of her voice. It is not for nothing that the demanding role of Tosca is one of its central roles. She had her best moments – also acting – in the second act…
-Frankfurter Neue Presse, by Matthias Gerhart, June/July 2017

“Keri Alkema is a confident singing Tosca singer who differentiated and effortlessly realized the musical requirements.”
-Der Opernfreund, June/July 2017

“Keri Alkema as Tosca gradually won me over more and more. While I enjoyed her work in the first two acts, including the big aria, it was the last act that left me all verklempt and teary-eyed at the end. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Tosca who persuaded me that she is a different person at the end, at least until now. She seems shaken at what she’s done –the pious innocent who has killed Scarpia—and now is a very dark and troubled woman in that last scene. The other Toscas I’ve seen usually play optimism and hope, setting you up for the disappointment of the fake execution and pursuit. For whatever reason, Alkema made me believe she truly did feel sorry, after the lines in Act II “È morto!Or gli perdono!” (“he’s dead. Now I forgive him”). In some productions these lines make me giggle because they are so difficult to do without seeming ridiculous, absurd. But that’s the thing. Alkema doesn’t do so much of the grinning one sees in the last act of a Tosca. For whatever reason –partly due to her chemistry with her Cavaradossi, Kamen Chanev—she is not there to cheer up her despairing painter. Once he sees her, he is the smiling and adoring one, while she seems ashamed, profoundly upset with herself. When Chanev sang “oh dolci mani” it was the first time I really got this aria, really understood what the opera is doing at this moment, possibly because at this moment Cavaradossi is trying to console her, to remind her who she is (a good person?) in the face of her horror at what she’s done. Who thought that after so many productions, they’d show me something new? This was the most moving “Trionfal” I’ve ever seen. Most moving? Perhaps it’s the first time I have ever seen this moment really work! If you know the opera, you know that Act III opens with an epic utterance from the horn section, a magnificent uplifting tune capturing the spirit of hope that might come to fruition if the plot turns out the way Floria Tosca hopes it shall. This mysterious melody comes back, in the bold declaration by Tosca & Cavaradossi just before the mock execution (that is actually a real one due to double-cross), the boldest singing as they stare down-stage at us, defying us to doubt their resolve, daring us to tell them that they will not succeed. It works as a tragedy if the characters have been properly developed, more than two-dimensional cartoon cut-outs. And yes Chanev and Alkema sing this passage beautifully. We dare to hope for a different outcome, believing it might end differently this time.

I know. It’s not rational. But wait, there’s quite a bit more to come and hahahah I won’t tell you too much because I don’t want to steal the tears out of your eyes, should you perchance come see it. I will say that Alkema is the most convincing Tosca I’ve ever seen in her moment of heart-break, when she goes from “let’s go Mario” (to run away for the happy ending) to “let’s go Mario” (body language and face telling us what she takes in, that he’s not okay, …will never be okay). And the rest? Yes there’s more that’s very good. I couldn’t make a sound for quite awhile, although I did manage to recover in time to offer my applause.”
-Barczablog, May 2017

“Tosca calls for three outstanding voices, and here is a cast to treasure: Keri Alkema making her role debut as Floria Tosca is already booked to sing Tosca in Frankfurt and Toronto, and that will be just the beginning. With her passion and her stupendous capacity to sing to the rafters and also with great delicacy she goes straight into a special league of singers to watch.”
-CultureWhisper, by Claudia Pritchard. 2016

“By now, over the course of a day, Tosca has been through the emotional wringer — and so have we, thanks to Keri Alkema’s compelling debut in this role on the English National Opera stage. Passionate, teasing, vulnerable, full of love, stirred to vengeful rage and desperate measures, Alkema gets to the heart of Tosca, giving us a poised ‘Vissi d’arte’ on the way.”
-The Times, by Rebecca Franks, October 2016

“American soprano Keri Alkema makes a notable ENO debut as Tosca. Her voice is not as darkly hued perhaps as many Toscas, and that may also be its strength. She can shape her sound and assert it powerfully while still maintaining a certain element of lightness. Her soprano thus seems to fit her portrayal of the singer perfectly, and it just gets better as the evening goes on. Her death as she falls backwards off the ‘parapet’ is also one of the most convincing you are ever likely to see.”
-Sam Smith, MusicOMH, October 2016

