REVIEWS - Wallis Giunta, mezzo soprano

“The cast was strong throughout, led by the gripping portrayal of Bess by Sydney Mancasola, supported by the Jan of Duncan Rock and the rest of the cast, especially the Doctor Richardson of Elgan Llyr Thomas and the Dodo of Wallis Giunta”
Luther Wade, Opera News

“it’s brought to life by an extraordinarily committed cast…as Dodo, Bess’s sister-in-law and the most sympathetic character in the piece, Wallis Giunta sings with warm humanity”
Simon Thompson, Seen & Heard International

“Wallis Giunta’s Dodo brought an outsider’s perspective…her lovely mezzo central to the drama and a compelling stage presence”
David Smythe, Bachtrack

“There is some memorable singing too, particularly from Sydney Mancasola as Bess…and Wallis Giunta as her supportive, more grounded sister-in-law Dodo”
Rowena Smith, The Guardian

“The singers’ riveting account…the outstanding Wallis Giunta”
Opera Now, Susan Nickalls

“A top-class cast…Wallis Giunta, Elgan Llŷr Thomas and Susan Bullock lead the excellent ensemble”
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – The Grange Festival, 2019

“Wallis Giunta was an outstanding Cherubino, conveying all the impetuousness of youth and giving heady, enraptured performances of both arias”
Melanie Eskenazi, Music OMH

“Wallis Giunta was clearly revelling in the fun as Cherubino, tweaking the peasant girls, diving under skirts and generally making a nuisance of himself…Giunta came into her own in Act 2, playing the dressing scene and Cherubino’s exit through the window with twitching enthusiasm. Excellent diction and precise timing led to a memorable performance”⁣⁣
Dominic Lowe, Bachtrack

“Her innate vocal warmth lends her pubertal pageboy a winning appeal”⁣⁣
George Hall, Opera News

“Artistic director Michael Chance was lucky to have bagged the versatile mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta as his Cherubino. Lanky and androgynous in tight breeches, she minced, pouted and postured convincingly as a boy pretending to be a girl, and created the opera’s most sexually charged moment, shivering with pleasure as the countess caressed her arm”
Opera Now, Amanda Holloway

“Two singers who excelled vocally as well as in their acting ability were Wallis Giunta as Cherubino and Rowan Pierce…as Barbarina, both roles that are open to energetic characterisation which both took to with gusto”⁣⁣
Andrew Benson-Wilson, Early Music Reviews

“Wallis Giunta was a delightful Cherubino, fast-paced and silly yet touching, too”⁣⁣
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill

“Wallis Giunta as the handsome gender bending Cherubino also holds the ear and eye and superbly imitates a hip-swinging gait when dressed as a woman while supposedly being a boy – it’s all brilliant buffoonery. Her two arias are nicely turned out too, with lots of adolescent frustration in ‘Non so più’ and ardour in ‘Voi che sapete’ both crowned with rapt tone”⁣⁣
David Truslove, Opera Today

“Wallis Giunta sang a Cherubino of…outstanding color and articulation”⁣⁣
Agustín Blanco Bazán, Mundo Classico (Original in Spanish)

“Wallis Giunta’s Cherubino…rose to her/his big moments with winning assurance”⁣⁣
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk

“…Cherubino, fired up with the rising sap of teenage testosterone. Wallis Giunta clearly relishes the breeches role, flitting around, goosing the gals below stairs, and mooning after the ladies above stairs…Mezzo Giunta’s meticulous delivery of [Voi che sapete] has a plaintive appeal that is hauntingly captivating”⁣⁣
Mark Aspen, Theatre Critic

SPANISH SONG CONCERT – Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, 2019

“Two concerts in one, and Wallis the Queen…The program stood out, above all, for its first part, with the superb presence of the mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta…if something distinguished this evening it was the first part, with a collection, including some rarely performed pieces, of melodies and Hispanic songs; but, above all, it was the superb, fresh, impeccable and charming presence of [Giunta]…lovingly supported by the orchestra. Beauty, expressiveness (she is an excellent actress), perfect diction, beautiful voice and passionate affinity for styles as diverse as the «Carceleras» of «Las Hijas del Zebedeo» and «Polo», «Cancion de Cuna»…, or «Yo Soy Maria» by Piazzolla, «Jo et pressentia com la mar» by Mompou …and above all, the infinite tenderness of «Nana».”⁣⁣
José Luis López López, ABC de Sevilla (Original in Spanish)

“El Viaje de Wallis Giunta…an opportunity for the Canadian-Irish mezzo (who left us so impressed last season with her interpretation of The Seven Deadly Sins) to show her affinity and passion for Spanish and Latin American music…With impeccable diction and an interpretation that proved she knew and felt what she was singing, Giunta unfolded with ease and wit the [Carceleras] of Chapí…The voice is of enormous beauty and full breath support…she was especially expressive in the details and cadenced rhythms of the Canciones Negras of Xavier Montsalvatge, with a moving lullaby, all intimacy and delicacy, which she brought equally to the Nana of Manuel de Falla”
Andrés Moreno Mengíbar, El Diario de Sevilla (original in Spanish)

DER ROSENKAVALIER (Strauss) – Oper Leipzig, 2019

“First-class is home grown…The focus is on the ensemble’s own Wallis Giunta as Octavian…A dream cast…mezzo-soprano Giunta plays a young man, also disguised as a girl, letting her beautiful voice vibrate sensually between the colours of both genders, and between her infatuation and juvenile daring”
Peter Korfmacher, Leipziger Volkszeitung (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta, who debuted in the role…was characterised as a counterpoint [to the Marschallin] with a fire that allowed her to examine [Octavian’s] life situation with maturity, although still in her youth, and on the other hand to take passionate action when needed. In the final act, this Canadian artist championed the comedy of the role – the audience really relished her antics. Wallis Giunta, singing in Italian, French or German, always understands perfectly what she is saying. The tone and openness of her voice is exemplary in all languages…and the audience enjoyed her beautiful mezzo-soprano throughout the evening”
Miloš Bittner, Elegant Classics (original in Czech)

“No opera in the German repertoire requires a more sensitive sense of language and a more subtle understanding…than Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. The ensemble of Oper Leipzig, above all the three ladies Olena Tokar, Kathrin Göring and Wallis Giunta, fully achieved this. Harmonic and sonorous, such a trio is rarely heard… Wallis Giunta presented to her Marschallin a devoted Octavian, she has a distinctive middle range, and her excellent understanding of the text…made her Octavian a passionate and loving character portrayal.”
Phillip Schober, Das Opernmagazin (Original in German)

“Wallis Giunta made it believable that one can “lose their senses” in the complexity of relationships: she moved seductively and gloriously androgynously in the skin of the young Octavian, and was equally lively and comedic as the maid Mariandl. Defiance and youthful passion were expressively embodied in her performance, as intensely as they were in her powerful mezzo. From her first meeting with Sophie…she already sparked powerful energy”
Michael Vieth, Bachtrack (original in German)

IDOMENEO (Mozart) – Opera Atelier, 2019

“Giunta’s Idamante was the real surprise and joy of the evening for me. She combined tremendous acting as the youthful ruler surprised by love (Idamante’s love is enlivening; his forlorn despair droops off the stage) and her voice felt in moments of longing like it could stop time and pierce dimensions. By the third act, when Idamante draws up his courage and sings No, la morte io non pavento (I am not afraid of dying), I was sold”
S. Bear Bergman, Mooney on Theatre

“Wallis Giunta, who has gone on to a successful career in Europe, wields a mezzo-soprano that has also matured. Her high, clear, agile voice has gained in body and expressivity. As with Lindsay, each of her arias is impressive, though perhaps the passionate [“Non ho colpa”] is the most outstanding for its combination of beauty and power. In terms of acting she has adjusted her body language and demeanour to play the trousers role of Idamante, first written for a castrato, most convincingly”
Christopher Hoile, Opera News

“top vocal honours were shared by mezzo Wallis Giunta as Idamante and Meghan Lindsay as Ilia. Giunta sang with warm tone — a particularly lovely “Il padre adorato” — and looking suitably princely. Originally composed for castrati, Mozart reworked Idamante for a lyric tenor. Giunta offers a convincing argument that it should be considered mezzo property”
Joseph So, Ludwig van Toronto

“Wallis Giunta (Idamante)…a great pleasure to watch…stunning Mozartian vocalism, perfect intonation, while honouring the physical demands…I’ve missed Giunta’s presence on Toronto stages, and it’s clear she’s developed a great deal in her time overseas, perhaps the most cojones of anyone onstage tonight in a swaggering trouser role.”
Leslie Barcza, Barcza Blog

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta as Idamante and Meghan Lindsay as Ilia offered the most interesting music making of the evening. Giunta’s voice was warm and full, and she hit her stride in Act III in her deeply affecting “Padre, adorato,” ably depicting the story’s most compelling plot point”
Stephan Bonfield, Opera Canada

href=”https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/review/2019/04/05/mozarts-idomeneo-does-battle-with-dry-acoustic-at-ed-mirvish-theatre.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>“Giunta was a particular standout vocally as well as dramatically. She was the only singer who didn’t leave the impression that she was working extra hard to reach the ears of people in the balcony’s rearmost row”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star

href=”https://www.torontoconcertreviews.ca/april-4th-2019-idomeneo—opera-atelier—ed-mirvish-theatre.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>“…[the] castrato hero (powerfully sung last night musically and dramatically by the young, rising vocal star Wallis Giunta)”
Paul Merkley, Toronto Concert Reviews

href=”https://jameskarasreviews.blogspot.com/2019/04/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>“The role was written for a castrato but…can be done quite well by a mezzo soprano and Giunta with her lovely voice gives a marvelous performance“
James Karas, Reviews and Views

JESSYE NORMAN GALA – Canadian Opera Company, 2019

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, wearing a stunning gown and looking like a million dollars, sang two numbers—the “Lament” from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and the “Seguidille” from Bizet’s Carmen. Both brilliantly sung…Her Gypsy was dynamite—deliciously over-the-top”
Joseph So, Opera Canada

CARMEN (Bizet) – Oper Leipzig, 2018

“A Carmen like no other…what stayed with us at the premiere was, essentially, the first-class Carmen of mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta…Her Carmen is different. Outwardly, Wallis Giunta, with her light complexion and long red hair, sets herself apart from the Gypsy cliché, which has stuck to this role like moss… how Giunta helps this beauty to find herself, to find love and to live on stage true to her personality, to find credibility and depth, how she crafts her spoken voice and gestures, how her body shakes with anger or desire, with pride and despair, with love and arrogance – it’s damn good…It’s an impressive role portrait. Also vocally, Giunta is a different Carmen. She is brighter than usual, more youthful, more aristocratic. Not with a lilting sound, but more reflective, multi-layered, and even a bit intellectually calculating. She sounds beautiful as well, with her precise mezzo: full in her low range and radiant up above, at the same time flexible and tremendously changeable. An impressive and haunting role portrait, created by a first-class singer-actress.“
Peter Korfmacher, Leipziger Volkszeitung (original in German)

