Photos by Otak Jump
Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni
“Soprano Shaina Martinez equally wows us time and again in the role of Donna Elvira, an oft-jilted lover of Don Giovanni who wavers between yet one more time forgiving his infidelities and then calling for, even demanding his demise. That contrast is seen in our first encounter with her as Elvira. With a face of full frown and pursed lips, she sings with strong, profound soprano tones that smack with hard, sharpened edges that match the anger she is expressing to the philandering Giovanni. Yet, she cannot help herself and her evident attraction to him, collapsing tearfully on his chest while still singing now with faltering fury of a revenge she believes Heaven wants her to take out on him. Even after more examples of his evil ways with women and his betrayal of her continue to come to her attention, Shaina Martínez leaves us near the end with maybe her evening’s best performance of many strong ones when her Donna Elvira sings of her fear of “thunderbolts” that will soon strike the heart of Giovanni, conveying her misery and extreme sadness in a voice that weeps in beautiful melancholy.”
“Playing Donna Elvira, the dumped woman who will not go away, Shaina Martinez deploys a forceful, agile soprano that befits Elvira's vows of vengeance. She does a lovely job with the final-act aria, "Mi tradi," in which Elvira describes the anguish of loving and hating at the same time. She also makes the most of Elvira's timely "blocking" entrances, arriving just in time to warn off Giovanni's latest target.”
“Donna Elvira (Shaina Martinez), another potential conquest was an audience favorite.”
violetta, La Traviata
“Shaina Martinez starred as the courtesan, Violetta, with a rich lower soprano register and highs that had enough edge to cut through the orchestra, all propelled by an open-throated warmth. She took the next verse, replying that life is just pleasure. And in the following duet, In de Felici, he fully bares his heart to her…In this, Léon and Martinez were well-matched, his tones of liquid gold and hers of richest velvet. Gorgeous!”
“Martinez’ “Addio” was a soft and powerful prayer, and her duet with Léon was heart-wrenching. In fact, I’m not sure there were any dry eyes in the house.”
Photos by Otak Jump
“Sicarios-León pairs well with his Violetta, Shaina Martinez, who joins her counterpart in the delightful Act 1 duets. A lyric soprano, she possesses enough edge to give gravitas and strength to her mid and upper range…Martinez also demonstrates fine coloratura skills with quick trills and runs in her solo parts. She offers a well-defined ‘È strano!….Ah, fors’ è lui’ (‘Ah, perhaps he is the one’). In the ultimate scene, and adhering to one of the conventions in opera that we have come to accept, she belts out with great passion and power her ‘Gran Dio!…morir sì giovane’ (‘Great God!…to die so young’) just before dying from a lung abrading disease!”
Violetta, La Traviata
“Of course, Verdi's music is there to illustrate the conflict but one needs a very special soprano to capture it as accurately as Ms. Martinez does. Every bit of legato phrasing limns her desire and the fiery cabaletta was informed by all the the histrionics of desperation...Until Ms. Martinez' performance of the role, we never understood why Violetta would accede to his demand that she give up Alfredo. Now we understand. It's all there in "Dite alla giovine", just waiting for the right soprano to bring it out. Ms. Martinez sing it with an affecting pianissimo that demonstrates her defeat…At this point, given the artistry of the cast, we have dissolved into a pool of tears. We had forgotten the singers and remembered only the characters. This is only possible when a singer's technique is so flawless that it doesn't call attention to itself…Yes, we could mention the gorgeous timbre of Ms. Martinez voice (although the program describes her as a lyric soprano, we heard a lot of spinto quality in its ampleness and resonance). We could describe the effective phrasing and the breathtaking messa di voce.the psychological insights brought to us by Ms. Martinez whose towering vocal skills were matched by depth of understanding.
Photo by Heather Bobeck Photography
violetta, La Traviata
“I had the pleasure of seeing Martinez at a later evening performance on Thursday, October 21st: she was radiant and magnetic in her convincing portrayal of Verdi’s complex heroine. Dressed in pinks and ghostly white satins…Martinez floated through the cavernous spaces of the Eustis Mansion, glowing with an unearthly pallor under diffuse stage lights placed to subtly evoke the full moon outside…an intense Alfredo…equally matched Violetta’s surprisingly deeper, warmer coloratura.”
Photo by Nile Scott Studios
Cendrillon by Viardot
“Ms. Martinez was just perfect in the opera's title-role; her singing was rich and expressive, and her portrayal embodied Cinderella's hope and steadfast kindness, for which the girl is rewarded in the end”
“Onstage, in the role of Marie (Cendrillon) we had the rising star soprano Shaina Martinez who never fails to deliver a carefully thought out performance that somehow manages to appear spontaneous. Her rich voice lends itself to a variety of roles that we have heard her sing and this is just one more feather in her cap. Her Marie was no scullery maid but rather an overlooked member of a detestable family. Her voice conveyed more hope than despair with some winning coloration that made her relatable”.
Photo by Mary Rice Photography
Giannetta, l’elisir d’amore
“As Gianetta, Shaina Martinez…has an attractive soprano and she made the most of the opportunities the score allowed her.”
“Orozco and Gianetta explored the extremes of vocal range, the former low, the latter high, with brief but effective moments in the spotlight.”
“Gianetta is not a major role in comparison to the central quartet, but here Shaina Martinez - in a sort of Rita Moreno mode, was captivating and hilarious from head to toe and beginning to end.”
— Parts
Photo by Martha Mickles
fiordiligi, cosi fan tutte
“As Fiordiligi we had the shining soprano Shaina Martinez who successfully negotiated the wild skips of "Come scoglio".”
Photo by Ken Yanagisawa
saffi, der zigeunerbaron
“As Saffi, Shaina Martinez was the real deal, a smoldering soprano that soared above the stave in the pair’s long love duets. Her return (to marry Sándor) at the opera’s happy ending was very welcome indeed.”
“Soprano Shaina Martinez, as Saffi, the gypsy who is revealed as a princess and becomes Barinkay’s bride, made the most of her song “So elend und so treu ist keiner,” its refrain of “Dschingrah” echoed by the aggressive gypsy band.”
Photo by Carol Rosegg
salud, la vida breve
“With her piercing, muscular soprano, Shaina Martinez, a University of Maryland student, portrayed the spurned Salud with a fresh naivete. Her solid singing was matched note for note by tenor Peter Burroughs, whose Paco was passionately smarmy.”
“Soprano Shaina Martinez, gifted with an exceptionally beautiful voice and mature understanding not often encountered, endows the young, gypsy girl, Salud with a touch of innocence that wrenches your heart.”
“Shaina Martínez (Salud), who is not even out of school yet though you wouldn’t know from hearing her. She trains at the University of Maryland. Her soprano voice is just beautiful and the gravitas she brings to this tragic character far outstrips her years.”
“As Salud, Shaina Martinez embodies the soul of her awkward, naïve, yet touchingly sincere character…As Ms. Martinez’ Salud stumbles toward the truth, her voice flutters and falters as music and character unite in a genuinely heartbreaking portrayal of Falla’s young tragic heroine.”
“And Martínez, as Salud, is superb, coloring her lovestruck declarations with alternately chirpy and plaintive inflections that underscore her naïveté and teenage hyperbole (“When he is late I feel like I have no life”)”
Photo by Paul Wegner