Gianni Schicchi, Piedmont Opera (Rinuccio)

“Unabashedly emotive, athletic, and boyishly handsome, Alex Richardson’s Rinuccio was unmistakably his own man, devoted to his family but ready to defy them in order to secure his future with his beloved Lauretta. His febrile defense of Schicchi, condemned by the Donati kinsmen as a blackguard, was galvanizing, his blazing top B making ‘Avete torto!’ an argument that could not be refuted. Richardson voiced the celebrated aria ‘Firenze è come un alberto fiorito’ rousingly, untroubled by its top B♭s…Richardson’s Rinuccio was a man of action, not merely a lovesick boy, and his vocalism rose intrepidly to every challenge of the music.”

— Voix des Arts, Joseph Newsome (November 2021)

Peter Grimes, The Princeton Festival (Peter Grimes)

“On his first appearance, at an inquest into the death of his young apprentice, Richardson wears awkwardness and vulnerability on his woolen sleeve. But by the time of his mad scene in Act III, as he roams the foggy docks looking all the world like a haunting – and haunted – specter, he has conveyed the character’s pride, his brutishness, his despair and his larger-than-life ambition to transcend the naturalistic trappings of an insular society to which he is tied by birth.”

— The Times of Trenton, Ross Amico (June 2016)

“Physical and vocal gestures were all of a piece, with Alex Richardson coming into his own in the title role. Never did you catch him stealing phrasing ideas from more famous predecessors in his role. Particularly in his final mad scene, he forged his own realistic and utterly affecting way.”

— The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Sterns (June 2016)

“Mr. Richardson’s Peter is by turns petulant, meek, and outright hostile. He is especially affecting as a man torn by forces he can’t, or won’t, control. He has several sustained solos, varying from eerily lyrical to piercing and intense. Mr. Richardson has an exceptionally secure vocal command, from pianissimo to a sustained forte at the top of his range.”

— The Princeton Packet, Bob Brown (June 2016)

“Tenor Alex Richardson of the Metropolitan Opera had a voice that was so powerful he could summon Neptune from the sea. As Grimes, we felt his frustrations, determination, and guilt.”

— Princeton Found, R Birkel (June 2016)

“Alex Richardson in the title role not only sang magnificently but gave us a character who was obsessed – perhaps a bit insane but very believable. Peter Grimes is a role that could so easily be over-acted but Mr. Richardson hit just the right note to make his portrayal seem chilling but very real.”

— Out in Jersey, Toby Grace (June 2016)

“Mr. Richardson did not miss a beat in a vocal role which required supreme confidence to sing either unaccompanied or against accompaniment that is deliberately of no help harmonically. Unassuming in character, Mr. Richardson was sufficiently unkempt to resemble someone who had been at sea for a while, and sang richly with clear diction over a lush orchestra.”

— Princeton Town Topics, Nancy Plum (June 2016)

Werther, Boston Lyric Opera (Werther)

“Richardson’s portrayal as Werther was powerful, sympathetic, and fully-fleshed. The tenor depicted both the sensitive and impetuous sides of Werther’s personality with a voice that was capable of both ringing top note and sweet, floated tones. His singing, especially in the Act III encounter with his love Charlotte, was completely idiomatic in the French manner. Even his long stretches onstage without singing conveyed character, as in the melancholy, downtrodden slouch he affected while seated.”

