SCARLET IBIS BY STEFAN WEISMAN & DAVID COTE - PROTOTYPE FESTIVAL, NYC - 2015
...Mallory Catlett’s thoughtful direction combines that distinct theatrical language [of puppetry] with Eric S. Brenner’s poignant, earnest countertenor, having him sing as the young Doodle, act as puppeteer and stand in for the man Doodle never becomes. New York Times - David Allen Brenner is by the puppet’s side throughout, manipulating it himself in several scenes. He sings to it, and that interaction humanizes the object. This also demands that Brenner carry the part entirely with his voice, and he was astonishing, the musicality of his singing so gripping that one began to perk up in greater anticipation when a cue came his way. New York Classical Review - George Grella ...it is Eric S. Brenner's sweet, evocative countertenor that defines the character. Brenner delivers an unforgettable performance: haunting, heart-rending, and always in command. Feast of Music - Steven Pisano ...he sang with such delicacy and charm that he seemed to disappear as a performer, leaving only the character [puppet] visible. New York Observer - James Jorden Mr. Brenner’s voice shimmers with ethereal sounds, reminding us of how fragile the struggle to survive is when one is different. Stage Buddy - Navida Stein Countertenor Eric Brenner, a tall, barrel-chested man, voiced Doodle’s duality with a burnished, celestial treble. Opera News - Steven Jude Tietjen simply angelic... Classical Music NYC - Eric Sweeney plangent... Wall Street Journal - Heidi Waleson ...otherworldly... Musical America - Daniel Stephen Johnson SPIRE CHAMBER ENSEMBLE - HANDEL'S MESSIAH - 2014 Countertenor, Eric S. Brenner, totally amazed with his reading of "I know that my Redeemer liveth." He was powerful, clear, and artistic enough that the communication of faith was emphasized. Kansas City Examiner - Floyd Gingrich OPERA ROANOKE - HANDEL'S GIULIO CESARE (TOLOMEO) - 2014 "...impressive. Eric Brenner sang the difficult part of Tolomeo with a colorful countertenor voice, and he was both amusing and menacing in his characterization." Timothy Gaylard SPIRE CHAMBER ENSEMBLE - HANDEL'S ISRAEL IN EGYPT - 2014 "...countertenor Eric Brenner showed substantial volume and fine vocal penetration...and matched his lower-voiced brethren in the power of his singing and in his command of Handel's demanding runs and flourishes." KCMETROPOLIS.ORG - Don Dagenais SYMPHONY SPACE, NYC - SCARLATTI'S IL TRIONFO DELL'ONORE (RICCARDO) - 2013 "Eric S. Brenner portrayed Riccardo with a somewhat untamed male soprano, producing remarkable high notes and a gorgeous final descent in his big number..." New York Times - James Oestreich TRINITY WALL STREET, NYC - HANDEL'S MESSIAH - 2012 "The penetrating eloquence of the male soprano Eric Brenner..." New York Times - Zachary Woolfe CARNEGIE/ZANKEL CONCERT WITH TRINITY WALL STREET CHOIR, NYC - 2012 "astonishing solo singing by Eric Brenner..." New York Times - Steve Smith BOULDER BACH FESTIVAL, CO - 2012 "Countertenor Eric Brenner...has a voice of deeply expressive beauty, and his singing...was effortless." Boulder Daily Camera - Kelly Dean Hansen ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL, NM - HANDEL'S MESSIAH - 2012 "His aria... glowed with an angelic reverence." Albuquerque Journal - D. S. Crafts H.E.R.E., NYC - KAMALA SANKARAM'S MIRANDA - 2012 "...projected as a robotic head on a screen and sung with auto-tuned Mr. Roboto majesty by Eric Brenner." Stage Mage - Jon Sobel "...like an autotuned H.A.L. on steroids." Tor . Com - Ay-leen the Peacemaker |
TRINITY WALL STREET, NYC - HANDEL'S MESSIAH - 2011
"Then, in the can-you-top-this department, Eric Brenner, a male soprano, sang "Come unto him" with a vibrato-free, unearthly purity and some unusually elaborate but dramatic vocal ornaments." Wall Street Journal - Heidi Waleson "Countertenor Eric Brenner who sang the soprano part in the gentle, lullaby-like air 'He shall feed his flock like a shepherd'...was particularly remarkable" Downtown Express - Terese Loeb Kreuzer ARTS IN THE PARK, NYC - HANNAH LASH'S BLOOD ROSE "Eric Brenner is a former member of Chanticleer and now a soloist who performs both early music (including an upcoming engagement as soprano soloist in Messiah!) and contemporary repertoire. He has an extraordinary range, using chest voice for low tenor notes and reaching up into the soprano register in straight-toned falsetto. Lash wasn't bashful about employing these extremes, but if Brenner was overly taxed, he didn't show it. What's more, the composer frequently deployed him in fluid, melismatic passages that played to his strengths as an oratorio singer." Musical America - Christian Carey ST. THOMAS CHURCH - HANDEL'S MESSIAH - 2009 "In terms of vocal embellishment Eric S. Brenner, the countertenor, proved the most ambitious of the four soloists......graceful line." New York Times - Allan Kozinn WITH CHANTICLEER "The male sopranos made an exceedingly round, pure sound, thanks in no small part to the strong voice of Eric S. Brenner." San Francisco Examiner - Jason Victor Serinus "Eric S. Brenner's soprano voice was a clean flash of light amid the ensemble." Mercury News - Richard Scheinin "Soprano Eric Brenner's rhapsodic solo towards the end of the piece was breathtakingly secure." Choral Music Magazine - Justin Nisley "One voice stood out: the startlingly true soprano of Eric S. Brenner." Mercury News - Richard Scheinin "On Stanford's 'The Bluebird,' Eric Brenner offered an arrestingly beautiful soprano solo." Pioneer Press (Twin Cities) - Rob Hubbard "Eric S. Brenner made a handsome case for the climactic aria." San Francisco Chronicle - Joshua Kosman "Dazzling was the only word for the soprano, Eric Brenner, who delivered soaring lines of total purity." ARTSSF - D. Rane Danubian WITH EARLY MUSIC NEW YORK "...sang with feeling and color." New York Times - Anne Midgette WITH NEW YORK CITY GAY MEN'S CHORUS (RECORDING) "The countertenor, was actually sounds more like a male soprano... is excellent. I mean really good. He... has brought the piece... into that thrilling air when something does become a part of sheer art. Of repertory." Gay Today - Perry Brass |