“Raven -- darkly voluptuous and tall in bare feet, with leonine movements and listen-here vocal volume to match….the part seems wound into her physical being. Even silent and with her back to the audience, Raven radiated self-possessed lust….showing a clarion top range and the ability to project smoldering anger in her voice without over-singing.”

“Jessie Raven as Carmen was a master-stroke of casting. Experienced in the role, she not only produced a powerful mezzo-soprano of technical perfection, she effectively looked and acted the part as well. Ms. Raven is certainly the most convincing Carmen I have ever seen. Gone are the days when singers needed only to stand center-stage and emote. Today, the ability to act the role as well as sing it is highly prized. In these requirements, Ms. Raven excels in every possible way.”

“Few could resist the Carmen of Jessie Raven, a statuesque beauty with killer gams and plenty of attitude. She has a warm and powerful voice to go with her beauty, and a steely manner that stops men in their tracks.”

“Jessie Raven is a sensual Carmen. She didn’t succumb to the temptation to overplay the part, to be overly flamboyant or sexy. Raven was comfortable in the character’s skin: lying on her tummy, rolling on the stage, tapping out rhythms with her bare feet, toying with Don José, ensnaring him with her plenteous charms.

Raven possesses a big voice, from chesty low notes in the Habanera to a high B on “liberté” in Act 2. She sang the Act 3 card scene as Bizet marked, “très également et simplement”.

“Jessie Raven plays Carmen with panache and a glorious mezzo-soprano voice. She flaunts and teases, and commands the stage with her presence. Her Habanera-style of dance is striking”.

“Jessie Raven’s Carmen is a feisty gypsy who eats men for breakfast. She intimidates everyone on stage, both with her powerful voice and with her dominatrix-like behaviour. Raven’s voice is an incredible instrument, versatile and rich, particularly in the lower register. The intensity of her contempt for men can be felt in the audience. If anyone was born for the role, she was”.

“Luckily Jessie Raven (Carmen) made an alluring gypsy and had little problem holding the limelight with her acting ability and powerful voice. Her creamy and rich mezzo almost boomed in the lower notes and resonated clearly throughout the auditorium”.

“Jessie Raven was the dream Carmen in looks and self-confidence and she carried the role with great assurance. Her mezzo was strong and spoke with reserves of sensuality. Her habanera was throaty and physical, her sequidilla seductive”.

“Jessie Raven played Carmen. Ms. Raven has an outstanding voice. It is a big, rich, sensual and powerful instrument that she knows exactly how to use to best effect”.

“Singing the role of Carmen, Jessie Raven brought a bold sumptuous style to the part with a voice that gave a sense of self-confidence and sensuality. Her voice could be silkenly provocative or icily heartless. She also handled the humour of her part well, singing with a mock seriousness at times”.

“American mezzo Jessie Raven know Carmen well and has stage presence to burn. She has a warm, generous voice”.

“Jessie Raven was undoubtedly and deservedly the show’s star- she carried the drama right through the first half’s static moments, never losing her focus for a moment and always convincing with her acting. Her voice had a tremendous dramatic power, which could put across a whole range of emotions. Her physical beauty of course made a stunning visual impression, but she used her body so well, never overdoing or over-vamping her actions”.

“Jessie Raven as Carmen was undoubtedly the superb star of this opera. Her infectious mezzo-soprano was wondrously compelling and her acting ability was equally complementary. Raven’s voice was a triumph of sensuousness and sound. All eyes were riveted on her impudent sashaying in front of bug-eyed soldiers and villagers. Her ravishing appearance was enhanced by sexy costumes.”

“American born mezzo-soprano Jessie Raven, in her maiden Singapore production, dazzled the audience with her warm and sexy voice, impeccable acting technique, and, above all, her very firm grasp of the role. She has performed Carmen numerous times and it certainly showed- she seemed to know the character inside-out, making full use of her singing and speaking voice, posturing and body language to give a masterful interpretation of this classic and challenging role. Jessie fully lived up to her position as the show’s central attraction, and in my opinion she was the best performer in the troupe”.

“The cast was dominated by the statuesque Carmen played by Jessie Raven. Her mezzo-soprano is sumptuous and voluminous, dark-hued in colour yet clear and penetrating. This Carmen exuded sensuality- here is a woman for whom life is to be fully lived”.

“Jessie Raven, new to the title role, brought a powerful, technically secure mezzo to the proceedings. Physically perfect for Carmen, Raven may prove one of the role’s premiere interpreters in the near future”.

“Mezzo-soprano Jessie Raven sang, talked, danced and walked the most famous spitfire in opera with breathtaking assurance. As the gypsy vamp Carmen, she is convincing from the first notes of her self-introductory aria. She is in such command of character and musical color that three swelling syllables in the tavern scene- a few falling notes to describe l’amour- thrill the senses even as they break hearts”.

“Opera North’s “Carmen” has just what every production of Georges Bizet’s ever-popular opera needs most- a real Carmen. Jessie Raven is Carmen- she’s exotically beautiful, passionate, tempting and sultry, and she’s her own woman. And, just as important, she imbues all those qualities in her singing. Her rich and mellifluous mezzo-soprano voice was perfect for the role, and seductive in itself”.

“Raven returned to Opera North in triumph as Carmen. She conquered the audience with her first notes of her first aria, the Habanera, and they signaled their appreciation by a close-to-disruptive round of applause. She has a rich and dark voice which has tremendous clarity. The individual notes are like strung pearls. She handles her voice easily, and its quietest notes cut through the auditorium. She is also an actress who is listening to her fellow-singers and thinking about what they are saying to her. Thus her performance grows naturally, as naturally as she produces her singing.

If any young singer that I have heard recently deserves a stellar career- studed with memorable Carmens and Princess Ebolis and Maddalenas and Amnerises- Raven is that person”.