“It is the singer-actors this evening who turn an ordinary premiere into an acclaimed event. The mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta, this year named Young Singer of the Year at the International Opera Awards, makes her debut as Carmen in Leipzig. For Giunta, personally, it is probably the most important role so far in her still young career. “Right now, it is important to tell this story, because the dialogue on women’s rights and equal rights is in full swing, and Carmen’s is a perfect story to represent that” she revealed in an interview. And in her passionate singing and dramatic performance it really shows that she identifies with this Carmen. She sings the habanera with a lustful voice…a very sensual, erotic characterization that was deservedly celebrated this evening“
Andreas H Hölscher, O-Ton Magazine (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta is a sensational Carmen in Leipzig…It’s been two and a half years since the mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta charmed visitors to Oper Leipzig with Rossini’s Cinderella. For 2018 she was voted Young Artist of the Year at the International Opera Awards, and this month in Leipzig she became Carmen…Giunta seems very happy to be working with her director, Lindy Hume. It was this Australian lady who made her an unforgettable hero of an Italian master [Rossini]. Now with Carmen, it is an entirely different thing, and the success is twofold. Hume has made the most of her singer, and Giunta has taken everything she can from the skills of her director. In addition, this is combined with a young, but now very advanced, vocal range and technique – she is able to completely adapt the tone of her almost otherworldly mezzo soprano. This unconditional praise has been fully thought out…It is sincere, and has been confirmed many times over in the last few years…But her gift in the form of a charming voice does not end there. Her voice notwithstanding, one must appreciate her unprecedented dramatic ability”
Miloš Bittner, Harmonie Magazine (original in Czech)

“Wallis Giunta, so far especially celebrated in Leipzig for her Rossini, and now as Carmen in an acclaimed role debut…conquers the title role with her glorious, bright braided hair, soprano-coloured upper range, and excellent diction through her velvety vocal lines”
Roland H. Dippel, Oper! Das Magazine (original in German)

“Oper Leipzig did an excellent job of casting the main roles in this work with exceptional singers, who were able to breathe life into Lindy Hume’s moving directorial concept. Convincing in her unconditional love of freedom, fearless of danger, impressive in the interplay of her natural power and sensitivity, Wallis Giunta embodied a Carmen who lives her life without compromise, until the bitter end. With the vocal colors of her flexible mezzo-soprano she gave eloquent expression to the multifaceted sensory world of the title character.”
Westfälische Nachrichten (original in German)

“★★★★ Wallis Giunta is not only visually different from the usual Carmen cliché, with her red hair, but especially vocally, she is a completely different Carmen than you may be used to. Fresh, cheeky, self-confident and free in her interpretation (you could even say very cool and tough), with a bright, cleverly used, youthful mezzo timbre, without raspy chest tones and far from any matronly heaviness, she draws a tremendous, impressive role portrait and proves that a Carmen does not necessarily have to be a big, dramatic, vampish mezzo. Warm, yet focused in the middle voice, radiant and powerful in her high voice and incredibly versatile – this is what a modern Carmen sounds like!…Wallis Giunta’s debut is brilliantly successful and is applauded and cheered by the audience”
Eva Hauk, KULTURA-EXTRA (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta gives a Carmen that is much less coquettish and lascivious than usual. Even her Habañera sounds more like a charming justification of her lifestyle than an erotic game. Giunta’s impressive stage presence, and her ability to translate even the smallest emotional impulses into body language, lend the seemingly familiar character a complexity that I have never seen before. Her rather bright mezzo allows Giunta to emphasize the lyrical side of the role and not fall into the cliché of the dark timbred gypsy. Her singing is always polished and with specificity”
Frank Sindermann, Brahmsianer.de (original in German)

“Carmen’s first appearance…is one of those retrospective moments which Bizet mastered perfectly. Already here in [the Habanera] Wallis Giunta shows her full range of skills. The Canadian mezzo-soprano gives a full-bodied Carmen, with vocal brilliance. Her charisma on stage captivates the audience from the first minute…”Carmen” at Oper Leipzig offers a mix of outstanding voices, great music and excellent acting”
Julia Weber, Musikultur (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta performs the title role energetically, with fervour, temperament and passion.”
Martin Scholer, Leipziger Internet Zeitung (original in German)

BERNSTEIN on Broadway – BBC Proms, 2018

“★★★★ Leonard Bernstein’s outstanding stand-alone number from his one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti…Giunta joyously inhabited its every moment and delivered it with complete theatrical assurance…What really impressed was her ability to bring similar vocal and dramatic command to almost everything else in her exceedingly smartly chosen programme…If Giunta had wanted a showcase for her dazzling technique, she couldn’t have asked for more than the six-minute wonder that is Bushra El-Turk’s “Crème Brûlée on a Tree”…it leaps up and down to each equally assured end of Giunta’s wide range…Giunta was ideally crisp in two of Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs, giving both all the attentive colour they deserve. That was equally true of her approach to the first of two absurdly neglected songs by Marc Blitzstein…Giunta had a ball with Blitzstein’s “Modest Maid”. With whiplash timing, she switched between the song’s initial “neatness” and “discreetness” to the full-blooded, down’n’dirty “Give me LECHERY, lovely LECHERY.” Any mezzo-soprano looking for encore material should grab a copy – though whether they can match Giunta’s passion and precision is doubtful…This was Wallis Giunta’s BBC Proms debut but she is clearly going to be back soon – so long as they book her quickly. She has one hell of a career ahead of her.“
David Benedict, The Arts Desk

“A brilliant celebration of Bernstein & co. from Wallis Giunta…Giunta gave an assured, audience-winning performance which suggested that such accolades are more than deserved and that it won’t be long before she’s invited back. But in what genre, who would hazard a guess, given Giunta’s evident passion and affinity for, and accomplishment within, anything from opera to blues, art song to jazz, music theatre to cabaret? On the evidence of this Chamber Prom, the mezzo-soprano doesn’t simply sing, she truly performs: every textual line is inhabited vocally, gesturally, physically, and the characters to which she gives voice, spirit and presence are immediately, viscerally and compelling ‘real’. Her tone – high, middle, or low – is simply gorgeous, though it was the full, flickering hues of the middle that I found most stunning…The English texts of the songs by Bernstein and his contemporaries…were crisply enunciated, no matter how racy the rhythms or tongue-twisting the consonants. Indeed, versatility might be considered the quintessence of Giunta’s art…Giunta’s silvery tone effortlessly served the simple beauty of the unornamented melodic line…Giunta’s melismatic appeal to “O King of the starbright Kingdom of Heaven!” burned with fervour and stirring potency…‘The Miller’s Son’, from A Little Night Music, seems purposefully designed to trip up the singer who dares to tackle it…but Giunta sailed through as if it were a breeze…Giunta displayed a flawless control not just of enunciation but also of intonation and rhythm…Giunta and Sikich closed their recital with Bernstein’s ‘What a Movie’…the perfect medium for the singer to confirm both her operatic and music theatre instincts. She acted with aplomb…and relished the declamatory, lyrical and explosive vocalism equally…Sondheim provided the encore: ‘Send in the Clowns’. As Giunta seemed to quickly brush aside a tear, I glanced around the Cadogan Hall. She wasn’t the only one.”
Claire Seymour, Opera Today

“★★★★★ BBC Proms debut artist Wallis Giunta sang the four songs, accompanied by Michael Sikich – pianist, with aplomb. With a highly intriguing mezzo-soprano that combined a beguiling tone with brilliant accuracy, excellent enunciation and a strong lower register, she performed the pieces in every sense. Placing the right emphasis on every word, applying appropriate actions to signify taking onions or peppers, and delivering those parts of the recipe provided in brackets as asides, she completely owned the works… The encore was ‘Send In the Clowns’, with Giunta’s moving and highly accomplished performance capping a hugely enjoyable hour.”
Sam Smith, MusicOMH

“★★★★ Tackling an almost limitless stylistic range, Wallis Giunta was equally at home in Leonard Bernstein’s Big Stuff, written for Billie Holiday as she was in the operatic Sea-Snatch from Barber’s Hermit Songs and Bushra El-Turk’s vocally daunting contemporary idiom…her full-on treatment of Marc Blitzstein’s ribald Modest Maid was sensational, and she broke hearts with Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns.“
Tim Ashley, The Guardian

“The Proms centenary celebrations for Leonard Bernstein continued…with a programme from Wallis Giunta and Michael Sikich in a vertiginous race through recipes, La bonne cuisine, as a colourful opener. Giunta’s diction was almost as impressive as her rich and expressive tones, as she cajoled and described the stages of intricate preparation for Plum Pudding…‘Big Stuff’ was composed with Billie Holiday in mind…wistfully and effectively given here…two of Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs, ‘Sea Snatch’ and ‘The Monk and his Cat’, were dramatically evoked and subtly coloured. Songs by Bernstein’s friends and collaborators Marc Blitzstein and Stephen Sondheim lightened the mood with touching and saucy lyrics, showcasing Giunta’s acting and communicative powers…There was also an encore of exceptional beauty and emotion…Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’…Giunta’s voice is very special.“
Amanda-Jane Doran, Classical Source

“★★★★ Giunta and Sikich were in particularly fine form for this work, with crystal-clear articulation and nicely contrasted musical styles between the songs…Giunta’s bright, feisty mezzo was an ideal fit for the spitfire Dinah…it was the Blitzstein songs that really shone: the tender Stay in my Arms was sung with an opulent tone that suggested that Giunta is destined for bigger romantic operatic roles, and the utterly hilarious Modest Maid…Best of all, however, were excerpts from Sondheim’s A Little Night Music – “Send in the clowns”, sung as an encore, was given an emotionally charged performance that beautifully captured the bitterness and regret of the piece and confirmed Giunta as a top tier actor as well as singer.“
Kevin W Ng, Bachtrack

INTERNATIONAL OPERA AWARDS – The London Coliseum, 2018

“splendid performances from several stars including Young Artist of the Year Wallis Giunta singing Orlofsky’s aria from Die Fledermaus in full-on Cabaret style with top hat, blazing presence and razor-edged diction“
Jessica Duchen, JDCMB

BERNSTEIN@100 – Koerner Hall, 2018

“Wallis Giunta…gave us eight well known songs from various Bernstein musical works…The singing was as glitzy as her dress…It’s lovely to hear this music sung unamplified by someone who is totally at home with the style and has a voice that means she doesn’t have to “belt”. She’s a great mover too! I think my favourite was a wonderfully accented I am Easily Assimilated from Candide, but really the whole set was ear and eye candy of the highest class.“
John Gilks, OperaRamblings

