Emily Dorn as Violetta was vocally unassailable, her lyric soprano capable of both great subtlety and power in an expressive range that fully conveyed Violetta's seismic shifts of emotion.

- Robert Jordan for Opera Canada, Vol. LX, No. 2

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In Vancouver Opera’s latest Traviata, [Violetta] is brilliantly portrayed by Canadian soprano Emily Dorn.

She sings with an impressive range, both tonally and expressively, to carry the vast repertoire of the role, from sparkling duets to pensive solos. And she has the acting chops to bring off her character’s mercurial mood shifts.

Altogether a nuanced – even mesmerizing – portrayal.

- Vancouver Observer, 18.10.2019

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For her part, Canadian soprano Emily Dorn makes the crucial, and daunting, role of Violetta feel effortless—both in music and in acting. She hoists the Champagne and sings with gusto in the first act (“I want to have a good time”), but also puts the elegant “colour” into the coloratura. What’s most interesting is her transition to the dying Violetta, not frail as you might expect, but fired up, a little pissed off at her fate, and particularly fevered—all reflected in the swift orchestrations and sustained, floated high notes. She’s probably quite close to what Verdi intended, but she feels modern in her strength, too.

- The Georgia Straight, 18.10.2019

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Emily Dorn as Violetta in this production brings great characterization and nuance to a difficult role. Far from being a frivolous socialite/courtesan, Dorn shows Violetta’s frustration and grief as she gradually loses everything she holds dear.... Her high range and coloratura soar over the large ensembles. In her final scene, rather than being dejected at facing her death, Dorn shows Violetta’s distress about losing everything, and her death was incredibly powerful and touching.

- Schmopera, 20.10.2019

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The casting of the title role was undoubtedly one of the big strengths... soprano Emily Dorn had the stage presence and acting chops to make Violetta spring to life. Her range of facial expressions, the plasticity of her gestures and the unaffected naturalness of her movement on stage all add up to a born actress... She truly brought her best to the more intimate, lyrical moments of the score, especially Violetta’s deathbed scene in the last act. This scene, which can become tedious in the hands of a lesser dramatic vocalist, was remarkably riveting from beginning to end.

- Van Classical Music, October 2019

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Emily Dorn as Violetta is strikingly beautiful in 1920s Parisian garb and her singing moves you from joy to tears as the story progresses.

- The Vancouver Art Review, October 2019

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"I had the good fortune of catching Dorn, 33, in Detmold's Faust. With her engaging acting, faultless French, a voice both warm and yet aflame, coupled with a musical intelligence and technique that delivers a whole world of shadowings between mezzo-piano and mezzo-forte, Dorn stood head and shoulders above the rest of the cast."

- Leonard Turnevicius for OperaCanada, Vol. LIX, No. 4 - Artists on Stage

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"Emily Dorn, die sichtlich in ihrer Rolle aufzugehen schien, ersang sich am gestrigen Premierenabend einen beachtlichen Erfolg. Das Publikum belohnte ihre Leistung, womit auch hier besonders die darstellerische Interpretation dieser Partie erwähnt werden muss, mit langanhaltendem Applaus und Bravorufen. Die glänzend gesungene Juwelenarie „Ah! Je ris de me voir„, als auch und besonders, ihre Darstellung im vierten Akt, sollen hier explizit genannt werden."

- Das Opernmagazin, 08.09.2018

 

"Emily Dorn bringt für ihre Margarethe eine Stimme mit, die zwischen mädchenhafter Scheu, Leidenschaft und Leidensfähigkeit alle Nuancen bereit hält."

- Lippische Zeitung, 09.09.2018

 

"Schwalb’s daughter Regina was played by Emily Dorn who sang beautifully throughout and was able to provide suitably anguished expression"

​- Seenandheard-international.com, 10.5.2016

 

"Eine wesentlich sanftere Frau von Adel stellte Emily Dorn mit ihrer ansprechenden Sopranstimme dar, jung anmutig und glaubhaft als begehrte junge Baronin Freimann incognito...".

​- Deropernfreund.de, 10.10.2015

 

"bei Susannas „Rosenarie“ der Fall, wo die Sopranstimme von Emily Dorn gefühlvoll als „liebende Seele“ eine Symbiose mit dem Orchester einging, die bei Mozarts Musik und speziell bei dieser Arie „in der Luft liegt“​. "

​- Der-neue-merker.eu, 20.06.2015​

 

"Canadian soprano Emily Dorn provides the romance of youthful hope. Dorn is an enchanting Mimi overcoming the contradiction of a robust operatic voice portraying a demure female character. "

- Albuquerque Journal,  03.23.15

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"Emily Dorn ... gefällt als Micàela mit lyrischem glockenreinen Sopran, strahlender Höhe und durchaus kokettem Spiel. Ihre große Arie im dritten Akt singt sie innig und empathisch. Für die junge Sopranistin ist diese Premiere ein Riesenerfolg, der auch vom Publikum lautstark honoriert wird."

- Opernnetz.de, 09.28.13

"Emily Dorn as the servant Barce ... sang it for all it was worth and her silvery lyric delivery was enchanting. "

- Opera Today, 06.20.13

"Dorn proved herself to be superlative card-carrying Violetta. Her lyrical soprano was solid and flexible throughout an impressive range, and fit the bill perfectly, resulting in an engaging singing-acting performance."
- Virginia Gazette, 05.01.13

"Juliet was sung by young soprano Emily Dorn, who brought to the role a voice with power to spare, yet great sweetness in pianissimo moments. Her expressive face and eyes were a great asset in limning the character visually as well as vocally, with attractive low notes as well as impassioned heights."
- WHRO 90.3 FM’s “From the other side of the Footlights" Broadcast, 03.17.13

"An agile, well-trained, pretty voice with roundness, warmth and strength, and considerable stage chops as an actress. Her Rosalba was endearing and magnetic, and expertly sung."
- Palm Beach Arts Paper, 03.04.12

"In Canadian soprano Emily Dorn, the company found a winning Semele. She sang her biggest set piece, Endless Pleasure, Endless Love, with a big, easeful voice; her Handelian melismas never sounded strained, but a natural outgrowth of her characterization. And she acted well: She was sexy, warm and believably impetuous."

- Palm Beach Arts Paper, 01.30.12

 

"Emily Dorn used her expressive soprano with smooth legato to movingly convey a variety of emotions in “Padre germani” from Mozart’s Idomeneo"
- The Gerda Lissner Foundation Presents Winners of the 2010 Vocal Competition, 06.03.10

"Emily Dorn was aptly cast: she is an adept comic actress, whose sense of humor seeps into her vocal phrasing."
- Opera News Online, 03.05.10

 

"Dorn was a voluptuous presence with a voice to match. Hers is a sizeable instrument with a warm, rich middle, a shimmering, flexible top, excellent control and no trouble at all filling the small house. Her mature, musically insightful, often exquisitely beautiful delivery was first-rate...  she is definitely a singer to watch." 

- Opera News Online, 05.09.09

"Emily Dorn sang with a radiant tone, superb diction"
- The New York Times, 05.05.08