La Traviata
Dutch National Opera
2024
“The Romanian soprano gives a phenomenal performance. She has an exceptionally agile voice, which swells from soft whispers to hurricane force in seconds and continues to sound flawless and warm even in the highest registers. In addition, she has an unsurpassed empathy that captivates you as a listener from beginning to end: she does not sing the role of Violetta, she is Violetta.”
Theaterkrant
“And here, the great singers come in, regardless of whether they are singing to a layman or a music lover, young or old, they give them goosebumps, if not even bring them to tears. And this is what Adela Zaharia does. An exceptional vocal versatility and dramatic sense. In the first act, the high notes fly easily, superb intonation and coloratura in the truest sense of the word. In the second act, the lyrical register was even more compelling and oh! - that "Dite alla giovine From Act 3, the dramatic spiral was overwhelming, "Addio del passato redefining awe at an opera performance. No surprise that at the end the audience simply burst into applause and ovations. Brava!”
Presshub.ro
“Adela Zaharia is reason enough on her own to buy a ticket for this revival. A wonderfully warm sound, although she also knows how to give the height just the right dose of sharpness to show her desperation, with impressively thin whispering vibrato at the most intimate moments. The audience completely embraced her.”
NRC
Rigoletto
Teatro Real Madrid
2023
“Particularly shining were Ludovic Tézier as Rigoletto and Adela Zaharia as Gilda. What talents, what power, what an extravagance of sound, what a marvel to hear them sing with such roundness astonishing generosity and sublime taste. (...) Zaharia was an unusual Gilda: not a teenager powerful appearance and with a luxurious vocal line. Her aria was a continuous ecstasy, not only savouring each note with so much body, but she made us all enjoy it, with a performance that one never wanted to end. Wonderful.”
El Español
“Adela Zaharia's Gilda combined fragile virginity with sensuality, in a synthesis of vocality and appearance that culminated in an anthological Caro nome, rewarded with an endless ovation from the audience.”
Scherzo España
“Adela Zaharia returned to Teatro Real after her brilliant Donna Anna in Don Giovanni a couple of years ago and did not disappoint with her incarnation of Gilda showing a beautifully timbred voice and a relaxed and easy singing, both in the pages of great vocal pyrotechnies as in those of great dramatic charge. She is fantastic.”
Platea Magazine
“(...) A lyric soprano with a powerful, yet delicate voice, a belcantist bordering on perfection, plunging into the most difficult agilities which she resolves in a completely natural way, as if they were something easy Zaharia built her Gilda with the dual nature of her voice, lyrical and sometime légère, as necessary But there is also her presence - she is not a dazed young girl, she is a young woman fully aware of her error and her sacrifice. In short,a formidable Gilda.”
Concerto
“The star of the night was Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia, who gave a magnificent performance as Gilda. Her voice could be heard soaring in the ensembles. The colors and dramatic aspect of her voice were most showcased in the last act, before her death. "Caro nome" was generously applauded bordering an encore.”
Madrid Actual
“Adela Zaharia, portraying Gilda, was a revelation- a singer one might not have experienced live before. She left a lasting impression with her truly lyrical soprano effortlessly delivering rounded high notes without any discernible signs of passaggio, and a light, agile quality. Zaharia exhibited an impressive command of bel canto technique, showcasing exquisite phrasing throughout. Her rendition of "Caro nome" was exceptional; tackling an aria so widely known, Zaharia skillfully avoided rushing through it, instead breathing life into the portrayal of a young teenager navigating love and hormonal storms for the first time. Each high note and ornamentation carried meaning, contributing to the nuanced portrayal of the character's emotional turmoil.”
Operawire
Don Giovanni
Teatro Real Madrid
2020
“First Prize winner of the Operalia Competition in 2017, Adela Zaharia is one of the most interesting soprano voices of the moment. Possessing a pristine and round instrument, of many carats, she has a very refined way of singing: the cleanness of her sound, the correct articulation, the naturalness of her emission ... The Romanian singer how many excelent soprano voices has given this country, by the way - is really ideal for embodying the Mozartian Donna Anna. And she does not only suit perfectly the vocal and the stylistic requirements, she also commits to Guth's regie proposal in a truly chameleonic way. Her 'Crudele ... Non mi dir' was surely the most complete moment of the evening.”
Platea Magazine
“Soprano Adela Zaharia has worked real wonders giving life to Donna Anna. The beauty and roundness of her instrument, the easy and safe approach to coloratura, the secure high register (which she exhibited in the second and more complex aria), and the homogeneity through all tessitura including a generous low register -, made her, rightfully so, one of the most applauded singers of the evening.”
operaworld.es
Don Giovanni
Royal Opera House London
2021
“Adela Zaharia was superb as Donna Anna. The Romanian soprano sang with fervour and clarity, her voice a bright, vibrant gleam in the literal and figurative darkness; 'Non mi dir' was beautifully phrased and the racing runs were as shapely as the poignant sighs.”
Opera Today
Don Giovanni
Dutch National Opera
2021
“The best singer of the evening, by far, was Adela Zaharia, and I highly doubt that there is a better Donna Anna on the international scene than the Romanian soprano, who is doing a tour of the world's main theaters singing this role. As in Madrid, she gave a lesson in singing Mozart with her clean timbre and good emission of a beautiful, rich voice, which has astonishing equality in all registers. Extremely refined, musical, she made her Non mi dir become the highlight of the evening. Well phrased, with a genuine legato and wonderfully colored by Jérémie Rhorer.”
