The New York Times

Oussama Zahr

"Bel canto music gets a bad rap among some opera fans who sniff at its extravagantly decorated melodies and simple orchestrations. Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley defy the haters with a straight-up celebration of the genre’s lyric art: His hearty, rapid-fire indefatigability and her soignée style prove the expressive possibilities of good, old-fashioned polished singing."

December 2, 2025

Music Web International

Mike Parr

“[Brownlee’s voice] suits French music as if his were a voice native to the terroir of France...Brownlee and coloratura soprano Erin Morley, blaze through Donizetti’s music with fastidiousness and sincere charm."

November 2, 2025

Broadway World

Richard Sasanow

"A powerhouse in bel canto roles"

October 29, 2025

Observer

Gabrielle Ferrari

"Tonio’s famous 'Ah mes amis,' with its nine high C’s, was sufficiently thrilling…Brownlee is a natural-born charmer; his dazzling white smile and fine comedic instincts make his Tonio positively effervescent. His final charge to rescue Marie was met with both laughter and cheers."

October 26, 2025

The New York Times

Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim

"On Thursday, a beaming Lawrence Brownlee scaled [Ah! mes amis] with radiant confidence, the top notes shooting out strong, bright and even. Then, as the ovation roared, he cocked his head, flashed a grin and sang it again...Brownlee was as persuasive in lyrical numbers like “Pour me rapprocher de Marie,” poured out in thick-flowing legato, as in athletic showstoppers."

October 24, 2025

Opera Wire

Francisco Salazar

"Brownlee had a blast singing each [High C] with effortless clarity and gleaming color. Each time, he held the notes longer until he sang his final one with a smile on his face. The audience went wild, stopping the show dead in its tracks...The audience erupted into applause and then died away instantly to give way to the encore, which was just as virtuosic as the first time, with Brownlee relishing every moment, throwing off one High C after another with similar ease and prowess...'Pour me rapprocher de Marie' is one of the most emotionally felt arias that Donizetti ever wrote, and Brownlee sang this with care and exquisite legato phrases. One could really feel Tonio’s plea to the Marquise as he shaped each phrase and grew in intensity. Brownlee’s final High C# was filled with desperation and sentiment. It was another show-stopping moment for the tenor, and the audience responded in kind."

October 21, 2025

Opera Now

Robert Levine

“Amazingly, both covers filled the bill superbly. The great, known quantity, Lawrence Brownlee, sang Elvino with superb phrasing and legato, gleaming high notes – and there are many, many of them – and an ardent demeanour; he was as fine an Elvino as one ever expects to hear.”

October 20, 2025

Parterre Box

Emma Hoffman

"Lawrence Brownlee is no stranger to this production, having sung the role of Tonio in it in several revivals at different houses. If he has at all tired of it, it did not show—in fact, he seemed to be having a blast, the warmth of his grin matched only by that of his tenor. His high Cs during 'Ah mes amis' were reliably thrilling, but he shone most in 'Pour me rapprocher de Marie,' where his velvety tone and subtle dynamics conveyed an earnest ardor. Brownlee and Morley, who recently released an album together, had an easy, congenial rapport onstage, resulting in a charming, seamlessly blended 'Quoi? Vous m’aimez.'"

October 18, 2025

New York Classical Review

David Wright

"His voice was consistent in tone throughout and well supported, making a pleasing and characterful performance. As for how many high C’s he hit in the process, you’ll have to turn to the sports page for that."

October 16, 2025

Interludes

Adrian Dimanlig

"As Elvino, established tenor Lawrence Brownlee (who is also appearing in the Met’s revival of La Fille du Régiment and the company’s new production of I Puritani in the upcoming months) co-saved the day with a confident performance that brought considerable vocal luster to the evening."

October 16, 2025

Gramophone

Tim Ashley

"Brownlee is comparably superb, unfazed by the implacably high tessitura of Fernando’s aria from Donizetti’s Marino Faliero (his high notes ring with breathtaking ease here), yet capable of floating Nadir’s ‘Je crois entendre encore’ from Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles with rapt, introverted beauty. You can hear every word, too, even when his voice is in the stratospheres... Terrifically enjoyable, and very highly recommended indeed."

October 3, 2025

The Rehearsal Studio

Stephen Smoliar

"He knows how to find the “bel” in bel canto. He has a gift for delivering high-pitch climaxes without ever making them sound forced. One might almost say that he knows how to prioritize the music over the musician!"

September 29, 2025

Washington Classical Review

Charles T. Downey

"Brownlee’s selection, “Je crois entendre encore” from Bizet’s Les pêcheurs des perles, showcased the tenor’s velvety legato tone and dulcet top range. This is a voice that had the ample power needed throughout the program but was equally capable of this kind of intense, moody French aria redolent of sentiment and nostalgia."