“The American soprano Keri Alkema and the Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones sing those two roles beautifully and with great force that perfectly matches the power with which the orchestra plays under the conducting of Oleg Caetani. The sheer volume he attains at times would be enough to drown most singers, but these two match it in impressive. “
-Express, by William Hartston, 2016

“As Floria Tosca herself Keri Alkema provided warmth, with a voice that sailed through the registers with ease, not least in Act Three when confessing to Cavaradossi that she has killed Scarpia, producing a spectacular drop from a high-C to notes below the stave with creditable projection in her chest voice, and, despite poor diction at times, inhabited the varied strands of her character – jealous lover, devout believer, capricious yet vulnerable girl.”
-Classical Source, by David Truslove, 2016

“The danger for any Tosca is being overshadowed by Scarpia’s mesmerising malevolence. American Keri Alkema, making her London debut, rises to the challenge. She has a strong stage presence and warm soprano…”
-Inge Kjemtrup, The Stage, October 2016

“Ms Alkema, who will sing the same role in Canada and Germany later this season, gave Tosca terrific emotional drive…her ‘Vissi d’arte’ in Act II was a fitting soliloquy to her sudden determination to kill the coldly calculating Scarpia.”
-Mark Ronan, October 2016

“Her Tosca (American soprano Keri Alkema) is a scrappier affair, but exciting in full spate, even if her “Vissi d’arte” suffers from emotional over-work.”
-The Independent, by Alexandra Coghlan, 2016

“…she knocked out some terrific highs and was particularly thrilling in the great confrontation with Scarpia, while Cavaradossi was being tortured, and there was some fine moments of sensitive singing, most notably in her “Vissi d’arte””
-Backtrack, by Dominic Lowe, 2016

“Elvira is one of the most difficult roles in the entire repertory, but supernova Keri Alkema delivered her seemingly impossible arias as easily as if she were singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Her power and her fluidity were astounding. It is quite astonishing that Alkema started as a Mezzo, hearing her navigate those treacherous soprano runs. Plus I loved the character she created. Elvira, in the hands of a less gifted artist, can often come off as a whiny, petulant, screeching caricature. Not here. This was a woman wracked with the pain of betrayal, not to mention that effortless coloratura. As Madam Ooglepuss of the Kuklapoitan Players (how’s that for an archaic reference) would put it, Alkema is a coloratura-tura-tura!”
-Huffpost, by Glen Roven, 2016

“Keri Alkema, in an SFO debut, sings the unhappy Donna Elvira—by turns furious and forlorn, mocked and abandoned—with a fresh vitality we encounter only rarely. Her passionate accompanied recitative (Mozart’s greatest), “In quali eccissi, o Numi,” and aria, “Mi tradi,” are in themselves worth a visit to the Crosby Theatre.”
-Santa Fe Reporter, by John Stege, 2016

“Keri Alkema strikes a precarious balance between passion and jealousy with an ear and eye for just the right tone. She captures this in facial expressions, body movement and in the textures of her voice. When she tells herself to get to a nunnery at the conclusion of the opera, we want to cry out, “Please don’t.””
-Concertonet, by Susan Hall, 2016

“Keri Alkema deployed her meaty, zesty soprano to considerably fine effect as a spunky Donna Elvira, potently aggressive when required, but flexible and malleable when so scored. Her fluid coloratura brought real meaning to Mozart’s melismas and her stylish phrasing brought grit and humor to her relentless pursuit of justice.”
-Opera Today, James Sohre, 2016

“Keri Alkema was a no-nonsense Donna Elvira who managed to thwart Giovanni comically at every turn and yet maintain a tone of deeply offended passion…”
-Opera News, by Simon Williams, 2016

“As Donna Elvira, Keri Alkema remained convincingly angry throughout the evening: in the sextet she seemed genuinely enraged to discover she had just spent the evening with Leporello, and even her final attempt to sway Don Giovanni in the second act finale seemed born more of injury than amorous passion. Yet her quick temper and headstrong nature made the elegantly phrased doubt of ‘Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata’ all the more compelling.”
-Mundoclasico.com, by Jesse Simon, 2016

“Florida soprano Keri Alkema, in her Santa Fe Opera debut, impressed as Donna Elvira, displaying the dramatic energy and solid technique that this extraordinary role requires.”
-Operawarhorses, 2016

“ Keri Alkema, another singer familiar to COC audiences, was an excellent Elvira, with incredible breath control in “Mi tradi.””
-LudvigvanToronto,by Joseph So, 2016