“Faced with such demands, the vocal cast proves magnificent, dominated by the evening’s standout performer, Ambur Braid. As an incandescent Dyer’s Wife, the Canadian soprano delivers a visceral performance, driven by a voice of remarkable range and audacious clarity that effortlessly cuts through the orchestral maelstrom.”

“Canadian Ambur Braid —a regular in Kosky’s
productions — who leaves an impression that will mark her
future career. There is no respite in a performance that
manages, with similar skill, anger and unease. A truly
unsettling performance.”

“Ambur Braid was excellent as Bianca, flowing with and floating above Zemlinsky’s post-romantic orchestral feast.”

“Delivering a truly exceptional portrayal of Bianca . She shaped the role with a blend of detachment and spontaneous passion, rich tonal colour rather than sheer volume, and an authentically expressionistic overall approach. Her emotions were frequently conveyed unfiltered and with extreme intensity in her vocal line.”

“Soprano Ambur Braid conquered the title role. Its vocal demands are formidable. Braid sounded absolutely secure and offered some truly thrilling moments. Her cry as she utters her lover’s name at the top of her range while arching her body on the bed was pure vocal drama. She is forced to undergo indignities and abuse from all of the men in her orbit. The physical and emotional demands really push Braid to the limits, and this must be considered another major stepping stone in her artistic trajectory. ”

“That this evening shines so brightly and marks the highlight of the Berlin season so far, is of course largely due to the first-rate singers… Braid is also a gifted actress who, at times, recalls the great Olivia Colman — often a single wounded or defiant glance is enough to capture a complex situation.”

“Only Ambur Braid in the title role really gets to sing; she is wonderfully embodied and impassioned.”

“Ambur Braid in the title role has steel in her voice, and goes to the limits of expression in her dramatically pointed performance.”

“Her voice exudes abundantly and passionately ardently, has a wide range of colors to attest to the nature enthusiasm of the beginning, the frustration of the rejected wife and especially the doubts about God in her monologue at the beginning of the second act.”

“Ambur Braid and Omer Meir Wellber make us forget Grigorian as Salome… With intelligent self-confidence, Braid relies on her own strengths…Braid began in a measured manner, then her elegant soprano became gently enveloping. What a glow in the heights of her register.”

“Braid, a soprano whose gorgeous tone embraces the music like a sculptor’s hands moulding clay, are such an electric pairing that they can convey their characters’ dynamics with efficiency and ease.”

“Excellent performance by Ambur Braid as the new prioress (her scene in the prison before the execution is beautiful)”

“[In the role of Marie] Her voice, easy in the high notes but also in the lower tones, becomes more and more intense, even giving in to heartbreaking cries that express her inconsolable despair.”

“Ambur Braid’s Rachel, a powerful soprano with brilliant and very well projected highs, has a lot of panache. Like her recent interpretations of the Dyer’s Wife in Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Opéra de Lyon and Salome at the Frankfurt Opera, she impresses as soon as she arrives on stage with her incandescent presence and whatever her appearance (wise or light-hearted girl), you can feel the fire that smoulders under the ice”

“Grandiose in the effortless development of her well-timbred voice, Ambur Braid makes every appearance of Rachel an event”

“Ambur Braid literally glows through the emotional world of the foster daughter Rachel, the eponymous Jewess, with her youthful, dramatic soprano”

“Ambur Braid as the new Senta does an excellent job, with fabulous heights and fresh soprano tones. She also plays the sexual attraction in the big ​“As if from the distance of times long past” duet so that it crackles”

“Ambur Braid tries to be a 16-year-old princess with the voice of Isolde, as Strauss desired. Her voice type is like Elsa van den Heever’s, has an attractive Straussian timbre with warm high notes and radiant long notes. Her playing is marked by a certain joy at experimentation and a healthy curiosity towards portraying unconventional women, similar to Ausrine Stundyte”

“Ambur Braid is a sumptuous Dyer’s Wife and her portrayal of a reluctant heart which will eventually open itself to eroticism and love, masterful.”

“Ambur Braid, […] gives the Dyer’s Wife psychological complexity thanks to a voice driven by pure emotion.”

“Ambur is a gorgeous Dyer’s Wife, a superb actor and with a voice which rises above the surge of decibels in the pit.”

“Ambur Braid ​‘s Chawa overflowed with passion and warmth, with a powerful treble, at the same time she knew how to lend credibility to dramatically problematic passages, such as the opening soliloquy of the second act.”

“Seen on February 3, the Canadian soprano Ambur Braid scored a major triumph as a dramatically riveting and vocally blazing Salome.”