September 21, 2025

Schmopera

John Hohmann

"Two singers at the height of their technical and theatrical prowess...Their voices, in full bloom and filled with intelligence and vocal energy, create a context all its own. This context isn’t just beautiful singing or a tribute to a bygone age. It is, in all seriousness, a consistent breath of spring, and yes, like many an opera, it’s full of sunshine and showers"

June 5, 2025

Opera Today

Natsuko Hirakura

"As Conte d’Almaviva, American tenor Lawrence Brownlee impressed with his soft, stable, and remarkably elastic voice...Brownlee’s Almaviva elicited the audience’s sympathy at every turn. His passionate cavatina, “Ecco ridente in cielo,” and his ardent canzone, “Se il mio nome saper voi bramate,” were especially enchanting."

May 26, 2025

Plays to See

Miho Uchida

"Lawrence Brownlee shines as Count Almaviva. His voice was both rich and agile, expressing emotion with nuance and verve that touched the audience’s hearts."

April 18, 2025

Classical Voice North America

David Shengold

"His singing is a model of projection, velocity, dynamic, breath control, and stylistic elegance; every note is in place and every word tells...his is a performance to savor — and for younger singers to emulate."

April 16, 2025

Bachtrack

Susan Stempleski

"[a] radiant tenor...he was easygoing and enthusiastic all night as his characterization moved from the broadly comic to the intensely passionate. His flexible, firmly focused voice with its faultless coloratura, glistened in “Ecco ridente in cielo”...his long, lyrical phrases added sincerity to the fervent emotions he expressed."

December 27, 2024

Scottish Daily Mail

Van Cliburn

"the brilliant American tenor Lawrence Brownlee (as Arturo) can handle even the infamous high F"

December 1, 2024

Opera Magazine

David Shengold

"[Brownlee's] vocalism was staggeringly secure, attractive, and impactful over a huge range. Every note, every syllable of the Italian text found its expressive mark."

December 21, 2023

The New York Times

Oussama Zahr

"This beautifully curated album has the sound of an artist who went into the recording studio with something urgent and personal to say...Captivating in his commitment, he doesn’t waste a note."

December 4, 2023

The Washington Post

Michael Brodeur

"Lawrence Brownlee was a captivating Oreste, his voice a skillfully flicked blade that cut through the rest of cast"

November 6, 2023

Chicago Tribune

Hannah Edgar

"The [ “Ah! mes amis”] aria has been a calling card for Brownlee for more than a decade, and time has not at all dimmed his voice’s high-beam brightness, nor its gymnastic agility and strength, especially when flinging into those high Cs."

November 5, 2023

Chicago Sun-Times

Kyle MacMillan

"[Brownlee] shows an innate affinity for Donizetti’s vocal lines, investing his arias with compelling expressiveness and displaying dazzling technique..."

November 5, 2023

Chicago Classical Review

Lawrence A. Johnson

"[Brownlee] threw off Tonio’s showpiece...in a ringing, full-voiced rendition nailing the nine top C’s. The tumultuous ovation that followed threatened to literally stop the show and so the aria was encored, with Brownlee hitting the stratospheric notes with even more confidence and panache. "

September 1, 2023

Classical Voice

Elvio Giudici

"Brownlee make for some electrifying moments"

August 15, 2023

I Care If You Listen

Katie Brown

“Brownlee’s talent as both a vocalist and a storyteller, in collaboration with the mastery of pianist Kevin J. Miller, shines throughout the album.”

March 7, 2023

The Boston Globe

A.Z. Madonna

"With the debut of 'Rising,' a recital program of songs set to poems of the Harlem Renaissance...Brownlee is smartly applying his star power to uplift music that might not otherwise be heard, and spread the names of composers on the verge of greater recognition... Time flew by... all the commissions are worthy of repeat performances by as many singers as will take them on."

December 14, 2022

The New Yorker

Alex Ross

"Lawrence Brownlee lit up the stage in Rossini’s 'Otello.'"

October 10, 2022

The New Yorker

Alex Ross

"...one of the most impeccable stylists on the opera scene…”

October 3, 2022

The New York Times

Zachary Woolfe

"...one of the sweetest sounds in the bel canto world, and tautly ringing high notes."

September 25, 2022

The Philadelphia Inquirer

David Patrick Stearns

"...Brownlee (a Rossini specialist) conveyed the astounding vocal athleticism that this music was written for, and did so with a sense of what it could all mean dramatically."

September 24, 2022

Washington Classical Review

Alex Baker

"Brownlee eagerly embraced this more substantial Rodrigo, replacing the dissolute suitor familiar from the play with a man festering in profound disdain for the romantic opportunity that Otello has taken from him... from gorgeous long-breathed lines to spitfire coloratura and a generous display of irresistible golden high notes."