“The final segment was a group of eight Bernstein songs…sung by fast-rising mezzo Wallis Giunta. Dressed in an absolutely stunning, tight-fitting silver-lame gown, the mezzo looked like a million dollars, with a gleaming voice to match. I’ve only heard her in staid operatic repertoire, so it’s rather surprising how idiomatic she is in this rep, down to every side glance, hip sway and hand gesture. To be sure, she let her hair down…for these numbers – talk about a ham-it-up, no-holds-barred, over-the-top performance! Kudos to Giunta for completely abandoning operatic convention and [using] her chest voice liberally…In the quieter songs, she was also affecting. I loved her “A Little Bit in Love,” and “Some Other Time,” this last one my personal favourite Bernstein…for a young singer still with her big career ahead of her, Giunta’s interpretation is already lovely”
Joseph So, Ludwig Van Toronto

L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES (Ravel) – Opera North, 2017

“but it is Giunta once more who holds the stage in a beautifully vulnerable portrayal of the naughty boy who learns to be kind. The Canadian mezzo is class personified.“
Mark Valencia, What’s On Stage

“Wallis Giunta’s versatile mezzo is tailor-made for the Child, and her athletic travels around the stage – including an alpha-plus cartwheel – gives her boyish bravado even more plausibility. It is impossible to take your eyes, or ears, off her“
Martin Dreyer, The York Press

“Wallis Giunta is a delight as the knobbly-kneed child”
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph

“Wallis Giunta is splendidly credible as the petulant Child thrust on to this crash course in adult feelings”
Richard Morrison, The Times

“The singing is consistently fine. Giunta gives a deeply touching central performance“
Tim Ashley, The Guardian

“Wallis Giunta as the Child conveys the initial high spirits and stages of confusion and despair superbly, without over-acting. Vocally she has all the precision and expressiveness the part demands“
Ron Simpson, The Examiner

“Wallis Giunta is brilliant as the Child…more plausibly boyish in figure and movement than any other I’ve seen“
Michael Tanner, The Spectator

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta…Forthright as a stroppy, self-centred brat when the opera opens, she judged perfectly the gradual transformation into an empathetic child aware of the interdependence of living creatures. Yet at neither end of this spectrum was there any vocal exaggeration”
Brian David, Opera Canada

“Wallis Giunta seemed to channel Harry Potter…Giunta’s embodiment of the child is brilliantly done“
Cornelius Fitz, Seen and Heard International

“Very young, but already showered with awards and sought-after by the managers of the world’s opera houses, Wallis Giunta turned out to be the Child of my dreams – sufficiently boyish in manner, but at the same time, wonderfully fresh in the purely vocal sense.”
Dorota Kozińska, Upiór w Operze

“Rightly dominating everything, yet fully integrated into the ensemble, was Wallis Giunta in the title role. She brought physical acrobatics, a Just William-like persona and strong technical poise to bear. If the opera is about the child’s psychological development then Giunta really took is on a journey.”
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill

“Wallis Giunta – an inspired piece of casting“
Robert Beale, The Arts Desk

“the child, superbly acted and sung by Canadian Wallis Giunta, a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindeman Programme and a perfect fit physically. She brought an appealing vocal tone to her singing and acted the role superbly”
Robert J Farr, Seen and Heard International

“There are too many performers to list but all were excellent…The one person I must pick out though is Wallis Giunta who played the Child. She was on stage the whole time singing and dancing, doing both impeccably”
Stan Graham, Leeds Living

“The child, portrayed superbly by Wallis Giunta, repents and finally calls out, ‘maman.’ It’s highly amusing, but somehow intensely moving too”
Steve Draper, The Yorkshire Post

“Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta, in the short trouser role of The Child, is remarkably agile, with…her powerful voice”
Richard Wilcocks, Bachtrack

“Wallis Giunta is superb as the eponymous child, skilfully charting every stage of the protagonist’s emotional journey”
James Ballands, British Theatre Guide

“the Company of Opera North are outstanding in their delivery, particularly Wallis Giunta who sings the character of the Child”
Dawn Smallwood, The Reviews Hub

“The boy is played by soprano [sic] Wallis Giunta, who portrays a very creditable boy, her soprano voice easily transferable to that of an adolescent child. His redemption from cruelty to altruism is quite beautiful to watch“
Sandra Callard, ON Magazine

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta brings a wonderful insolence to the role as the errant schoolboy, waxing and waning between brash truculence and fearful reproach”
Yakub Qureshi, Manchester Evening News

“The splendid child, with the powerful voice of Wallis Giunta…in a cast with no weak links”
Xavier Cester, El Cronista Errant (original in Catalan)

“pride of mention has to go to Wallis Giunta, living it up as the little boy. This may be your only opportunity to see an opera diva literally turn cartwheels onstage. Take it”
Martin Thomasson, British Theatre Guide

“Wallis Giunta who plays the naughty child had the audience captivated by her talents both vocally and visually”
Katie Leicester, North West End

“Supremely agile soprano [sic] Wallis Giunta is the naughty child who makes good”
Geoffrey Mogridge, Ilkley Gazette

TROUBLE IN TAHITI (Bernstein) – Opera North, 2017

“For me, the abiding memory is of the brilliant soprano [sic] Wallis Giunta as a bemused Dinah in a fifties A-line dress, who gives Bernstein’s lyrics the treatment they well deserve”
Richard Wilcocks, Bachtrack

“Wallis Giunta (unrecognisable from her role as the Child in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortileges) is extraordinary. Utterly convincing as the all-American wife/mother, she is almost the embodiment of Betty Friedan’s ‘problem that has no name’”
Cath Annabel, The Culture Vulture

“Faultless performances from all concerned, but for me the stand-out was Wallis Giunta. It’s hard to believe that she was the boy in L’enfant et les sortilèges, so different and yet so convincing she was in both.”
Peter Lathan, British Theatre Guide

“The icing on the cake is the vocally flawless performance of mezzo Wallis Giunta as a fashion-plate fifties housewife”
David Nice, The Arts Desk

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, spirited and vocally crisp, led the five-strong cast”
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian

“a startlingly cool dissection of a marriage on a downswing…Giunta’s mezzo-soprano fills out vibrantly, heartbreakingly, when she recalls the early days of their courtship”
Richard Bratby, The Spectator

“Wallis Giunta and Quirijn de Lang are perfectly cast as the hapless Sam and Dinah…I loved every minute and recommend it warmly”
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph

“it’s a fabulously nuanced piece for two characterful singer-actors (here the outstanding Wallis Giunta and Quirijn de Lang)”
Richard Morrison, The Times

“It’s so hard to single people out…But I would have to mention Wallis Giunta, who switched overnight from the bolshy defiance of the tearaway boy in the Ravel – played tenderly and convincingly as a proper junior ‘trouser role’ – to the longing and disquiet of Bernstein’s Dinah.”
Adrian, Specs

“the elegant Wallis Giunta…offers immaculate lyricism“
George Hall, The Stage

“Wallis Giunta (Dinah) finds glorious expression in her showpiece “What A Terrible, Awful Movie””
Tom Tollett, The State of the Arts

“All the performers are excellent. Wallis Giunta is extremely moving as a frustrated 1950s housewife”
James ballands, British Theatre Guide

“Wallis Giunta was able to dart from comedy to deep sadness with consummate ease“
William Ruff, Nottingham Post

“Dinah’s wistful account of her dream of escape, ‘I was standing in a garden’ is an early highlight, with Wallis Giunta, the Canadian mezzo-soprano lending an exquisite touch of pathos to the aria”
Rob Spence, North West End

“Wallis Giunta…merciless in drawing out the desperation that lies under the surface of the American dream”
David Cunningham, Manchester Theatre Awards

“there is something about one of the songs, “Island Magic”…Something about its promise of a “quiet place” speaks to her. Wallis Giunta excels throughout, but this is her finest moment.“
Martin Thomasson, British Theatre Guide

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS (Weill) – Real Orquesta Sínfonica de Sevilla, 2017

“But above all, [John Axelrod] engaged the mezzo Wallis Giunta…who starred this week in one of the most brilliant moments in the history of the Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla. With an open, casual tone and an ease on stage without any indulgence, the German singer [sic] brought a high degree of sophistication to the music of Kurt Weill; with a voice of marvelous projection, full of style, attentive to every tiny inflection, and giving meaning to each line of the naive text that animates the work”
Ismael G. Cabral, El Correo (original in Spanish)

“[Giunta] achieved an absolute triumph in this work…she knows how to perfectly combine the cultured, operatic mezzo voice with the light style that best fits the score of the author of Die Dreigroschenoper. To this she adds an extraordinary beauty and an undeniable dramatic talent, which resulted in absolute enjoyment for the public. The version I have in mind of John Mauceri and Ute Lemper, with all their incentives and ability to recreate its cabaret style, does not exceed that of this endeavour…Full of sensuality and grace, Giunta moved, danced and expressed with total mastery of style, without neglecting the irony present in the sensational text of Brecht, and fit like a glove to the indications of Maestro John Axelrod”
Juan José Roldán, Pantalla Sonora (original in Spanish)

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS (Weill) – Toronto Symphony Orchestra, 2017

“Top vocal honours went to Giunta, whose high mezzo sounded fantastic, and she sang with impeccable German”
Joseph So, Musical Toronto

“Centering the vocal dynamic of the evening, mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta brings immeasurable strength of purpose and continuity to this highly charged Seven Deadly Sins as the ever caustic, eternally unimpressed Anna I. The role…is a taxing one demanding almost equal measures of worldliness and spirit. Snarling, catty, weary, admonishing, Giunta bounces from scene to scene with palpable vitality, an omnipresent dramatic force, sharp-eyed and even sharper tongued”
Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

“Anna I and Anna II were sung/danced by Wallis Giunta and Jenn Nichols. It was a very effective combination. Wally managed to get enough cabaret inflection into her singing while pushing out enough sound to carry over full orchestra in a notoriously difficult hall. I think she sounded more mezzoish, smokier, than previous times I’ve heard her. I liked it a lot”
John Gilks, Opera Ramblings

“There’s so much richness in the work…I didn’t know where to look or on whom to focus. One could simply watch and listen to Wallis Giunta singing and occasionally dancing as one of the two Annas…Our attention was torn between the dramatic elements, the choreographed elements, and the pure joy of watching and listening to Giunta interpret the songs”
Leslie Barcza, Barcza Blog

“What a treat to hear Wallis Giunta sing Anna I…Giunta and Nichols also blended seamlessly – Giunta moving like a dancer as well as acting powerfully“
Jennifer Parr, The WholeNote

“This is possibly the best I’ve ever heard Giunta. I may have said that before, but I mean it this time too. I feel like she has found her niche and I believe she has a lot more tricks up her sleeve. She brought Anna to life, in living colour, while using every tool Weill provides. As her counterpart, Nichols was the perfect match for Giunta. They reminded me of sirens as the show progressed. Beautiful, yet devastating“
Greg Finney, Schmopera

“The role of Anna I must carry the show and Wallis Giunta’s voice and stage savvy resulted in a characterization that was ideal“
Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, whom I last heard in the Opera Atelier’s Dido and Aeneas, sang the role of Anna I with passion and acted with conviction. She was paired perfectly with her dancing alter-ego Anna II, Jennifer Nichols…Together Giunta and Nichols had a chemistry that lifted the performance to magical heights“
David Richards, Toronto Concert Reviews

