"Paselk Flitters around the space with charming intelligence ... "

Theatre Is Easy: Overruled by George Bernard Shaw

Overruled’s cast features strong performances, particularly from the two wives, Mrs. Lunn (Claire) and Mrs. Juno (Paselk). Paselk flitters about the space with a charming intelligence. 

"Especially fine among the singers was Tamra Paselk, soprano."

New York Times: Reimagining a Magical Pastoral Tale in an Urban Forest. 

Dell’Arte’s The Fairy Queen was a hugely ambitious and delightful production. Especially fine among the singers on Friday were Noelle McMurtry and Tamra Paselk, sopranos; John Callison, baritone; and Andy Berry, bass.  Full Review at New York Times.

Tamra Paselk (left) & Kelsey Claire (Right)

Tamra Paselk (left) & Kelsey Claire (Right)

"Standing out was Tamra Paselk's gorgeous soprano instrument."

Broadway World: dell'Arte Ensemble's The Fairy Queen is Whimsical and Mirthful

This cast keeps us smiling at all times. They even break the fourth wall with dexterity, reminding the audience from time to time that as observers we are still an important part of the production. What makes the piece really click, though, is the expertly played and sung music. Music Director Jeffrey Grossman captivates the audience with the baroque nature of Henry Purcell's compositions. With gusto we are captivated by the intricate layering of chords through deliciously staccato sections of the music. The performances of the arias and ensemble pieces are alluring … As a full ensemble, the entire acting and singing casts really deliver strong and interesting performance …standouts from the large company include Amanda Goble's youthful and incredulous Hermia, Andy Berry's poetic hipster, John Callison's striking baritone instrument as Cobweb, Nathan Létourneau's gorgeous tenor voice as Moth, Brennan Hall's Mustardseed, and Tamra Paselk's gorgeous soprano instrument.

Full Review at Broadway World.

"Tamra Paselk's poignant 'See, Even Night Herself is Here' ... "

Opera News: The Fairy Queen

The vocal ensemble was first rate. Among the most notable individual performances were Andy Berry's profound rendition of the bass aria, "Hush, No More" and Tamra Paselk's poignant "See, Even Night Herself is Here.

"Tamra captured the Baroque style with pure tones that floated beautifully in the upper register."

Voce di meche: Feathers, Fur and Fruit

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It must have been a challenge to find performers who could sing and dance as well.  All the voices were fine but we were most impressed by the sopranos, Noelle McCurty (who we had reviewed before) and Tamra Paselk (who was new to us).  They captured the Baroque style with pure tones that floated beautifully in the upper register.  

Full Review at Voce di meche.

"Tamra Paselk sang with Baroque style and expressive panache."

Opera Magazine: Summer of Shakespeare

Dell’Arte’s The Fairy Queen flowed choreographically with uncommon energy and grace: Christopher Caine's had moulded the 11 singers into an amazingly compelling ensemble, moving and interacting splendidly as a Hair-like 'tribe' inhabiting Central Park.  

"Minutely focused, dynamically rich performance..."

Lucid Culture: A World-Class Symphony Orchestra on the Upper East Side

If the subtext of the Beethoven is beating the odds, the subtext of the Barber is apprehension, the calm of a southern night veiling a relentless alienation. Soprano Tamra Paselk channeled that with a minutely focused, dynamically rich performance that didn’t shy away from the waiting gloom in James Agee’s lyric. At one point early on she seemed overcome by the bittersweetness of the imagery: watching her fight and quickly pull herself out of that emotional abyss was shattering to witness. The classical world abounds with cookie-cutter singers: how refreshing to hear a singer who articulates not only the syllables – something too few classically-trained voices consistently do – but also the underlying content. The orchestra provided an aptly pillowy and then cloudy backdrop.

Full Review at Lucid Culture.

"The ravishing 'Now Let Me Weep' was sung eloquently by Tamra Paselk."

Arts Journal: A playwright and a composer meet in a forest.

Purcell wrote all manner of arias - summoning ones, frolicking ones, joyous ones, lovelorn ones and somber ones (like the ravishing "Now let me weep," sung eloquently by Tamra Paselk.  The composer plays with sudden dramatic stops and, in one song, with echoes.  EAch of the very gifted singers has at least one aria to deliver.  Purcell wrote songs for each of the four seasons; for Night, Myster, Secrecy, and Sleep; for Apollo, Juno, Daphnis, Chloe and Hymen.  These are beautiful, lilting pieces of music, with large amounts of fioritura.  Teh singers' task of keeping their tone pure and tremolo at bay, in order to contrast "simple" singing with these virtuostic embellishments, is a demanding one ... when not singing (and sometimes while singing), they crawl around, crouch, nuzzle one another, and snuggle together like a pack of puppies.  They're rowdy, sensual verging on sexual, and alert o every change of mood or character.  That the beautiful voices emerge from these ardent rag-tag creatures is itself moving.  No wonder the little boy that Puck has brought into the magic world seems delighted to be there.

Full Review at Arts Journal 

"Soprano Tamra Paselk convincingly breathed life into James Agee's dreamy, nostalgic lyrics of the old south."

BWW Reviews: Park Avenue Chamber Symphony Performs Beethoven, Barber and Bartok

Samuel Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 continued the theme of despair. Soprano Tamra Paselk convincingly breathed life into James Agee's dreamy, nostalgic lyrics of the old south. The piece, commissioned by soprano Eleanor Steber, who premiered it in 1948, cleverly mimics Agee's words both in tone and in timbre. Whether she was contemplating the beauty and vastness of the stars or sitting quietly with "larger bodies than mine," Paselk brought the requisite reverie to the piece, demonstrating total commitment to the text.

Full review at Broadway World.

"Moving from clenched-teeth intensity to redemptive joy..."

With the occasional, unexpected sudden leap and chromatics that play against the orchestra, these were not easy songs to sing, but Ms. Paselk owned them, moving from clenched-teeth intensity to redemptive joy to end on an unexpectedly rapt note.

Read Full Review: Lucid Culture NYC

"Dramatic acting and gorgeous voice..."

The program opened with soprano Tamra Paselk singing a consistently evocative, engrossing account of Britten’s “Les Illuminations”, Op. 18. In every single movement, she revealed nuances of character and color with her dramatic acting and gorgeous voice.

Read Full Review Here: New York Concert Review