…the life-hungry Musetta, played by the young American guest singer Jessica Niles. And that is the next discovery of the evening. She has a clear soprano voice that flows freely and swings in all registers, with which she can do everything the role demands musically. You will have to remember her name.
—Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung (translated from original german)
Jessica Niles plays Sandra with prodigious energy and clarity.
—la libre
Jessica Niles delivers a remarkable performance as Sandra, a touching and courageous figure to whom the soprano brings conviction, freshness and profundity.
—Concerto.net
Jessica Niles is a convincing Sandra in her commitment and her existential questions. The American soprano moves easily from light to dramatic register, tackling demanding vocal lines. As a comedian, she is full of brilliance and engages the audience
—Classicagenda
Jessica Niles’ energy and vocal punch brings galvanizing power
—bachtack
always clear soprano and remarkable expressiveness
—diapason
Soprano Jessica Niles embodies Sandra (the contemporary Cassandra)…her brilliant and mastered singing is accentuated by lively and energetic playing, interspersed with spoken speeches and bursts of laughter
—olyrix
[Cassandra’s] contemporary counterpart requires a broad spectrum of emotions: Jessica Niles is rebellious, angry, and sweet.
a flexible soprano with brilliant height
—Holger Noltze, Brüssel
The sprightly soprano Jessica Niles as Iris…provided much of the show’s levity, through musical delivery and physical comedy.
—New York Times
A shining star, both vocally and in terms of acting. A clear, luminous soprano. And she’s got the comedic chops… Jessica Niles and Juno aka Emily D’Angelo deliver one of the loveliest and in this case wonderfully extended duets of the evening at the beginning of Act Two.
—Klassik Begeistert (translated from original german)
Jessica Niles gives herself to Iris as a slapstick comedy master. Dramaturgically, her role is superfluous, but without her, the evening would only be half as fun.
—Süddeutsche Zeitung (translated from original german)
The next musical part presents three arias of Claudio Monteverdi. Immediately I discover the pattern like Hosokawa. The soprano voice in "Ohimè ch'io cado" is the musical line, the brush, the harpsichord the surface of the basso continuo. I follow the elegantly swinging voice brush Jessica Niles' from the opera studio of the Bavarian State Opera fascinated. Her voice is bright, clear and full of energy.
In Monteverdi's second aria "Sì dolc'è il tormento" the harpsichord acts more like a reverberation of the voice. What resoncts on the musical surface when the musical line is drawn? In the third aria "Damigella tutta bella" Jessica Niles is allowed to reveal her acting talent. She plays with me - the entire audience. Her singing is enticeful, which she herself rhythmically supports with a tambourine.
What wonderful lightness and at the same time precisely meticulous nuanced perfection Jessica Niles' voice has. A deep touching moment, which is intensified by the silence of the audience between the three arias in me.
—Klassik begeistert (translated from original german)
Their vocal power reserves are remarkable. Especially in the moments of full physical commitment. Passion flows from all vocal and acting pores. Soprano Jessica Niles sings Sandrina like an energetic volcano. Clear, transparent, spirited, yet accurate and controlled, for example, in challenging octave jumps…Personally, I am particularly subject to the vocal emotional force and the unconditional powerful play of Jessica Niles. Full commitment! In me you won a fan Ms. Niles.
—Klassik begeistert (translated from original german)
The central trio of women…are of very good quality: hats off to Jessica Niles in particular, whose rather dramatic air in the second act is perhaps the highlight of this evening.
—ConcertoNet
The colorfulness and emotional expression of Jessica Niles’ soprano become the highlights of the evening in Sandrina's arias.
—OperaOnline
Above all, Jessica Niles is to be named Sandrina as a marriage victim, a grandiose young voice with enormous potential.
—KlassikInfo (translated from original german)
But the highlight was Händel Aminta e Fillide's pastoral cantata, by sopranos Jessica Niles and Shaked Bar. The first, with a beautiful and wide voice, agile coloration and stage delivery, sang with feeling and conviction…both showed important theatrical talents that delighted the audience.
—ARA
An erotic game with a happy ending that allowed the two sopranos (I insist: baroque singing, without anything predictable, is a queer paradise) to exhibit their stage skills, as well as vocals, especially in the case of Niles, much applauded by a beautiful voice -unfolded with great agility. A delightful concert that came as a new gift from Christie and her accomplices, who act as if the works they perform have just blossomed.
—EL PUNT AVUI
The American soprano Jessica Niles seduced the audience with her pure and bright timbre and an extremely natural song of expression, stripped of artificial and conventional settings…a performance that both singers gave a semi-staged air and that, as a whole, managed to imprint a fresh, relaxed and joyful atmosphere, as well as refined, exquisite and courteous. Undoubtedly, for most, a musical find, served with the joviality of vigorous emerging talent and the teaching of the elegant director of fuchsia-colored socks.
—Docenotas
Rinaldo’s villains ruled the evening: while Jessica Niles’s fiery emerald-green-clad Armida may not have won the hero’s heart, she handily stole the lion’s share of her audience’s applause. Before she had even sung a note, her supremely bold stride onto the stage announced that she intended to rivet our attention. Her glittering entrance arioso “Furie terribilli” revealed a bright and steely sound that melted movingly for her broken-hearted ‘Ah! crudel.’
Niles who made a splash last year when William Christie conducted Juilliard 415 in Handel’s Aminta e Fillide, again revealed she has star quality in spades.
—Parterre Box
Niles showed much promise with her crystalline soprano, which cut through the hall like a laser…she held nothing back with Armida’s first arioso ‘Furie Terribili,’ …
in a series of intricate melismas, Niles took Handel’s music by the horns.
—OperaWire
when Jessica Niles negotiated the role’s witchy coloratura with her knife-like high soprano, she sent off sparks of delight and astonishment that could be felt throughout the hall…
Niles’s aplomb in the role’s many bravura passages was delightful to witness.
—Opera News
‘Batti, batti, o bel Masetto’ was a defining moment for Niles as she sang with clear intention and thoughtful direction. She drew energy towards her in this aria by means of grace and natural affection, which created a space for one to observe her with genuine interest. Instead of singing this aria for the sake of sounding like a well-trained soprano, Niles intelligently detached her emotions and allowed for one of Mozart’s most beautiful arias to naturally come to life. It was apparent that she understood not only her character, but also how she could emote herself as an artist in this role.
—OperaWire
Jessica Niles brought sparkle to the role of Zerlina. There were no dark undertones to her ‘Batti, batti o bel Masetto’; rather, she was flirtatious and seductive as she coaxed forgiveness from her husband for having gone off with Don Giovanni on their wedding day.
—Seen and Heard International
…her Zerlina is a sweet-voiced spitfire who more than holds her own, vocally and in terms of star power.
—Parterre Box
a soprano of startling power, a force of beauty and expressiveness—even sensuality—that stopped the show.
—Parterre Box