— Opera News, Angelo Mao (June 2016)

“Making his BLO debut, Alex Richardson is a moody, stressed-out Werther who almost never leaves the stage. Director Crystal Manich imprisons him on a raised platform in the center of the stage, around which the action of the play, and the life passing him by, revolves. Even in private moments between Charlotte and her new husband Albert, Werther is there, suffering, writing, and most of all, contemplating his future. Alex Richardson is an exceptional young Werther, with a graceful, almost ethereal approach to Massenet’s punishingly high passagework and a charismatic, vocally impassioned fervor when alone (or when he gets Charlotte alone). This is an opera with almost no duet or trio singing, and many of his vocal soliloquies are sung quite far upstage, and the distance between him and the audience heightens his mental and emotional isolation. ”

— Boston Musical Intelligencer, Laura Stanfield Prichard (March 2016)

“BLO had been thrown a curveball when [the tenor] originally cast in the title role was forced to withdraw due to back surgery. But Alex Richardson has stepped into the demanding role, and on Friday night he managed to hold the stage with a warm and flexible tenor in a performance that was vocally fluid if not quite dramatically at ease.”

— The Boston Globe, Jeremy Eichler (March 2016)

“It helps to have such great acting singers such as Richardson in the title role, notably his fourth act aria, Pourquoi me réveiller.”

— The South Shore Critic, Jack Craib (March 2016)

“Alex Richardson made his company debut as Werther. His acting showed the character in constant turmoil, keeping stern and forlorn expressions when seated alone. Vocally, Richardson sang with a smooth-toned voice that was capable of capturing the dramatic heights. His swelling high notes caught the unhinged madness of his shouts of “C’est moi,” yet his singing was also capable of a soft glow, as was displayed in his meeting with the cordial Albert. Richardson’s finest singing came in “Pourquoi me réveiller” where his tone blossomed fully with high notes of clarion power to capture the character’s realization that Charlotte does indeed love him.”

— Boston Classical Review, Aaron Keebaugh (March 2016)

Susannah, Toledo Opera (Sam Polk)

“As Sam, Susannah’s brother, Alex Richardson fervently conveyed the conflict between family loyalty and personal need in a rich and multitimbred tenor. His acting was of a piece with his singing.”

— Toledo Blade, Sally Vollongo (February 2015)

Cavalleria Rusticana, String Orchestra of Brooklyn (Turiddu)

“Richardson’s Turiddu, in blazer and open collared shirt, is a sexy good old boy; his ringing tenor runs the gamut from amorous to celebratory to furious.”

— Brooklyn Heights Blog, Claude Scales (December 2014)

Amleto, Opera Southwest (Amleto)

“Tenor Alex Richardson scored a success in the title role. His ample voice was secure and firmly projected. He secured the audience’s sympathetic attention by keeping his acting direct and to the point. He seems well placed to climb the operatic ladder.”

— The Santa Fe New Mexican, James Keller (November 2014)

“The cast was led by a charismatic Alex Richardson who triumphed throughout as the heroic yet disoriented Prince of Denmark.”

— The Huffington Post, Laurence Vittes (November 2014)

“Alex Richardson surpassed all my expectations as Amleto. Much of the vocal writing for Hamlet is declamatory; it is not florid in the bel canto sense, and occasionally it seems in listening to him that we are listening to Turridu in Cavalleria or Cavaradossi in Tosca. Richardson started strong vocally, before long he was flinging himself into the part.”

— Opera Lounge, Charles Jernigan (October 2014)

“Alex Richardson was a tenor Amleto, whose high clear voice gained strength during the performance to put across his lines with plenty of brio and vocal drama”

— American Record Guide, James A. Van Sant (December 2014)

Amleto, Baltimore Concert Opera (Amleto)

“Alex Richardson, the tenor who sang Amleto was downright authoritative”

— Washington Post, Anne Midgette (October 2014)

“Alex Richardson as Amleto was well inside the role and shaped his music in ardent, affecting fashion.”

— Baltimore Sun, Tim Smith (October 2014)

“Alex Richardson sang with a grim and vivid tension that was always musical. At first I thought his voice too light for the challenge, but he rose to it with the proper cliff-edge tenor ping: a singer and an actor.”

— Parterre Box, John Yohalem (October 2014)

“You really will not find a voice like Alex Richardson’s for miles around. He has that beautiful, old-school “ping” to his sound that makes everything just so meltingly gorgeous and recalls the great tenors of yesteryear. It was a real treat to hear the great monologue “To be, or not to be” with such pathos and vulnerability after watching him rage and lash out tenor-rifically all over the place over his father’s murder.”