RECITAL with Hinrich Alpers – Schloss Holdenstedt, Germany, 2017

“What a magical flower! Like a spirit from another world. One thinks – perhaps – of Rusalka, and is rapt and silent with admiration. Her singing is highly dramatic and touchingly simple, delicately tender in the piano sections, powerful and determined in the forte. She does not need a score because she lives the songs. She has you at her feet from the first note! …The flexible voice of Wallis Giunta never even came close to exertion. In the highest points, the crescendi were never forced, but flourished effortlessly in a floating lightness…And with the Andalusian sounds [of De Falla], one no longer thought of a delicate mermaid, but of the racy, self-confident Carmen!”
Barbara Kaiser, Die Neue Barftgaans (original in German)

LA CENERENTOLA (Rossini) – Opera North, 2017

“the grand finale gains strength from the introduction of two exceptional new faces…the Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta has an incipient star quality that positively explodes with the ornamental cascades of her concluding aria, which pops the cork on a successful season like a champagne bottle that has been shaken for a very long time”
Alfred Hickling, The Guardian

“Making her UK debut, the Canadian singer Wallis Giunta is superb as Angelina, her control of the mezzo coloratura lines apparently effortless, her acting totally natural and her sense of enjoyment never far away. In the final “Non piu mesta” some Angelinas use its elaborate ornamentation as an affirmation of power; Giunta just finds it full of joy and fun, dancing a few jaunty steps while negotiating the aria’s complexities”
Andrew Hirst, The Examiner

“Take young Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta, for example, as Angelina, an aristocratically delicate cinder-girl, wide-eyed and appealing, whose considerable acting skills bring realism to her drudgery when she is sweeping the floor…and casually regal when she is finally attached to the prince. Her voice was smooth and warm in the uncomplicated song in Act 1 which outlines the plot, “Una volta c’era un re”…and truly impressive by the time she reached her cabaletta “Non più mesta” in the finale, in which the daunting demands are managed to near perfection.”
Richard Wilcocks, Bachtrack

““Some day my prince will come” may be a vain hope in real life but…As portrayed by Wallis Giunta in this production there is no wonder. What prince could resist her looks, demeanour, personality and coloratura…Canadian Wallis Giunta has what it takes. So effortless and liquid were her runs she gave the impression of being born with coloratura skills. Even more important was being able to fit in the ornamentation while, in the more lyrical moments, maintaining the integrity of an aria’s melodic line. With her lyrical Mezzo and slight, graceful physical frame, it came as quite a shock when she hit high notes that carried real decibel punch.”
John Leeman, Seen and Heard International

“In the title role the rising Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta is touching, credible, and gets round the notes too. More than that, she gauges her performance from demure reticence…to a commanding cascade of coloratura in her final aria.”
Richard Morrison, The Times

“Rossini’s Cinderella offers ample opportunity for performers to demonstrate their musical and comedic chops, and the calibre of singing and acting in this production is exceptional. Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta brings warmth and likeability to the central heroine, and demonstrates a superb coloratura voice.”
James Ballands, British Theatre Guide

“Singing with commendable accuracy and touching personality, Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta shines in the title role.”
George Hall, The Stage

“Wallis Giunta (Cinderella) is a Canadian mezzo-soprano and actress who combines her fabulous voice with fine acting. She conveys all the fears and frustrations of her life of domestic servitude to great effect”
Richard Trinder, The Yorkshire Times

“Angelina is played and sung by Wallis Giunta in a terrific mezzo-soprano. This is unusual for a leading lady, but very impressive here…Cinderella’s difficult aria by Giunta is a triumph which brings the house down.”
Sandra Callard, Yorkshire Magazine

“In the title role, the Canadian Wallis Giunta captivated the audience as she ran the gamut of emotions, from forlorn hopelessness through wide-eyed amazement to compassionate fulfilment. And she sang gloriously with warmth in the lower register and full-throated lyrical outbursts at the top.”
Anthony Ogus, anthonyogus.co.uk

“Cinderella’s final aria, fizzing with absolutely secure coloratura, was not just a vocal show-stopper…it became a bring-down-the-house song-and-dance number.’ “
Mike Wheeler, Music & Vision Daily

“Ramiro and Cenerentola’s initial duet in which they express love at first sight is gracefully ornamented…Giunta gives her own bravura coloratura fireworks display in Cenerentola’s final rondo-aria”
Jim Seton, Wharfedale Observer

“The Canadian Wallis Giunta is affecting and eloquent in the title role and adds her name to a distinguished roster of mezzo-sopranos, from Cecilia Bartoli to Joyce DiDonato, who’ve preceded her among the cinders. Her house debut is a roaring success”
Mark Valencia, What’s On Stage

“The solo arias are, of course, also a joy, with Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta expressing Cinderella’s conflicting feelings with that exacting balance of soaring emotion and crisp, absolute control that Rossini requires (and looking just perfect too).”
Gail-Nina Anderson, The Chronicle

“It’s the leads, however, that steal the show. Wallis Giunta was sensational as Cinderella – she has to pull off some serious vocal acrobatics in this opera, and I was amazed that she managed to hit every note of the famous closing aria while dancing around the stage.”
Ali Turner, Leeds-List

“Wallis Giunta is a superb heroine – quietly charismatic and capable of soaring vocals.”
Dave Cunningham, The Reviews Hub

“making her debut is Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, she is utterly mezmerising, her goose-bump inducing arias are worth the ticket price alone.”
Opening Night Reviews

“Wallis Giunta, a slender red haired Angelina and sometime graduate of the Metropolitan Opera New York training programme, acted and sang superbly. Her high notes and coloratura [were] excellent, she will soon be the world’s Cherubino of choice”
Robert J Farr, Seen & Heard International

“We had a lovely Angelina (=Cinderella) in Wallis Giunta – the warmth of her voice was apparent from the opening Una volta c’era un rè – and it’s a taxing role, but one which she sang with grace and endless energy, along with an eye for the comedy.”
Robert Beale, Manchester Theatre Awards

“Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta is the eponymous lead, and from the very outset she is winningly idealistic, applauding her sister’s clumsy efforts at balletic manoeuvres without a trace of irony. She has the least comic role, but her dreamy charm is extremely well-played, and she sings beautifully, again managing verbally and melodically dextrous feats.”
Mark Smith, British Theatre Guide

“the dazzling, energizing writing for the vocal line…[is] not easy to achieve without some exceptionally good singers, and the singing here is first class. Rossini is always incredibly demanding in this respect and La Cenerentola is no exception, placing great virtuoso demands on the Angelina and Don Ramiro roles. When they are sung well however it’s certainly noticeable and Wallis Giunta and Sunnyboy Dladla are both capable and impressive, flawless in technique but also in delivery, keeping everything bright and exuding charm as that other form of ‘magic’.”
Keris Nine, Opera Journal

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta played the part of Angelina (known as Cinderella) and from her opening aria ‘Una Volta c’era un re’ she certainly showed us what star quality she has as she sang one of the most famous motifs with such lyricism, whilst scrubbing the floor of a ballroom dance school. Her energy and enthusiasm certainly did not wane and as she brought the curtain down with ‘Non piu mesta’ the music seemed to pop like champagne corks around us.”
Dean Thomas-Lowde, Canal St Online

“In La Cenerentola the magic lies in the music. Vocal pyrotechnics abound and Opera North has clearly trawled the world to find singers up to Rossini’s demands. Canadian Wallis Giunta (Cinderella) manages to be tenderly poignant and spectacularly virtuosic in equal measure.”
William Ruff, Nottingham Post

“This superb production is performed by an international cast who are exceptional from the beginning to the end…particularly “Un soave non so che”…beautifully sung by Giunta and Dladla who prove that goodness of one’s heart is far more important than wealth and rank, for love.”
Dawn Smallwood, The Reviews Hub

DIDO & AENEAS (Purcell) – Opera Atelier, 2016

“We have been blessed with great operatic performances in Toronto this fall. Sondra Radvanovsky’s Norma. Alice Coote’s Ariodante. Well, add another one to the list, one to value just as highly. And that is Wallis Giunta’s Dido…Giunta was superb – dramatic, mesmerizing, with an expressive mezzo voice, fully in command of her character every moment she was on stage. It didn’t hurt her that Purcell wrote for her one of the great affecting moments in all of music – When I am Laid In Earth, Dido’s Lament…Giunta inhabited this music and its accompanying drama perfectly – with restraint when needed, emotion when necessary, fully in command of its musical and passionate truth. And Giunta’s performance was the highlight of a wonderfully fine and affecting Opera Atelier production of Henry Purcell’s masterpiece…The world of baroque theatrical gesturing, at its best, is at once highly artificial and completely natural and Giunta especially brought the two – artifice and nature – into perfect resonance….If Wallis Giunta’s star is the brightest in the sky of this Dido and Aeneas, it is set off by many other wondrous sights and sounds in the evening glow of this production, a tribute to a team of artists who keep pushing themselves every time they approach their art.”
Robert Harris, The Globe & Mail

“Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta gave a ravishing performance as Dido…Making her role debut as Dido, Giunta displayed a voice of extraordinary power and beauty. Her mezzo-soprano has both clarity and depth, and her exceptional control allowed her to color key words and phrases to achieve the greatest dramatic effect. She had completely mastered Opera Atelier’s stylized acting technique and made it seem a natural expression of emotion. Encouraged by Pynkoski’s reading of the Aeneid, Giunta’s account of “Ah! Belinda” did not portray Dido as somehow intimating Aeneas’s departure, as is commonly the case, but showed her oppressed by the weight of overwhelming love. Giunta’s moving account of “When I am laid in earth” was exquisite in its attention to detail and shading of tone.”
Christopher Hoile, Opera News

“In the lead, mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta offers a performance that… is sung with total conviction and a breathtaking precision.”
Catherine Kustanczy, The Toronto Star

“Giunta shines whenever she’s onstage, her intentionally stylized acting never overshadowing Dido’s honest, changing emotions…Giunta controls the last scene, believably going through a series of moods from madness and pain to disdain and finally resignation. Pynkoski builds her last number (and the opera’s most famous aria), a lament, to a show-stopping finale worthy of a 19th-century diva… it’s not a bravura piece, but rather a quiet number where Purcell’s music and the performer’s intelligent, communicated feeling are sufficient.”
Jon Kaplan, NOW Toronto Magazine

“Appearing as Dido, mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta weaves her own brand of enchantment with a striking, vibrant depiction of Purcell’s doomed queen…Giunta infuses the character with enormous purpose and resolve. Dignity and poise pour from her voice, slapping down Aeneas’ hypocrisy, defying him, clear-eyed and independent. Remember me, the inexpressibly haunting aria that closes Dido’s life, a simple, soaring release of spirit, is poignantly rendered by this exceptionally accomplished artist.”
Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