‘Yet it’s soprano Ambur Braid who reveals just how disturbing Salome can be. Braid’s portrayal of the Judean princess is unnerving in its realism, devoid of any archetypes about royalty or bratty teenage girls. Right away, we’re dropped into Salome’s obsession with Jochanaan, and Braid carries us from curiosity to lust to sheer rage without a dramatic beat left empty. And she does it all with the voice – be it her round, glinting soprano or the near-feral utterings of Salome at her worst.’

“Then there was Ambur Braid. I think she was born to play Salome. The role sits well for her voice ringing out across the theatre and this production allowed full scope for her extraordinary acting skills.”

“The rest of this good ensemble were outshone by the Canadian Ambur Braid: with Stephana she adds another lyric spinto heroine – alongside her triumphs in this repertoire in Frankfurt – her lush soprano can convey dalliance, seduction, devotion, through to the climax of passionate outbursts… Despite the bitter end, there was unanimous jubilation for this particular opera orchid, who will no doubt continue to bloom”

“This production is dominated by Ambur Braid, who lends a strong, fruity and musical voice to the heroic Stephana, as well as a dramatic interpretation which is full of energy.”

“The object of their flame tonight is the splendid Ambur Braid, a great soprano with flourishing lyricism and femininity — possessing a vibratile grain in the timbre which evokes eroticism — and an artful way of phrasing with remarkable fluidity. [An] artist to follow, without a doubt.”

“Canadian soprano Ambur Braid brings a fresh and sure-footed voice to the contradictary role of Salome.”

“But the revelation of the evening is that of Ambur Braid, a Canadian soprano for whom it is not surprising to read that Salomé and Ariadne are amongst her most sought after roles. The voice is sumptuous, both clear and opulent”

“While Ambur Braid created an effective counterpart with her mesmerizing, dark-coloured voice”

“Musically, these are great performances: The Canadian Braid makes her role debut, her voice and demeanour are highly dramatic and exuberant, although no one says that Ariadne has to be a patient and measured lady… Richard Strauss’ long, demanding melody lines only make it all the more impressive. Brilliant, as are the top notes”

“Ambur Braid’s Salome was capricious and sensuous, and at her most convincing when asserting her will…her voice was powerful, ductile and clear.”

“The Canadian Ambur Braid hits equally with her light and distinctly guided soprano, which also develops volume and radiance, as well as with her ability to get scarcely involved in the truly multiple challenges of directing.”

“The young dramatic soprano Ambur Braid makes a brilliant role debut, both singing and acting. With her cool and clear voice and her provocative ecstatic acting, she depicts the figure of Salome radically and uncompromisingly and with her portrayal goes to the limit of a self-destructive portrait. She easily changes registers, plays with her voice, and is brilliantly clear even in the dramatic climaxes.”

“Ambur Braid is a fascinating Salome with a big, colourful voice, which has a clear declamatory edge without losing warmth.”

“You completely believe in Ambur Braid’s Salome, you believe in her every note.”

“Canadian Ambur Braid’s powerful coloratura soprano and sensitive acting as Sabina make her a strong presence throughout the evening.”

“Lighter in timbre than other Toscas, Braid was still the dominant vocal presence in this production, her singing the most nuanced and, ultimately, the most beautiful.”

“The Canadian soprano Ambur Braid […] accredited the extremes of the role impressively – not only with their trumpeting tones, but also with a dramatically strengthened vocal range.”

“As Elisabetta I, she is a force, primarily vocal, but also theatrical. From heartfelt moments to wild fury, the coloratura soprano shows all the feelings of a jealousy-filled ruler with stunning high notes and pianissimo (depicting a very young Elizabeth I).”

“The soprano Ambur Braid, as Aci, sang with both force and florid charm”

“Soprano Ambur Braid is an impressive Queen of the Night. She does not sing the Queen’s two principal arias merely as showpieces, as singers so often do, but rather acts while singing so that she brings out the meaning of the words while effortlessly engaging in the score’s vocal gymnastics.”

“Braid gave one of the most chilling renditions of Der Hoelle Rache I’ve ever heard, navigating the impossible coloratura lines of the aria pianissimo, rather than double forte, making them doubly malevolent.”

“The other is Dalinda’s great aria of anger and repentance ​“Neghittosi or voi che fate?” where Braid’s superb vocal control only heightens the aria’s emotions.“

“Ambur Braid makes an exceptional UK debut bringing the right combination of fear and allure to the Queen of the Night, and achieving a fine balance between clarity and nuance in her sound in ​‘Der Hölle Rache’.”

“Ambur Braid, a strong-willed Konstanze, sang this famous aria with firm technique and edgy tone.”