Rigoletto – Maddalena
From Santa Fe Opera 2015, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2013 and The Caramoor Festival, NY 2014
Filling out the famous quartet in Act II was American mezzo-soprano Nicole Piccolomini, who brought a fulminous tone quality and a sexy stage presence to the role of Maddalena.The Classical Review - Charles T. Downey
Particular excitement was generated by mezzo-soprano Nicole Piccolomini … Her full-bodied voice had a dramatic edge that made it more than usually interesting. One hopes this company debut will not be her last appearance here. Santa Fe New Mexican - James M. Keller
Ms. Piccolomini shines as Maddalena. (Her) smoky mezzo is at once sexually alluring while radiating an entirely different, almost seductive kind of menace.Communities Digital News - Terry Ponick
The Maddalena, Nicole Piccolomini, contributed a dusky, well-focused near-contralto.Santa Fe Reporter - John Stege
Maddalena, the seducee who begs her brother assassin not to kill the Duke, fit mezzo-soprano Nicole Piccolomini’s (debut) voice so perfectly as to have been written for her.The Times Weekly (Chicago)
Mezzo-soprano Nicole Piccolomini was also making her Lyric debut as Maddalena, really shining both vocally and dramatically in her saucy scene with the Duke, as well as in her interaction with her brother and assassin Sparafucile. NewCity Stage Chicago
The alluringly dusky-voiced American mezzo Nicole Piccolomini, in her house debut, smoldered sexily as Sparafucile’s sister and partner in crime, Maddalena.Chicago Tribune (John von Rhein)
Nicole Piccolomini was a sexy, smokey-toned Maddalena.Chicago Classical Review (Lawrence A. Johnson)
In the role of Maddalena, Nicole Piccolomini sang with a riveting middle and low register, her voice penetrating throughout the quartet and in her subsequent demands to Sparafucile to spare the Duke’s life.Opera Today (Salvatore Calomino)
Making her Lyric debut, Nicole Piccolomini offered both a dusky mezzo-soprano and earthy dark-haired beauty as Maddalena.Chicago Sun-Times
Nicole Piccolomini’s resonant, hard-edged mezzo made for an effective Maddalena –– especially coupled with her dark, slinky good looks.Gay City News (New York City)
Nicole Piccolomini was equally strong as Maddalena, with her full-bodied mezzo soprano adding richly to the final act quartet, as well as her part in the dénouement.Seen and Heard International
Nicole Piccolomini sang a refulgent Maddalena , reminding us that Azucena was just around Verdi’s compositional corner.Opera News (Mark Thomas Ketterson)
Siegfried – Erda
From Oper Leipzig, 2015
Nicole Piccolomini grundierte ihre Erda kernig, fruchtig, schollenstark.Kultura-Extra (Andre Sokolowski)
Die Solisten? Nicole Piccolomini als Erda für mich das Erlebnis des Abends.Leipzig bild.de
Nun zu den Damen des Abends. Da zeigte der Waldvogel Eun Yee You stimmlichen Glanz, der aber von Nicole Piccolomini als Erda noch in den Schatten gestellt wurde. Mit ihrem dunklen Mezzosopran agierte diese hier auch darstellerisch überzeugend und verwies Wotan in seine SchrankenKlassik.com, Midou Grossman
Ganz anders dagegen die Erscheinung der Erda von Nicole Piccolomini, die im schillernden brokatseidenen Kleid mit langer Schleppe glänzte und mit einigen, sich windenden Schleppenträgerinnen im Gefolge nicht nur die Assoziation an den Lindwurm erweckte, sondern mit Stimme, Darstellung und besonderer gesanglicher Gestaltung eine Erda von Format und auf hohem Niveau verkörperte.Ingrid Gerk, Der Neue Merker.eu
Nicole Piccolomini sang die Allwissende mit nachtschwarzem Alt, der auch in der streng vibrierenden Höhe enormes Potential hat und der Figur eine geheimnisvoll-magische Aura verliehTod auf dem Sofa (Opera Lounge) Bernd Hoppe