“Giunta scored a big success last evening as a youthful, beautiful and alluring Dido. At the final curtain, all the artists were showered with audience accolades, with Giunta singled out for extra torrents of bravos…Wallis Giunta in her sumptuous costume was a youthful and stunningly beautiful Dido, with a gleaming, rich sound to match, in an entirely winning performance…Giunta’s big set piece, “When I am laid in Earth” came near the end. At that point, the stage dimmed completely, with only a spotlight on her shining directly on top, not unlike a chanteuse singing a torch song! Her tone was beautiful, with the requisite pathos. In the few moments when she sang forte, her sound filled the Elgin”
Joseph So, Musical Toronto

“Wallis Giunta created a ‘Dido’ whose character combined emotions of an almost feral intensity with the shrewd intelligence needed to form the personality of a leader able to inspire uncompromising loyalty…the production features two of the most exciting young singing actresses around by pairing Wallis Giunta and Meghan Lindsay is something to marvel at. Both have power that can raise any roof but land with the caress of feathers and are phenomenal actresses.”
Brian Hay, Norules-Nolights

“As to the singers, the star was clearly Wallis Giunta. She has a lovely voice and it was most effective when it really mattered i.e. in The Lament where she really took advantage of the freedom from a dance rhythm. She also took some of the classic lines with real relish “Thus by the fatal banks of Nile, weeps the deceitful crocodile” with a real snarl at the end. She also, of course, looked fantastic.”
John Gilks, Opera Ramblings

“As the Queen of Carthage, Dido, mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta lights up the stage. In this outing you really see why she’s so in demand around the world…Giunta’s skill and stage presence are on full display. Obviously, everyone wants to know how the lament went – and it was stunning. I really appreciate the singer and/or the conductor’s decision to keep a quicker tempo on the aria. It gave Giunta a chance to use her full (and wide) range of dramatic expression and let the bright colour and quick action of her voice show off a longer line and more grounded delivery.”
Greg Finney, Schmopera

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta sings the role of the unhappy Dido… Giunta does superb work in the role especially in the signature aria of the opera, the moving lament “When I am laid in earth.””
James Karas, Opera Reviews by Karas

“All of the vocal performances were delightful, and Wallis Giunta was stunning in the title role.”
Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta was stunning in every aspect of her performance in the role of Dido. Giunta’s appearance marked a return to Opera Atelier by a much sought-after Canadian singer who has gained an international reputation. “When I am laid, am laid in earth” commonly known as ‘Dido’s Lament’, was performed with such heartfelt beauty that the audience was left breathless in grief.”
David Richards, Toronto Concert Reviews

“Wallis Giunta, however, gives a true star turn as Dido. For her big aria she is given the sweet spot and a single spotlight. The fancy surroundings and dancers disappear. A magical moment.”
Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet

LA CENERENTOLA (Rossini) – Oper Leipzig, 2016

“In this ethereal role Wallis Giunta gives her Rossini debut at the Leipzig Opera. And one can understand why Don Ramiro falls in love with this delicate and aristocratic beauty at first sight. She sings Rossini as if she had never done anything else than to help bring to life the simple melodies and ornamental coloratura of this magnificent role with humanity and dignified musicianship…her velvety mezzo, when combined with her wonderful “Non più mesta” results in the final triumph three hours later, and you wish she would never stop. You can hardly get enough of the beautiful bel canto singing in this production.”
Peter Korfmacher, Leipziger Volkszeitung (original in German)

“Triumph, however, came from Canada. Wallis Giunta…since this 2015/16 season a member of the Oper Leipzig ensemble, makes an extraordinarily successful debut in the title role of this famous Italian work. Did the fairy tale character of Angelina step out of the story and become a singer? It almost seems as if she did. By appearance, the mezzo-soprano is unusually well suited for the role of Angelina, and she is also a talented actress, which she uses to give the role of the plain, tyrannized girl an even greater sense of realism. All of this is supported by the most important element: the voice is resonant and flexible, excellently trained and sumptuously rich. In the vast hall of the Leipzig opera house, it carries as if it had wings. To this young singer I wish best of luck in her artistic life.”
Miloš Bittner, Harmonie Magazine (original in Czech)

“But this Cenerentola belonged to Wallis Giunta, who almost stole the show with her excellent, pin-point singing of flexibility, warmth and tenderness. In her first excursion into Bel Canto repertoire, she negotiated Rossini’s coloratura lightly and confidently, her lower register rich and lusty, and with a natural facility in the recitatives. Angelina can often come across as downtrodden and depressing, but Giunta’s acting skills brought empathy for the poor girl without pity for her, always maintaining dignity and humanity in the role. Among many highlights, her final “Non Piu Mesta” was especially impressive and memorable.”
Rick Phillips, Opera Canada Magazine

“The virtuoso title role of Rossini’s Bel Canto fairy tale [La Cenerentola] was sung by new ensemble member Wallis Giunta, who turns out be absolutely ideally cast. The mezzo soprano masters the demanding coloratura, as well as the legato passages, with wonderful ease and feeling, and breathes musical life into the endearing heroine. As she leaves nothing to be desired either vocally or dramatically, one would wish to hear this singer in other Rossini roles.”
Eva Hauk, Mephisto 97.6 (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta as Angelina succeeds with great ease in the change from sooty Cinderella to a noble and generous lady. With her youthful and svelte mezzo soprano she also achieves the difficult coloratura and parlando sections with seemingly effortless ease. It is an impressive role debut that Giunta delivers here, after having already made a fierce debut as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the Leipzig Opera.”
Andreas H. Hölscher, Opernnetz (Original in German)

“As it should be the main character of the opera… the audience gratefully applauded the mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, new to Leipzig and already familiar to viewers from the roles of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) and Siebel in Gounod’s Faust. The singer perfectly managed the considerable vocal demands of the role of Cinderella! Add to this her superb stagecraft: her youthful good looks, mobility and ease of movement!”
влабцслав Анцкцн, MOST – Die Brücke (Original in Russian)

“Of course, the audience enthusiastically cheered the young mezzosopranisten Wallis Giunta for her vocally magnificent performance, and authentic interpretation of the demanding title role.”
Boris Gruhl, Orpheus (Original in German)

“As Cenerentola/Angelina, Wallis Giunta is the star of the singing, as her voice rises like a siren song.”
Karsten Pietsch, Leipziger Internet Zeitung (original in German)

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (Mozart) – Oper Leipzig, 2015

“The performers were each incredibly compelling and well suited to their respective roles. Especially outstanding… dramatically and also vocally enriching the entire performance was mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta as the amorous, adolescent young page, Cherubino, who is involved in everything, making trouble.”
Caroline Schnelle, Mephisto 97.6 (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta, on the other hand (new to the ensemble this season) brings to the part of Cherubino a perfectly controlled, clearly radiant voice, and she performs so characteristically, winningly and specifically that one feels this youth is going to become a star: He certainly knows who is he what he wants.”
Eleonore Büning, Frankfurter Allgemeine (original in German)

“I wish to highlight from the total outstanding ensemble performance, however, the…Cherubino of Wallis Giunta.”
Misha, Saxony, Tamino Klassik (original in German)

“All the singers shine, especially…Wallis Giunta, a very lively Cherubino, and on top of (performing) her trouser role, a Godsend of a young woman, who can play a young man playing a woman.”
Joachim Lange, Neue Musikzeitung (original in German)

“But that is certainly made up for by Wallis Giunta…with the poetry of her pure/unfussy singing. For Cherubino, Mozart composed two of his most beautiful pieces: the arias ‘Non sò più…and ‘Voi, che sapete…Both (arias) leave Giunta, with Oper Leipzig only since the beginning of the season, guilty of nothing. Warm and smooth rings her mezzo, gently trembling with inner excitement.”
Peter Korfmacher, Leipziger Volkszeitung (original in German)

“Wallis Giunta provides all the cheerfulness/mirth, and excellently masters her rewarding trouser role both vocally and dramatically.”
Leipziger Internet Zeitung (original in German)

I WAS LOOKING AT THE CEILING AND THEN I SAW THE SKY (Adams) – Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, 2015

“The extraordinary Wallis Giunta, an incredible Tiffany, perfect for the part and with a sparkling and fresh voice.”
Stefano Ceccarelli, L’Ape Musicale (original in Italian)

“Making a strong, positive impression…the sensual mezzo Wallis Giunta as the high-ranking journalist Tiffany, right from her applauded jazz ballad”
Michelangelo Pecoraro, Opera Click (original in Italian)

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (Mozart) – Opera Lyra Ottawa, 2015

“Sung beautifully, full of laughs, and featuring a stand-out performance from an Ottawa native…on opening night, Wallis Giunta as the lustful and romantic youth Cherubino unquestionably stole the show. Hailing from our nation’s capital, Giunta performs her character (classically cast en travesti) with relish. The way she reacts to the scenes and to the performers around her gives her such a unique presence that it becomes difficult not to watch her whenever she is on stage. She is funny, heart-warming, and more importantly, she makes you believe the conflictual emotions (and hormones) found within a youth coming into adulthood.”

Brianna McFarlane, New Ottawa Critics

“Special mention goes to Wallis Giunta. The part of Cherubino is a pastiche: for both comic effect and clarity, the inner workings of the notoriously uncommunicative adolescent brain have to be brought out for us all to see, and that’s what we saw and enjoyed in this production. Judging by the applause at the curtain calls, most [of] the audience felt the same.”

Glenn Seeds, The Ottawa Citizen

“this is a beautifully sung Figaro, featuring some stellar work from the principals, and in particular a notably engaging performance on all fronts from Wallis Giunta in the trouser role of the lovelorn pageboy, Cherubino…solid acting coupled with splendid singing is the main characteristic of this production. Wallis Giunta’s Cherubino seizes our attention whenever she lands on stage, beguiling us with a loose-limbed charm that serves both her own comic instincts and Cherubino’s adolescent vulnerability…she meets the musical demands confidently — juggling fire with ice in that irresistible rouser, Non So Piu, and later soaring with serene eloquence over the high-range yearnings of Voi Che Sapete.”

Jamie Portman, Capital Critics’ Circle

“The audience falls in love with Wallis Giunta’s Cherubino. She truly embodies a young boy whose hormones are in their prime, and wisdom still far away…Giunta is a good singer and even better actress. She introduces funny components by blending movement, body language, and facial expression into an extreme, but likewise believable character- something that is very demanding, especially in comedy, where it is so easy to slip into farce.”

Rajka Stefanovska, Capital Critics’ Circle

“The other key role in the opera is Wallis Giunta’s Cherubino. We’d already seen her remarkable trouser performance in La Clemenza di Tito of a few years ago…This was entirely different, sung with great authority & confidence, while played with a physical flamboyance that made her every appearance an occasion for laughs, the one you couldn’t help watching.”

Leslie Barcza, Barcza Blog

“As for the singing talent, it is superb…Wallis Giunta as Cherubino steals the scene when on stage.”

