ISAAC HURTADO Tenor
Press reviews
Pinkerton,
Madama Butterfly
Piedmont Opera, 10/14
Opera Circle Cleveland, 6/15
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado brought a nicely-placed, full-bodied voice to the the dashing yet conniving character of Pinkerton. His exceptional attention to detail produced a characterization filled with passion and intensity. His voice carried well into the house, and physically, he fit the part perfectly."
--JD Goddard, ClevelandClassical.com
"Isaac Hurtado’s warm tenor is youthful and convincing in the role of Pinkerton."
--Lynn Felder, Winston / Salem Journal
"Superb singing by all the principals, Lieutenant Pinkerton was beautifully sung by tenor Isaac Hurtado."
--Peter Perret, CVNC Online Arts Journal
Rodolfo, La Boheme
Hartbor Country Opera
Utah Lyric Opera
Sun Valley Opera
"As the young lovers,Rodolfo and Mimì, tenor Isaac Hurtado and soprano Amy Fuller were in fine form. Hurtado, last heard in the Michiana area as the Duke in Opera at the Acorn’s “Rigoletto”, sang the role of the youthful poet with great ardor and displayed a rich tenor voice with ringing top notes. His Act I aria, “Che gelida manina”, was beautifully phrased and topped with an exciting high C."
--Walter Martini
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado had a voice and presence equal to his role as Rodolfo"
--Michael Wyatt, Reichel Recommends
Alfredo, La Traviata
Utah Lyric Opera
Opera San Jose
"Speaking of Alfredo, Isaac Hurtado had a great voice, but he was also a superb actor. I never had trouble believing his adoration of Violetta, his anguish at her parting, his fury at the misunderstanding, his shame for his behavior, or his joy at the reconciliation. I think he shone the most when he interacted with the other performers – he had a great synergy with Violetta and Giorgio (Chris Holmes)."
-Michael Wyatt, Reichel Recommends
"As Alfredo, Isaac Hurtado sang with honeyed-tone and youthful ardor."
-Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
"The virile tenor Isaac Hurtado, also a resident artist, has a buttery tenor voice in the Pavarotti style. After Lucia's death, he dominates the opera's final scene by vowing to meet her in death, stabbing himself. Before dying he manages one final wrenchingly beautiful aria, "Tu che a dio spiegasti l'ali o bell'alma inamorata," (You who have spread your wings to heaven, oh beautiful beloved soul...). "
-Mort Levine Milpitas Post
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado brought elegance and flair to the role of Edgardo, Lucia's lover; he and Dastoor have chemistry, to boot."
-Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
"If this OSJ company of resident artists is well-endowed in sopranos this year, it is positively awash in tenors; returnee Christopher Bengochea sang the opening night, while the tall, imposing Isaac Hurtado positively knocked people out of their seats in the second-day cast Sept. 9, which we reviewed.
Included here however is the (final) Tomb Scene, a riveting tour de force for Edgardo in despair, ending with his suicide (think of a Romeo, but one bursting with red blood, rage, and testosterone). Many a coloratura star of the Joan Sutherland era and earlier prompted management to delete the Tomb Scene so that the final curtain fell on the soprano’s Mad Scene.
When you have a tenor like Isaac Hurtado, you’d be foolish to delete his arresting Tomb Scene. He is a tall, powerful figure with a real hefty voice to match, suggesting his evolution as a dramatic tenor. His “Tombs of My Forefathers” Aria was stirring enough to stop the show."
-Paul Hertelendy, artssf.com
"Hurtado played his role with conviction, from sensual love-making during the overture, to impassioned pledge of troth to Lucia, to betrayal, remorse, and final suicide. His vocal production also rose with the occasion, imparting a new depth and authority to his stage presence."
-Scott MacClelland, San Francisco Classical Voice
"Tall, slim and ardent, Hurtado gave his Lucia every reason to fall in love. The notes were all there, as well as a welcome elegance of emission."
--Jason Victor Serinus, Opera News
"Hurtado’s voice carried a more subtle punch, warmly and flowingly lyrical, while rising through the orchestra’s crescendos. There was real nuance to his singing: he can close a scene by floating his voice oh-so-quietly, or open a passage by popping a perfect out of the blue high note.”
-Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
“As Romeo, Isaac Hurtado, with movie star good looks, an athletic build and a pleasing tenor voice, fits the image of a romantic hero.”
-Out and About Magazine
“Isaac Hurtado sang his French with perfection. The Tenor, who made his Opera San Jose debut tonight, offered the audience a skillful representation of the impetuous Romeo. Hurtado has a timbre of voice that caresses the ear, and the sensibility necessary to make us feel what he is singing. His aria ‘Ah, leve-toi, soleil!’ received a generous applause, but among the various ovations, the largest was for his moving tribute at Juliet’s tomb: ‘Salut! tombeau sombre et silencieux.’”
-Iride Aparacio, La Oferta
“Isaac Hurtado, who sang Romeo, was a role model for the romantic hero, both a gentle lover and a fierce swordsman.”
-Milpitas post
“For his part, Hurtado’s vocal equipment is remarkably well-suited to the French repertoire-his light, clear production soared effortlessly across the lyric phrases.”
-Scott MacClelland, San Francisco Classical Voice
“Isaac Hurtado from Utah is a wonderful actor.”