— Operagasm, Wade Davis (October 2014)

Káťa Kabanová, Spoleto USA (Vanya)

“Alex Richardson brought a penetrating sound to Vanya.”

— Wall Street Journal, Heidi Waleson (June 2014)

“One of the opera’s highlights, however, belongs to Vanya (Alex Richardson) and Varvara (Megan Marino). The couple sing a beautiful folk tune toward the end of the first act, reminding us how sensitive Janacek was when it came to incorporating the rhythms and sounds of his country’s native music. Their chemistry, both as singers and actors, is perfect.”

— Charleston City Paper, Elizabeth Pandolfi (May 2014)

The Death of Klinghoffer, Long Beach Opera (Molqi)

“Alex Richardson’s brilliant tenor rang forcefully as the lead terrorist.”

— Long Beach Gazette, Jim Ruggirello (March 2014)

La Bohème, Opera Western Reserve (Rodolfo)

“Tenor Alex Richardson returned as the intense poet Rodolfo, expertly tossing off the difficult role.”

— Cleveland Classical, Robert Rollin (November 2013)

Roméo et Juliette, St. Petersburg Opera (Roméo)

“An especially fine standout was Alex Richardson as Romeo, whose liquid vocal phrasings were a pleasure to the ear”

— Tampa Bay Times, Jim Harper (October 2013)

The Merry Wives of Windsor, Boston Midsummer Opera (Fenton)

“Richardson’s clear voice with its vibrant upper register, coupled with his understated but powerful acting, brought to the fore his character’s primary tension, a confidence built on naiveté.”

— Boston Musical Intelligencer, Joseph E. Morgan (July 2013)

“Tenor Alex Richardson, who looks a little like Rod Taylor, has a pleasing voice, and totally transformed himself from the brutish Tom Buchanan he played in the recent Emmanuel Music version of John Harbison’s Great Gatsby.”

— The Berkshire Review, Lloyd Schwartz (July 2013)

“As Fenton, Alex Richardson had a lovely Italianate tenor voice”

— Berkshire Fine Arts, David Bonetti (July 2013)

Der fliegende Holländer, The Princeton Festival (Steuermann)

“As the Steersman, Alex Richardson was winning, owning the stage with his firmly-produced, warm tone.”

— Opera Magazine, Eric Myers (July 2013)

“Alex Richardson sang sweetly as the lovesick Steuermann, adeptly balancing his role’s demands for lyricism and strength.”

— The Star-Ledger, Ronni Reich (July 2013)

“[a] stand-out tenor [was] Alex Richardson as Daland’s steersman. Mr. Richardson set the stage well for the arrival of the Dutchman’s “phantom” ship with a lyrical and appealing voice.”

— Town Topics, Nancy Plum (June 2013)

“The Norwegian steersman (tenor Alex Richardson singing with tenderness) opens the vocal proceedings with the important theme-establishing aria on the deck of a Norwegian cargo ship driven off its course by a violent storm.”

— U.S. 1, Elaine Strauss (June 2013)

“The smaller roles were well cast, with the tenor Alex Richardson a sweet, agile Steuermann.”

— The New York Times, Zachary Woolfe (June 2013)

The Great Gatsby, Emmanuel Music (Tom Buchanan)

“Tenor Alex Richardson gave the most vivid performance of the night, all jutting jaw and smoldering aggression as Daisy Buchanan’s husband Tom. He was aided by having some opera-size passions to play and a taut, ringing voice to match.”

— Boston Classical Review, David Wright (May 2013)

“Fitzgerald describes Tom Buchanan as having a “husky tenor” voice, and tenor Alex Richardson here was vocally and dramatically excellent.”

— Bachtrack, Roger Smith (June 2013)

“As Tom Buchanan, tenor Alex Richardson sang with menace and a sense of incipient violence.”