Jennifer Hartley, Ottawa Life Magazine

“Cherubino (the marvelous Wallis Giunta) was vocally neither too bright nor too dark, with a luminous timbre and ease of Mozartian style. A lively, adolescent Cherubino…Wallis Giunta traverses this “crazy day” like a shooting star!”

Jean Jacques Van Vlasselaer, Le Droit (Original in French)

“Cherubino, performed with much flowing ease and fluidity by Wallis Giunta, becomes the iconic presence of youthful desire”

Alvina Ruprecht, Capital Critics’ Circle

“Wallis Giunta plays the gangly teen boy, Cherubino to hilarious effect. Her aria in act two, “Voi che sapete” had audiences applauding before her last note rang out.”

Chrissy Steinbock, Apt 613

“It’s striking how Wallis Giunta, the face of McCaffrey Haute Couture, can strip the bridal gowns, put on a suit and convincingly play randy pageboy Cherubino chasing after the ladies.”

Lucy Scholey, Metro News

ALCINA (Handel) – Opera Atelier, Toronto, 2014

“Giunta, so impressive in last season’s Canadian Opera Company production of Così fan tutte, delivers a bravura performance, her Bradamante a deep-feeling warrior with an unshakeable integrity; her strong, clear mezzo is matched in every way by Allyson McHardy…and their moments onstage together are shot through with a beguiling mix of tenderness and passion.”

Catherine Kustanczy, BachTrack

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta showed off some seriously polished singing as Ruggiero’s fiancée…She had incredible coloratura in a few damn-difficult arias…Giunta reminded us why we love her so much. Her deft navigation between head voice and chest, vocal lines that seemed to last forever, and delicate switches between the male Ricciardo and the female Bradamante…Giunta, known well for her work in pants roles, takes it one step further…There were moments when Lindsay and McHardy were doing some fabulous singing stage right and I was hopelessy glued to Giunta on stage left as she struggled to hide Bradamante’s emotions behind the veil of Ricciardo.”

Jenna Douglas & Gregory Finney, Schmopera

“Mezzo Wallis Giunta appears as a swashbuckling Bradamante/Ricciardo. Frequently seen in gender-bending crossover roles, Giunta gives a feisty, animated performance bubbling with chutzpah, sprinkled with pathos. Her singing convincingly captures the contradiction, crisp and assertive in action scenes, warm and sweet in romantic encounters.”

Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

“Wallis Giunta was a standout of the evening in her portrayal of Bradamante”

Michael Vincent, Musical Toronto

“Mezzo-Soprano Wallis Giunta was lovely in the role of Ruggiero’s faithful intended…especially blown away by her considerable vocal agility and bell-like clarity.”

Kiera Grant, Mooney On Theatre

“Wallis Giunta gives a vivid account of Bradamante, playing up the comedy of trying to thwart Morgana’s advances while capturing the ardour of the woman’s joy seeing Ruggierio finally released from Alcina’s enchantments. Giunta’s mezzo-soprano lay comfortably between the brightness of Asselin’s voice and the darkness of Lindsay’s. It… emerge[d] in richness and beauty during a more lyrical aria like “All’alma fedel.””

Christopher Hoile, OPERA NEWS/Stage Door Reviews

“Wallis Giunta was charming as the cross dressing Bradamante, singing with great beauty.”

John Gilks – OperaRamblings

“The cast was…all so vocally talented that it’s hard to know where to begin singing their praises. With…the fluid lyricism of mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta as Bradamante.”

Colin Eatock, Eatock Daily

“Wallis Giunta was dashing as Bradamante, and her warm tones were a pleasure”

Joseph K. So, Opera Magazine

“The two mezzos were very well-matched. Wallis Giunta makes a strong initial impression – and maintains it – as Bradamante.”

Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet

“The work…is mostly well sung, especially by McHardy, Giunta and Asselin, who know how to use the music to characterize their roles…Giunta’s determined Bradamante is a winning figure.”

Jon Kaplan, Now Toronto

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta sings Bradamante who is in love with Ruggiero but appears as her own brother Ricciardo. Giunta does a splendid job as a woman playing a man who lets her hair down to show us that she is beautiful and worthy of Ruggiero.”

James Karas, James Karas Reviews

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta countered with ingeniously nuanced singing that clarified the appalled nature of ‘Bradamante’s’ affirmations.”

Brian Hay, Norules-Nolights

“And gender-bending doesn’t come much sexier than Wallis Giunta as Bradamante, making a fairly convincing man until she loosens her hair and turns into the kindred spirit of Carly Street’s Amazon from ‘Venus in Fur’ at Canadian Stage.”

Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star

Recording: SILENT FILM HEROINES (William Perry) – NAXOS, 2014

“Wallis’ charismatic, enthusiastic energy undergirds her tracks, and her extraordinary artistry lights the fuse to ensuing musical fireworks. With a moody sense of history, she raises her vocal arms in an inviting embrace, reaching above the clouds in song to charm with all the silvery-golden nuances and highlights she finds…Wallis really opens the treasure chest and exults in the era’s stylish, distinctive sound. This gal can sing the jazz and the blues with the best any day.”

Lorraine Dmitrovic, The Empress Zine

“The music flows easily and the vocal line is grateful and given in impassioned manner by the
excellent Wallis Giunta. Giunta has a chameleon-like knack of capturing the perfect flavour of
each song in Perry’s varied parade. This disc is guaranteed to bring oodles of joy.”

Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine

“A young Canadian mezzo-soprano, Wallis Giunta, performs these with high style and panache,
giving each song a colorful and musically-appropriate characterization. I particularly loved her
bluesy approach to Garbo and a full-out comedy reading of Pearl White in “The Perils of
Pauline.””

Vlad Leyn, Amazon

OPERA IN THE PARK – Madison Opera, 2014

“Over more than two hours of lovely music on a perfectly balmy summer night in Garner Park, just one solo earned a spontaneous “popcorn” standing ovation. Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta made her Madison Opera debut before some 14,000 people at Opera in the Park on Saturday. Giunta’s jewels flashed from the stage as she swept her hand across her forehead during a romantic, lively performance of “Una voce poco fa” from “The Barber of Seville”…Her high notes soared; her embellishments sounded effortless…”Una voce poco fa” may have stolen the first half, and Giunta’s languid take on “The Miller’s Son” from “A Little Night Music” very nearly stole the second…The evening’s best moments included a duet between Giunta and Jamie-Rose Guarrine…Their rendition of “Ah, perdona al primo affetto” by Mozart…was affecting and surprisingly delicate — I felt a little thrill the first time their voices combined.”

Lindsay Christians, The Captial Times

“I really liked the big-voiced mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, who has high notes and volume to spare. She also made her debut and proved to be another must-return talent, the sooner the better”.

Jacob Stockinger, The Well-Tempered Ear

“But the stars of the night were as usual the singers…Giunta made her initial appearance in the Rossini favorite, “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville, which will close the season next April. More’s the pity that she will not be here for it; she provided a model of coquettishness and vocal agility. It’s no wonder her itinerary includes the Metropolitan Opera these days…The first half concluded with a pair of duets, the ladies in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito (not just melt-your-heart gorgeous, but persuasive enough to make one listener go back to an opera unjustly overlooked)…The second half gave us…a tour de force rendition of “The Miller’s Son” from A Little Night Music from Giunta.”

Greg Hettmansberger, Madison Magazine

ANAÏS NIN (Andriessen) – 21C Music Fesival, 2014

“Wallis Giunta went all kinds of places in the title role of Anaïs Nin…[she] gave it her all, and it can’t have been easy. Her voice was powerful, and acting not a little brave. It helps with getting the audience on your side that she is seductive and luxuriously sexy”

Lydia Perovic, Definitely the Opera

“My highlights of the night were without a doubt Anais Nin, and Hatzis’ String Quartet No. 3. The former, carried out by an ensemble of considerable talent, including mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, really hit home with this 30 minute stage play. Giunta really brought down the house with this work, her powerful voice helped character Nin as a struggling woman in a world where women’s rights was still a fairly new concept. The struggles and grief of Nin…and Nin’s inner turmoil was brought to life through Giunta’s singing.”

Paolo Griffin, New Music Toronto

“Wallis Giunta can easily project her lovely, expressive voice in the friendly acoustic of Koerner Hall…Ms Giunta (not that long ago a student at the RCM) gave a brave performance”

Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet

“Wallis Giunta as Anaïs Nin conveyed a multi-faceted personality in her performance, capturing the confused, lonely and burning passion of Nin’s artistic personality. Giunta’s voice had a brassy and precise quality, which exquisitely matched the chunky accompaniment of Andriessen’s scoring”

Tyler Versluis, Musical Toronto

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS (Recital) – Miami & Ottawa, 2014

“Giunta’s rich, expressive voice is already well known to Ottawa audiences, and her dramatic powers seem more evolved than ever. She also has the power to produce a sound that’s suited to whatever particular repertoire she’s singing. For example she could switch effortlessly between the angular sound of Weill to the baroque luxury of Handel or the world of John Lennon…Among the highlights were Schubert’s Der Zwerg and, perhaps surprisingly, Stephen Foster’s Old Folks at Home which, for me at least, was the highlight of the evening. She sang it with just the combination of art and artlessness that Foster probably had in mind. It’s been among my favourite songs for most of my life, and I’d never heard it done this well before.”

Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen

“Equal parts monodrama and vocal recital, the program showcased the formidable talents of Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta…Her light, beautifully produced sound extends impressively to both lower and upper extremes, a rich bottom register matched by gleam at the top…She is also a terrific singing actress…Giunta’s performance and emotional range proved riveting…Giunta also spun flawless Baroque coloratura at a furious clip in”Crude Furie” from Handel’s Xerxes.”

Lawrence Budmen, South Florida Classical Review

“…the Canadian mezzo-soprano was able to break free [of usual recital confines] and put together an original program that put to the test her versatility and theatrical flair…Giunta performed with aplomb and without the nonsense that tempts other interpreters of this composer [Weill]…Congratulations go to Friends of Chamber Music for trusting, along with her pianist, her vocal recital of the year, in a genre where the most unjust condemnation exists. There is always an audience, as was demonstrated on this occasion…With fiery red hair to match her dress and an air of femme-fatale that contradicts the traditional robust mezzo, the 28-year-old…won over the audience with her fervent singing and presence.”