Platea Magazine
Don Giovanni
Paris Opera
2022
“Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia performed the role of Donna Anna. When one hears her big, velvety, round sound, it is hard to believe that she has Lucia, Gilda, Konstanze and Bellini's Elvira in her repertoire. Her voice sounds lyrical, and her projection is mesmerizing. One could hear her voice above the rest of the singers in the ensembles. She delivered an exquisite version of her first act aria, "Or sai chi l'onore," with her homogeneous velvet timbre ringing clearly and with incredibly well-supported crescendos in the several sustained A naturals that appear throughout the piece. She had the opportunity to show her bel canto technique in the roulades and staccato high notes of her second act aria, "Crudele!..non mi dir," which was performed impeccably and with great emotion.”
Operawire
“Without any hesitation, the first place goes to Adela Zaharia who gives us a Donna Anna that has nothing banal about it. The Romanian soprano has everything to succeed and to leave her mark: a vocal technique that shows no fear of a notoriously inaccessible part, a natural beauty of the voice, a fine sense of action.”
Connessiallopera.it
“Adela Zaharia deploys a voice with a supple and round vibrato, with a timbre rich in nuances and endowed with a clear high register. Crowned by her long brown curly hair, all dressed in black, she presents an indomitable tragic force. The passionate power of her "Crudele? Ah no, mio ben!" is acclaimed by the public.”
Olyrix.com
Lucia di Lammermoor
Deutsche Oper Berlin
2023
Lucia di Lammermoor
Bayerische Staatsoper
2017
“Adela Zaharia in Lucia di Lammermoor tackles the mad scene with immense confidence, which impresses the audience. Her round and radiant timbre shines especially in the top register. The easiness and flexibility of the coloratura soprano allow her to weave the various vocal passages without any difficulty. Her length of the breath and accuracy are equally impeccable.”
Olyrix.com
“Singing the title role was Adela Zaharia, a young Romanian who hit like a bomb. A timbre sometimes reminiscent of the great Virginia Zeani, an extremely secure technique and, above all, a lot of expression that made the mad scene most enthralling l've heard in a long time (her "duet" with the flute by Eric Kirchhoff was sensational). In addition, there was always powerful acting with many different touches, for example when she mistook Raimondo for her Edgardo or briefly put her wedding veil on Enrico. An evening of great achievements for the - as a bonus, so to speak - very good-looking singer.”
Der Opernfreund
“As elegant and as effortless as a tightrope walker, the voice moved up into the mad scene’s engrossing glass harmonica stratosphere, and the audience seemed to hold its breath, for fear of breaking the hovering moment. She not only sang flawlessly, but breathed believable life into the character, as well as Lucia’s true madness later on. In her glittering dress, she truly looked as though she were from Hollywood’s golden era.”
Bachtrack
La Traviata
Deutsche Oper am Rhein
2019
“Adela Zaharia - in her role debut!- (...) radiated a constant presence every moment. It was like a magnifying glass that deeply moved the viewer through the emotional changes of the character. Not only the acting talent of the Romanian is above reproach. She effortlessly translates the entire vocal range of this role into lush floral, cleanly-tuned soprano sound. Whether it's a delicately breathed piano, a consciously used vibrato in the blooming middle range, or effortless coloraturas sung with attitude. Whether extremely powerfully uplifted heights or passionate bows, pierced by drama. Here one senses the complexity of this role - the joy, the suffering, and also the destiny of the tragic end, which is dimming itself in the joy which will come. But enough of the enthusiasm; it is no secret that Zaharia is well on the way to reaching the highest levels of her field.”
Westdeutsche Zeitung
“(...) Zaharia gives life to a Violetta longing for love in the first act, a desperately self-sacrificing Violetta in the second act, and finally to a magisterial figure that disappears in agony. With her presence, the soprano radiates a penetrating force throughout the course of the opera. Adela Zaharia's acting talent is not only impeccable; she knows how to effortlessly translate the entire vocal spectrum of this role into a lushly floral, cleanly intoned sound; whether it's a very soft passage that breathes delicately, a vibrant medium register or a demanding coloratura. The soprano shows us with her bearing the complexity of this role with her extremely powerful high notes or passionate arcs imbued with drama. Everything is there: suffering, fatality before the bitter end that will resound somberly and even the moments of happiness for the eternal love that Violetta and Alfredo profess beyond their earthly lives.”
mundoclassico.com
I Puritani
Deutsche Oper am Rhein
2019
“The focus of the set is largely on Elvira, who is sung and portrayed quite formidably by the Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia . Her Elvira has it all: a personal and beautiful timbre, brilliant color schemes, high-confidence heights and a natural dramatic expression in the voice and a superb ability to express. I would not exaggerate if I stated that her performance places herself alongside legends like Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills in that role.”
Capriccio.se
“The appearance of the Elvira of Adela Zaharia is as enchanting as her voice, which glides smoothly through the registers, depending on the emotion expressed it knows how to shine or stagger when it gets into its insane state. The artist creates a textbook manic-depressive theater figure through her appearance, colour of the voice and use of the words - isn't the Italian language also a daughter of music? - a contour of love and suffering, as well as a touching human quality. An impressive portrayal.”
Ioco.de
Maria Stuarda
Deutsche Oper am Rhein
2019
“Adela Zaharia adds for the part of Stuarda more and more dramatic colors to her youthful coloratura soprano, she shines, burns unbroken through all registers, her virtuosity is breathtaking.”
Rheinische Post
“(...) In the title role shines Adela Zaharia, reminding me of a young Anna Netrebko in terms of voice color, interpretation and flexibility. The young Romanian delivers apparently effortlessly the breakneck coloratura, adding to that a substantial middle range, with a dark timbre and great expressiveness.”
Der Opernfreund