— Berkshire Fine Arts, David Bonetti (May 2013)

“Other standouts were young tenor Alex Richardson, as the tough yet thin-skinned, coarse yet dapper rich guy, the womanizing, woman-beating Tom Buchanan.”

— New York Arts, Lloyd Schwartz (May 2013)

The Great Gatsby, Tanglewood (Tom Buchanan)

“Tom, who has no capacity for self-reflection, does not get any soliloquies, but possibly owing to the powerful and characterful performance offered by tenor Alex Richardson, he projected a vivid personality in all of his scenes; his brutality and self-righteousness seemed the polar opposite of the pop-culture ideal embodied in the songs and in the shallow romanticism of Daisy and Gatsby.”

— Berkshire Review for the Arts, Larry Wallach (July 2013)

“The tenor Alex Richardson [was] compelling, even sympathetic, as Daisy’s jocular, ignorant husband, Tom Buchanan.”

— The New York Times, Zachary Woolfe (July 2013)

Tosca, Winter Opera St. Louis (Cavaradossi)

“Tenor Alex Richardson was vocally an exceptional Cavaradossi.”

— KHDX 88.1, Chuck Lavazzi (March 2013)

Iolanta, Dicapo Opera Theatre (Count Vaudémont)

“Tenor Alex Richardson, as Count Vaudémont, brought resonance and sensitivity to his opening aria but — appropriately enough — came more vividly to life when Vaudémont saw the sleeping Iolanta for the first time. […] Richardson summoned forth vocal luminescence with his subsequent big tune (adapted from the composer’s Fifth Symphony), and Winters blossomed in return, singing with passionate lyricism and a deep burgundy coloring.”

— Opera News, Joshua Rosenblum (March 2012)

“As her love interest, Count Vaudémont, lyric tenor Alex Richardson displayed a breathtakingly sweet and even tone and expert dynamic control even in the most exposed sections of his music; an ideal bel canto instrument.”

— Examiner.com, Seth Gilman (December 2011)

“Alex Richardson as Vaudémont matched Winters in sincerity and soul. His phrases were infinite in length even at the upper reaches of his range, in which he sometimes abandoned the beauty and core in middle voice but never his finesse. The lengthy duet between Iolanta and Vaudémont was the highlight of the evening with as much credit due to Richardson and Winters as to Tchaikovsky.”

— Opera Pulse, Steven Jude Tietjen (December 2011)

Tosca, Opera Western Reserve (Cavaradossi)

“Richardson, a tenor who has a wonderful dark vocal quality, stole the show in the Act Three aria E lucevan le stelle. The setting is just before his execution and after he writes a letter to Tosca declaring his undying love. Here Richardson sang with remarkably ardent emotion and skill.”

— Cleveland Classical, Robert Rollin (November 2011)

The Five Borough Songbook

“The singers — Martha Guth, soprano; Jamie Van Eyck, mezzo-soprano; Alex Richardson, tenor; and David McFerrin, baritone — were strong individually and made a finely balanced ensemble.”

— The New York Times, Allan Kozinn (January 2012)

“Tenor Alex Richardson’s virile, compelling delivery of the opening verse — ‘Now that we’ve come to the end/I’ve been trying to piece it together’ — drew the listener in; his skillful handling of the remainder of the song was matched by pianist Thomas Bagwell’s able accompaniment. […] Guth and Richardson sang Hagen’s song from the inside out, meaning, they fully captured and communicated its essence.”

— The New Civil Rights Movement, Scott Rose (October 2011)

Ainadamar, Santa Fe Opera (Ruiz Alonso)

“Alex Richardson gave a gutsy, balls-out performance.”

— ionarts.org, Charles T. Downey (August 2005)

“Alex Richardson is aptly alarming as Ruiz Alonso, the officer who arrests Garcia Lorca.”