Sebastian Spreng, Miami Clasica (translated from Spanish)

COSI FAN TUTTE (Mozart) – Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, 2014

“the singing and orchestral playing couldn’t possibly sound any better…in particular, Canadian soprano Layla Claire and mezzo Wallis Giunta as sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, sing and dramatically embody their roles as if written by Mozart specifically for them. It is uncanny how wonderful they are at singing the gorgeous arias and ensemble pieces. They also imbue every stage moment with an engaging, youthful earnestness. Claire and Giunta are on a plane of their own in this production”

John Terauds, Musical Toronto

“In a glorious performance of Dorabella’s youthful anthem to the joy of teen heartache, Smanie implacabli (“Implacable pangs”), Wallis Giunta mines the entire range of her heavenly mezzo. There is an expansive sweep to Mozart’s diminutive but intensely powerful Act I aria and Giunta spans it with apparent natural ease…As Così fan tutte’s guileless sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, Layla Claire and Wallis Giunta make an enchanting pair. Strong, gifted singers both, each clearly delights in her role. Their energy and zest are infectious. Tonal colours are vivid, phrasing precise, harmonies warmly blended…In Giunta and Gleadow’s hands, Il core vi dono (“I give you my heart”), the penultimate Mozart love duet, flirty and fleeting, is given a vigorous, sexy reading. “

Opera Going Toronto

“The real glory of this production though is the girls. Layla Claire (Fiordiligi) and Wallis Giunta (Dorabella) could easily be sisters in real life. They have extraordinary dramatic chemistry. The result is a delightfully fresh, youthful and sexy (the schoolgirl uniforms help!) characterisation of the manipulated (or manipulating?) sisters. On top of great acting they both gave technically assured vocal performances. All the big numbers were sung with accuracy, drama and flair despite often requiring antics far from the “park and bark” a singer might prefer for a technically challenging aria.”

John Gilks, OperaRamblings

“Wallis Giunta, was an adorable Dorabella, earthier, sexier, and more willing than her sister, beautifully acted as well as sung. “

Robert Harris, The Globe & Mail

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta’s beautiful voice and brilliant technique mark her as special the moment she’s heard. Full appreciation of her ability as an actress however demands that she be seen in a variety of roles. As ‘Annio’ last year she cast her femininity off so completely as to be almost unrecognizable. Her flirtatious ‘Dorabella’ stands as an epitome of sultry and alluring feminine presence as the narrative progresses.”

Brian Hay, Norules-Nolights.com

“Soprano Layla Claire and mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta are ideal as Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Both have amber-coloured voices, with Claire’s simply brighter and more transparent than the beautiful dark shade of Giunta’s…They blend so well each of their frequent duets seems more exquisite than the last.”

Christopher Hoile, Opera News Magazine

“Mezzo-Soprano Wallis Giunta was also superb in the role of Dorabella. Her tone is reminiscent of deep silver bells and is a perfect complement to Ms. Claire’s. Their duets can only be described as sublime.”

Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre

“Dorabella, younger sister, is here sung by mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta who sang with a richness that can be described as decadent.”

Janelle Watkins, TheSceneInTO.com

“Wallis Giunta’s lovely mezzo and Isla Fisher-esque charm make her Dorabella a winner”

Kelly Bedard, MyEntertainmentWorld.ca

“Fiordiligi, our vixenish heroine and her tempting sister, Dorabella, come across as a pair of bel canto Mean Girls, but Layla Claire and Wallis Giunta are so delicious that you forgive their shallowness…Best of all, Claire and Giunta are as stellar vocally as they are visually, with Claire fielding some glorious tones in her upper register that drew bravos from the opening night crowd and Giunta already possessing some beautifully burnished notes that are positively thrilling.”

Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star

“soprano Layla Claire and mezzo Wallis Giunta made an especially well-paired Fiordiligi and Dorabella, their voices blending beautifully”

William Littler, Opera Canada Magazine

“Dorabella is easier than her sister. Wallis Giunta’s deeper tessatura suggested a nature more sensual and fun-loving, who handles her promises with a lighter touch. Dorabella is the first sister to give in; Ms Giunta convinced us that having enjoyed the pleasures of Guglielmo, Dorabella made an “easy-peasy” transition back to her original union with Ferrando.”

Stanley Fefferman, BackTrack.com

“every performer was outstanding, from the amazing vocal talents of all six protagonists to the comedic depth of Fiordiligi (Layla Claire) and her sister Dorabella (Wallis Giunta). Their take on the sisters…seems so real, yet it is so much fun to watch. “

Shannon Christy, The Charlebois Post

“Claire was matched by Wallis Giunta as a very playful Dorabella, their voices blending wonderfully, and looking very much like sisters. There was so much going on at times between them, that I couldn’t take it all in. The stage action was very rich and detailed”

Leslie Barcza, BarczaBlog.com

“Musically the performance is very strong…The strongest impression is made by the two sisters as Layla Claire and Wallis Giunta make for an absolutely magical pairing”

Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.com

“Happily, Giunta and Claire act and sing superbly”

Jon Kaplan, Now Toronto

“Layla Claire and Wallis Giunta were remarkable as the sisters.”

Lydia Perovic, DefinitelyTheOpera.com

I WAS LOOKING AT THE CEILING AND THEN I SAW THE SKY (Adams) – Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, 2013

“But all in all, a great commitment comes from…Wallis Giunta (Tiffany) with her strong voice and remarkable stylistic accuracy. In addition to a perfect balance a cappella in the Bad Boys trio, Wallis Giunta (voice dark and amber coloured, balanced with a feather-weight tone) remains perhaps the musical highlight of the evening, with her jazz ballad How Far Can I go.”

Chantal Cazaux, L’Avant-Scène Opéra (original in French)

“Also let us underline the mezzo Wallis Giunta who, a great actress, brings her charm and finesse to this role”

Frédéric Manzini, Reg’Arts Magazine (original in French)

“The three women’s voices are soft and warm, as appropriate for this music where mastery of style ultimately matters most in vocal performances. Mezzo Wallis Giunta is a very convincing actress in her role as the TV news presenter”

Laurent Bury, Forum Opera (original in French)

“the casting of the singers, who all seem to be the age for their roles, with mostly operatic training, calls for only praise: suppleness of voice, warm and excellent characterization of main characters – special mention to Wallis Giunta”

Gilles Taillefer, Regard En Coulisse (original in French)

“…a sparkling Wallis Giunta, who is a complete artist we hope to see again soon”

Florent Coudeyrat, Les Trois Coups | France Culture (original in French)

“Also nicely presented were the cop…and journalist, Tiffany (Wallis Giunta), who plays maliciously with the map of mockery.”

Philippe Chevilley, Les Echos (original in French)

RIGOLETTO – The Metropolitan Opera, New York, 2013

“the opera’s vivid gallery of supporting roles was strongly enhanced by two very up-and-coming Canadians: Wallis Giunta was Countess Ceprano, a tiny part but a bit of a good luck charm at the Met…needless to say, she looked smashing in Susan Hilferty’s Monroe-clone attire.”

Patrick Dillon, Opera Canada Magazine

“In the very small role of Countess Ceprano and in a Marilyn Monroe impersonation, Wallis Giunta impressed for her extreme beauty – another very attractive singer in the making. The stunning mezzo indeed doubles as a top model, and in addition to her training at the Lindemann (also simultaneously at Juilliard) she works for one of the haute-couture organizations…By the way, she sang well her few lines.”

Luiz Gazzola, Opera Lively

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS (Recital) – Toronto & New York, 2013

“So in other words it was one of the greatest vocal recitals I have ever seen, wonderfully eclectic but purposefully so.”

Leslie Barcza, BarczaBlog

“The theme chosen by this supremely gifted Canadian mezzo was Brecht and Weill’s Die Sieben Todsünden…It was in every respect an original and compelling program that showed off Ms. Giunta’s linguistic facility and dramatic skills as effectively as her burnished mezzo. At this level of performance, fine technique can just be taken for granted and the listener can focus on the artistry and communicative skills of the performers. Ms. Giunta’s greatest gift is that she makes each song her own, and always in a way that involves the audience…A stellar career would seem to be a foregone conclusion.”

Meche Kroop, Voce di Meche

LA CLEMENZA DI TITO – Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, 2013

“The greatest pleasure…was the performance of Wallis Giunta as Sesto…It was a triumph for Giunta. She has a delectably rich, silver-toned mezzo-soprano with a beautiful sense of line and effortless rapid runs. Every one of her arias was a delight, but her sensitive account of “Parto, parto, ma tu, ben mio” was especially remarkable in its combination of intelligence and beauty. At the curtain call the audience deservedly accorded her the greatest acclaim.”

Christopher Hoile, OPERA NEWS

“the fine young Canadian mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta… she is a wonderful singer, and her touching Act 2 aria, [Torna di Tito a Lato] almost stole the show”

Robert Harris, The Globe & Mail

“opposite the Sesto of…the lovely, fast-rising Wallis Giunta”

William Littler, Opera Canada Magazine

“Another source of top-grade mezzo-soprano vocals was Wallis Giunta as the young nobleman Annio.”

Arthur Kaptainis, The National Post

“To differentiate Sesto from the other mezzo’s trouser (actually tunic) role, Wallis Giunta as Annio is portrayed a bespectacled jogger, constantly doing his stretches. Fortunately this doesn’t prevent her from delivering some very fine singing, notably “Torna di Tito a lato” at the beginning of Act II.”

Michael Johnson, Concerto Net

“Wallis Giunta’s Annio (another “trouser” role) gives us a wonderful floating tone that entrances the ear”

Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star

“If that weren’t enough, Wallis Giunta as Annio gives us another trouser role…Giunta’s voice, like her body language, makes a contrast…a subtle alternative every bit as compelling in its delicacy. Giunta is such an amazing actor that she is almost unrecognizable as Annio.”

Leslie Barcza, BarczaBlog

“Rising Canadians — mezzo Wallis Giunta as Annio (a Patrician recast as a jogging fiend) and soprano Mireille Asselin as Servillia — were excellent in their roles and given opportunities to nicely show off their vocal chops.”

John Terauds, Musical Toronto

“Add to this mix the supple mezzo voice of Wallis Giunta as Annio…and what more could we want?”

Colin Eatock, Eatock Daily

“…in this presentation of La Clemenza di Tito there is plenty of laughter. It is done particularly well with the performances of Wallis Giunta as Annio…Ms. Giunta’s Annio seems to have been based on the 1980’s tennis sensation Bjorn Borg. With Borg’s iconic headband, Annio stretches, shadow boxes, and sprints to produce laugh-out-loud moments.”

Shannon Christy, The Charlebois Post

“Torna di Tito a lato”, sung by Annio, is…healing, simple and uncomplicated. Sigh, who needs a shrink when you have friends to sing such gorgeous music? It’s breath-taking in the COC production sung by Wallis Giunta.”

Leslie Barcza, Barcza Blog

“mezzo Wallis Giunta exuded star power in the supporting role of Annio”

Joseph So, La Scena Musicale

COSI FAN TUTTE – Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist production, New York, 2012

“The two standouts in the principal cast were Canadian mezzo Wallis Giunta, as Dorabella, and Californian bass-baritone Evan Hughes, as Don Alfonso. Giunta, a saucer-eyed, redheaded stunner, sang and cavorted with star-quality grace and point and offered delicious comic timing; if anyone is thinking of making Born Yesterday into an opera, this is your girl.”

F. Paul Driscoll, OPERA NEWS

“Wallis Giunta, with her chocolaty and penetrating mezzo-soprano voice, is a more down-to-earth Dorabella”

Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times

“Happily parading her own considerable clout as comedienne, Ottawa’s Wallis Giunta enacted a delectably dizzy Dorabella, with more tonal bite than one often hears in the role.”