-Bratton Online
As Belmonte in Die Entfürung aus dem Serail with Midsummer Mozart Festival:
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado gave a polished, elegant performance as the opera's principal romantic hero, Belmonte, who spends the evening trying to rescue his beloved Konstanze. Hurtado certainly looks the part of the lover, and he sang the role with urgency and ardor. His Act I aria, "O wie ängstlich," with the orchestra's woodwinds fluttering like a heartbeat, conjured just the right atmosphere of lost rapture."
-Georgia Rowe, San Jose Mercury News
As Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera San Jose:
"Isaac Hurtado, the tenor, has a marvelous tone of voice and knows how to act."
-Iride Aparacio of La Oferta
Edgardo, Lucia di Lammermoor
Opera San Jose
Romeo, Romeo et Juliette
Opera San Jose
Festival Opera
Duca di Mantova,
Rigoletto
Opera Circle Cleveland 6/13
Opera San Jose
"American tenor Isaac Hurtado brought bright, ringing tones to the role of the Duke of Mantua, an egotist able to lie with a smile on his face and confident in his power over male courtiers and female lovers, to whom he promises much but delivers little.
Hurtado sang with a heroic timbre that served the part well. The Duke's signature tune, "La donna mobile," sounded fine and was especially effective in its third act offstage reprise. But he was also able to create convincing depth in his Act 2 scena wherein the Duke discovers that Gilda has awakened more than just lust in his heart."
-Mark Satola, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com (June 18, 2013)
"Rigoletto was helped greatly by two solid male leads – American tenor Isaac Hurtado as the philandering Duke of Mantua, and Italian baritone Marco Stella in the title role. Hurtado has a strong, expressive voice that was evident from his opening “Questa o quella” aria and particularly seductive in the Duke’s ode to love that opens Act II. Hurtado’s acting skills are equally good, which gave his character just the right mix of charm, ardor and guile. The carefree cynicism of his “La donna è mobile” refrain in the final act added a chilling undertone to the tragic denouement."
-Franz Kuznik, Cultured Cleveland
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado brought a healthy, well-rounded voice to his role as the conniving, roguish Duke of Mantua. His pitch was excellent and his voice carried clearly into the house."
-J.D. Goddard, Clevelandclassical.com
“Tenor Isaac Hurtado, as the hedonistic Duke of Mantua, whose roving eye sets in motion the opera's tragic ending, was exceptional. Hurtado, with his suave movie-star looks, played the Duke as a sort of unctuous jock. He enjoyed a hot chemistry with Bard (the Duke and Gilda are lovers), as well as with mezzo-soprano Kathleen Moss another of the Duke's playthings). Honey-smooth, Hurtado's voice moved about freely, driving up into its high reaches.”
--Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
“As the Duke, Isaac Hurtado sang with a smooth tenor and had a charm that recalled the iconic high school golden boy... star athlete, top student, president of the class.”
--Rebecca Krouner, KQED
Werther, Werther
Opera Circle Cleveland
Opera San Jose
"As rare as it is to encounter “Werther,” it’s even more uncommon to find a tenor who brings distinction to the title role. Isaac Hurtado did so Friday, singing with lyrical warmth and delicacy, as well as passionate elegance when Werther is at his most anguished, as in the aria “Pourquoi me reveiller?”
-Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer
"The cast of attractive young singers was uniformly strong and expertly cast, for the most part with local talent. The sole import, Isaac Hurtado, the founder and director of Provo’s Utah Vocal Arts Academy, was vocally glorious and indefatigable as the handsome and brooding Werther. Portraying one of the rare male characters in opera to perish because of unrequited love, Hurtado turned in a gripping performance. His protracted death scene, where he had to sing in a supine position with a bullet in his chest, was amazing."
-Daniel Hathaway, ClevelandClassical.com
"First and foremost, Isaac Hurtado was a quintessentially handsome, immensely suffering Werther. Hurtado's pain was so convincing, and his sparingly used soft tones were so meltingly sweet, that one could easily understand how he could sweep Charlotte off her feet."
-Jason Victor Serinus, Opera News
"Isaac Hurtado as Werther seizes the stage and rivets the audience in an aria that soars strong with power and passion. Hurtado is the embodiment of the handsome romantic hero- heroic in suffering, heroic in singing."
-Paul Myrvold, Out and About Magazine
Tamino,
Die Zauberflöte
Opera San Jose
"Isaac Hurtado's Tamino went above and beyond the call of duty. Like a Prince Charming incarnate,he cuts quite a figure on stage. His singing is based on solid, melifluous legato that never falters, and his money-notes are worth every penny. In a word, he is the complete package, a singer to keep an eye on over the next ten years."
-Lydia Mayne, San Francisco Classical Voice
Candide, Candide
Festival Opera
"Candide was well-sung by Isaac Hurtado. The Lament was beautifully shaped, especially the final phrases and the pianissimo last note. Again, at the end, with a heartfelt "Nothing More Than This," the audience heard something of the emotion that is meant to bring home the cost of Pangloss’ irresponsible teaching."
-Michael Zwiebach, San Francisco Classical Voice
"Isaac Hurtado's beautiful lyric voice carried the day in the title role"
-Janos Gereben, Opera-L
"Tenor Isaac Hurtado's voice has an attractive glow... Hurtado has a matinee idol presence and a certain flair for slapstick."
-Stephen Winn, San Francisco Chronicle
"Isaac Hurtado brings a nice blend of naivete, wonder and youthful virility to the title role. His solos were handsomely sung"
-Georgia Rowe, Contra Costa Times