— The Dallas Morning News, Scott Cantrell (August 2005)

“Highly impressive also were tenor Alex Richardson (Lorca’s murderer, a Falangist soldier dressed to evoke more contemporary human rights outrages).”

— Gay City News, David Shengold (September 2005)

Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Tanglewood (Fatty the Bookkeeper)

“Tenors Adam Sattley (as the glutton Jacob Schmidt) and Alex Richardson (as Fatty the Bookkeeper) and baritone Jonathan Beyer (as a larger-than-life Trinity Moses) were impressive.”

— Opera News, Judith Malafronte (August 2008)

The Good Soldier Schweik, Long Beach Opera (Chaplain)

“Several standout performers from prior seasons return, including… Alex Richardson (another crazed Freudian, a priest of doubtful probity, and more).”

— A Fool in the Forest, George M. Wallace (January 2010)

“Tenor Alex Richardson, with a ringing top that won’t quit… also stood out in the cast.”

— Culture Spot LA, Wendy Kikkert (February 2010)

“Multi-role supporting players, all in fine voice, resemble a host of carnival-ride personalities. Stand-outs: Alex Richardson, in robust tenor, as the afore-mentioned Chaplain and a crazy psychologist.”

— LA Opus, Rodney Punt (February 2010)

“Alex Richardson’s ringing tenor was put to good use in the role of a chaplain who was both hypocritical and hysterical.”

— Long Beach Gazette, Jim Ruggirello (January 2010)

“The action is crowded and antic, spilling over into the aisles and audience. Some of the singers take on four, five, even six roles, switching hats, removing mustaches, donning wigs. The excellent Alex Richardson, for instance, plays Brettschnieder, a Psychologist, the Chaplain, Wendler, a Prisoner and a Malingerer. The production is part vaudeville, part three-ring circus.”

— Orange County Register, Timothy Mangan (January 2010)

“Tenor Alex Richardson sounded great and got some laughs both as the silly mustache twirling (and ultimately off of his face, actually) barfly government spy, Brettschneider, who arrests Schweik on a trumped up charge. Richardson is also good as the absurd Chaplain wearing a wig sillier than the mustache and insulting the “malingerers.” He later loses Schweik (as his orderly) in a game of cards…”

— Opera West, David Gregson (January 2010)

Puccini’s Passion, Dicapo Opera Theatre

“Tenor Alex Richardson displayed impressive resonance as poor poet Rodolfo…”

— Worcester Telegram, Jules Becker (May 2011)

“Tenor Alex Richardson sweetly voiced the amorous heroes of Boheme and Butterfly.”

— New York Post, James Jordan (October 2013)

Sara McKinnon, University of Colorado at Boulder (Felipe)

“Alex Richardson is clearly a tenor of promise.”

— Boulder Daily Camera, Wes Blomster (April 2003)

The Music of M. Zachary Johnson, Liederkranz of New York City

“Alex Richardson sang with vibrant power, balancing perfectly with the orchestral ensemble, while still remaining sensitive to the intricacies of the melody and the meaning of the lyrics. He sang “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” by Francis William Bourdillon, with a haunting sorrow, as it captured the anguish of lost love.”

— Music and Vision, Anna L. Franco (February 2009)

Albert Herring, University of Colorado at Boulder (Albert Herring)

“Although the large cast is well-balanced and homogeneous, Alex Richardson outshines his colleagues in his portrayal of country bumpkin Albert. He has at his disposal a first-rate tenor voice; it is rich, husky, beautifully shaded and, for an undergraduate, amazingly well-developed.

Most play Herring as the pure fool, the harmless innocent, taken for a ride by his contemporaries. Richardson, however, makes Herring a mensch, stressing just how complex the person behind his simplistic exterior is.

Richardson has his big scene, his hour of maturation, at the beginning of the final act; he has the stage to himself in this hour of self-realization.

Richardson is a young master; his charismatic Albert is a stellar achievement.”

— The Boulder Daily Camera