Patrick Dillon, Opera Canada Magazine

A LOVER & HIS LASS (Recital) – Music & Beyond Fesitval, Ottawa, 2012

“Giunta…gave a truly outstanding concert.”

Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Fort Worth Opera, 2012

“…in the case of Cherubino, who received the loudest ovation afterward, youth does not equal immaturity…Ms. Giunta was a rambunctious, vocally splendid Cherubino. The evenness of tone throughout her range was phenomenal; she has all the flexibility and brightness of a soprano perfectly blended with a mezzo’s warmth and power.”

Evan Mitchell, BachTrack

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta was winsome as the male Cherubino, having no problems creating a scatterbrained youth who constantly falls into scrapes and has to be rescued. Her voice is pleasing and carries well.”

Leonard Eureka, Fort Worth Weekly

“Wallis Giunta in the famous Cherubino “pants role” more than nailed the overly comedic character. Giunta let her full mezzo-soprano voice sing out, creating a wonderful performance within her Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio aria in the first act. Between her hilarious over-the-top antics and the way she used a full, round sound, with strong initial phrase attacks in a seemingly-effortless manner to deepen her voice, she was able to portray a believable, girl-crazy, young boy.”

EverydayOpera

“Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta was physically lithe and vocally magnificent as Cherubino, the girl-crazy adolescent boy who disguises as a girl.”

Wayne Lee Gay, D Magazine Front Row

“One of the subplots of the production concerns the much-maligned page, Cherubino. Traditionally sung as a trouser role (a woman portraying a man), the part is sung by mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta. Highly physical, Giunta has to sing while on her back, under a couch, and almost every other position imaginable. Through all of this, she manages to maintain a beautiful tone and excellent diction.”

John Norine Jr., TheaterJones

“Rounding out the most prominent roles positively [was] Cherubino (Wallis Giunta, who has a gorgeous voice)”

Olin Chism, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Wallis Giunta is a convincingly boyish Cherubino, with a bright, soprano-ish mezzo.”

Scott Cantrell, OPERA NEWS

CONCERTS IN GERMANY 2012

“The highlight of the evening was, surprisingly, a very unspectacular duet: Guglielmo’s successful seduction of Dorabella from Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”, performed…with so much vocal finesse, great panache and charm, that from that moment you desired a full performance with these two wonderful vocal interpreters.”

Juan Martin Koch, Neue Musikzeitung

ARMIDE (Gluck) – Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist production, New York, 2012

“other standout performers were…the vibrant mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta as Armide’s confidant Phénice.”

Derek Greten-Harrison, OPERA NEWS

“The mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta and the soprano Devon Guthrie, as Armide’s confidantes, were wonderful in the touching scene in which these three women discuss the pros and cons of desire.”

Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times

“Throughout the opera, the sorceress was flanked by two attending ladies, sung by Wallis Giunta and Devon Guthrie. Hearing these three singers together was the chief joy of the opera’s second act.”

Paul J. Pelkonen, SuperConductor

“standouts include…Wallis Giunta, a mezzo with a lovely tone and feel for the music”

James Camner, OPERA-L

MUSIC TORONTO RECITAL – Toronto, 2012

“The combination of Giunta’s impressive talent and her admiration for this music virtually guaranteed a fine performance.”

Colin Eatock, The Globe & Mail

OTTAWA CHORAL SOCIETY (Concert) – Ottawa, 2012

“The singing of the main soloists, especially that of Wallis Giunta, was strong and lovely.”

Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen

BRAVISSIMO! OPERA GALA – Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, 2011

“Of the two Canadians in the show, I was particularly curious to hear mezzo Wallis Giunta, a former member of the COC Ensemble Studio. She is at the beginning of an international career – and one can see why, given her gleaming high mezzo, supermodel looks and strong stage presence. Her “Una voce poco fa” this evening was sparkling, with added ornamentations that showed off her agility. In the Flower Duet from Lakme, her tone and that of Slovenian soprano Sabina Cvilak’s blended quite exquisitely – it was a highlight of the evening, as was her Seguidilla from Carmen…The official part of the program ended with the Quartet from Rigoletto, where Wallis Giunta stole the show as a Carmen-like Maddalena.”

Joseph So, La Scena Musicale

KOMMILITONEN! – Juilliard Opera, New York, 2011

“Juilliard’s cast was strong down the line, with a number of standout performances. Wu, the son of the murdered Chinese “reactionaries,” is an innocent young man forced into a wrenching moral compromise; the freshness of Wallis Giunta’s mezzo-soprano kept the character’s basic goodness in full view.”

Fred Cohn, OPERA NEWS

“The story of the Chinese brother and sister, Wu (a gifted mezzo-soprano, Wallis Giunta) and Li (Heather Engebretson, a sweet-voiced soprano), was included, Mr. Pountney explains in a director’s note, to show “mass manipulations of young people.”

Anthony Tommasini, New York Times

“Among the standouts in the young cast…mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta made the plight of the Chinese son painfully sympathetic”

Mike Silverman, Huffington Post

“Wallis Giunta (in the trouser role of the Chinese son)…impressed me especially.”

William V. Madison, Billevesées

“A jazz combo accompanies a…trio of Chinese army officers who interrogate Wu (the eloquent mezzo Wallis Giunta).”

Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal

“the Chinese Cultural Revolution…a movement gone horribly awry, and obliging children, like Wu (expressive mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta) and Li (Heather Engebretson), to denounce their “bourgeois” teacher parents”

Bruce-Michael Gelbert, QonStage

“The student orchestra and cast were vibrant and engaged participants in the opera’s success, with special notice due…Ottawa-born mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta”

Patrick Dillon, Opera Canada Magazine

THE MAGIC FLUTE – Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, 2011

“His [Tamino’s] scenes are brightened by Wallis Giunta, who brings dynamic purpose to the Second Lady in the Queen of the Night’s troupe”

Roselyn Kelada-Sedra, Plank Magazine

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA – Opera Lyra Ottawa, 2011

“Wallis Giunta as the adulterous young Lola (singing with a lovely warmth).”

Steven Mazey, The Ottawa Citizen

SPANISH GOLD (Recital) – New York Festival of Song, 2011

“Ms. Giunta is a young Canadian mezzo-soprano on the rise. She was by turns fiery and moving, delivering her finest singin in “Maig”, a Catalan song by Eduardo Toldrá.”

Paul J. Pelkonen, SuperConductor

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO – Opera Atelier, Toronto, 2010

“Vocally, the stars of the show are Giunta and Addis, both making their OA debuts. Giunta’s crystalline voice is a constant pleasure.”

Christopher Hoile, Eye Weekly

“Vocally and visually, this was one of the most youthfully engaging casts I’ve encountered in the opera…
Among the other members of the Almaviva household, two debutants stood out, the colorfully characterized Antonio of Vasil Garvanliev and, especially, the highly promising Cherubino of Wallis Giunta.”

William Littler, Opera Canada Magazine

“opera is anchored in the singers, and two deserve special mention…Both are extraordinarily talented…Giunta’s honey tone is luscious, and she too is heading for stardom.”

Paula Citron, The Globe & Mail

“Making a sparkling debut as Cherubino is Wallis Giunta, a rapidly emerging young singer“

Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.com

“Wallis Giunta’s Cherubino was mercurial, juicy and warm“

Stanley Fefferman, Showtime Magazine

“Fresh out of school and already making a buzz on the operatic scene is mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, who is an absolute delight in the pants role of page boy Cherubino. Hiding her fiery red hair under the hat, Giunta’s supple voice is light and refined.”

Tiffany Hsieh, La Scena Musicale

“mezzo Wallis Giunta brings a winsome charm and a fine set of pipes to the role of Cherubino.”

John Coulbourne, Canoe.ca

THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE (R. Murray Schafer) – Luminato Festival, Toronto, 2009, World Premiere

“Vocally, the standout performance came from Wallis Giunta in her all-too-brief solo as the King’s Mistress. Her lustrous voice cut through the dusty atmosphere and less-than-friendly acoustic of the derelict factory
where the show was staged.”

Eric Domville, Opera Canada Magazine

“This scene also showed off the impressive talents of the young mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta…who is plainly on her way to bigger things.”

Robert Everett-Green, The Globe & Mail

“Vocally outstanding…soprano Wallis Giunta, as the King’s Mistress”

Christopher Hoile, OPERA NEWS

COSI FAN TUTTE – The Royal Conservatory, Toronto, 2009

“Mezzo Wallis Giunta (Dorabella) has a beautiful high instrument, an astonishing ease of delivery and consummate expression. Hers is a clear and clean sound that can be molded at will.”

Paula Citron, Opera Canada Magazine

“Blessed with glamorous good looks, a gleaming high mezzo and good dramatic instincts, Giunta’s Dorabella was an unalloyed pleasure.”

Joseph So, La Scena Musicale

MISCELLANEOUS

“Mezzo Wallis Giunta then joined the orchestra for Ravel’sShéhérazade. Ms. Giunta caused a sensation last year in the RCM’s student performance of Cosi fan Tutte as Dorabella. She was promptly accepted into the Canadian Opera Company’s Studio Ensemble, and will be performing the role of Cherubino in Opera Atelier’s upcoming Le Nozze di Figaro. She gave a glowing account of the three songs and, in addition to wonderful vocalizing, she inhabited each piece, giving a sense of wonderment toAsie and resigned melancholy to L’indifférent.”

Michael Johnson, BachTrack

“One of my top picks would have been Met bound Wallis Giunta (mezzo) who sang “Parto, parto” from La Clemenza di Tito which I’ve heard her do before and the very different “Nobles seigneurs, salut!” from Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. Wallis’ musicality (as well as technical ability) was very evident in the way she tackled the tricky rhythmic flexibility of the piece.”

John Gilks, OperaRamblings

“Of the Toronto based perfomers, one of the stand outs, unsurprisingly, was mezzo Wallis Giunta, who is heading for the Met next season. She will likely be a great success in mezzo trouser roles and today did very well with some of Dorabella’s music from Cosi as well as as Annio in La Clemenza di Tito.”

John Gilks, OperaRamblings

“After intermission, a breathtaking young mezzo, Wallis Giunta, served up a fantastic vocal treat, some songs from Ravel’s Scheherazade suite. I couldn’t believe my ears, she’s got it all. We’ll be hearing more from her I am sure.”

TonyV, urbanToronto.va

“Mezzo Wallis Giunta was in fine voice in the trouser role of Ernesto, her tender legato lines, passionate execution and stylish assurance a delight.” (Il Mondo Della Luna – Haydn)

Patrick Dillon, Opera Canada Magazine, Summer 2009

“In the demanding title role, mezzo Wallis Giunta etched the troubled teen authentically and with confidence” (Pandora’s Locker – Burry)

Paula Citron, Opera Canada Magazine, Spring 2009