September 24, 2022

Parterre

David Fox

"Rodrigo is a ball-breaking role, but Brownlee makes the demands sound easy—tossing in additional high notes and audaciously decorating cabalettas as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Yet even with all this technical command, for me it’s the plangent and very individual beauty of the sound that makes the deepest impression."

September 23, 2022

Opera News

David Shengold

"Brownlee projected Rodrigo's entitled dissatisfaction from the word go. His combination of fleet passagework and total ease and timbral beauty over a huge range was simply staggering."

October 1, 2021

BBC Music Magazine

Christopher Cook

“The young American tenor Lawrence Brownlee is an impressive Arturo, light of tone and with an easy ascent into the upper register. The pace of his ‘A te o cara’… sets the style exactly for the ensemble that follows."

September 20, 2021

Fanfare Magazine

Henry Fogel

"The prime motivating factor behind the recording is probably Lawrence Brownlee, who is without question one of the finest bel canto tenors singing today, and to my mind one of the greatest ever."

August 24, 2021

Opera Now

Francis Muzzu

"...with his smooth and easy line and ability to face the challenges head on ... Brownlee is one of the rare breed who can not only tackle the infamous high F in Act III but make it sound part of the phrase…"

August 16, 2021

Art Music Lounge

Lynn Rene Bailey

"Lawrence Brownlee sounds fresh, clean and unrestrained... the finest overall Puritani on the market."

July 20, 2021

All About the Arts

Rafael de Acha

"...the silvery voiced Sarah Coburn, the superb Lawrence Brownlee ... meet the demands of their assignments with elegant vocalism..."

April 22, 2021

BachTrack

Nahoko Gotoh

"The stand-out bel canto singing came from Brownlee, making his role debut as Edgardo. He sang with amazing suaveness and lyricism, and caused a frisson of excitement amongst the bel canto aficionados in the audience with his high E flat in the Act 1 duet, which not all tenors sing. His final aria “Tombe degli avi miei” was wonderfully affecting too, stealing the show from Lucia’s Mad Scene."

March 1, 2021

American Record Guide

Allan Altman

"It is a joyous performance, complemented by Brownlee’s elegant and exuberant Almaviva; rarely is the duet sung by a pair so evenly matched in facility and style."

January 1, 2021

Gramophone

Mark Pullinger

"Brownlee’s tenor ... light and flexible with glistening brilliance in his upper register."

December 29, 2020

Parterre

Christopher Corwin

"If one could be said to dominate the CD, it’s Brownlee as he, amidst a fabulous program of duets and trios, also impresses with two prime solos ..."

December 18, 2020

Classical Voice North America

David Shengold

"A truly distinguished and joyful collaboration between two of America’s (and indeed the world’s) most exciting tenors ..."

December 2, 2020

East Bay Times

Georgia Rowe

"Tenor Brownlee has emerged as a versatile artist in a wide range of opera works as well as an eloquent voice for racial equality in today’s classical music world ..."

December 1, 2020

Opera News

Roger Pines

"Their portrayals are delightful because of the terrific teamwork and irresistible, marvelously detailed responses to the text ... Brownlee is awesome in his dazzling technical ease and sheer grace. Here and everywhere else in this program, he's able to integrate his topmost notes (encompassing spot on high D's) into the phrase with gratifying musicality."

November 16, 2020

San Francisco Classical Voice

Jason Serinus

The blend between these two men, who sing roles in which they either vow friendship or express rivalry and animosity, is consistently attractive. Their voices are beautiful. They sound as perfect for each other and as perfectly interesting for us as the coupling of soprano Joan Sutherland with mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. You’ll search in vain through recorded history for two Rossini tenors who sing duets so compellingly.

November 16, 2020

The New Yorker

Oussama Zahr

"Rossini’s flamboyantly decorated arias showcase the facets of an individual singer’s voice as if it were a diamond under a jeweller’s loupe. Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres’s new album of duelling-tenor pieces, “Amici e Rivali,” is a nice reminder of the sparks that fly when two first-rate voices meet in the playground of a Rossini opera. Spyres’s warm, baritonal colors beautifully complement Brownlee’s shinier timbre in exerpts from “Otello,” “La Donna del Lago,” “Ricciardo e Zoraide,” and other works. The pair dispatches the punishing tessitura, intricate filigree, and endless scales of these duets with undaunted charm, and Corrado Rovaris conducts I Virtuosi Italiani with style."

November 14, 2020

Limelight Magazine

Clive Paget

"Technical mastery is enhanced by the sheer pleasure of hearing two men belting it out as if their lives depended on it. The definite feeling that they are having fun into the bargain is the icing on the cake."

November 13, 2020

Broadway World

Erica Miner

"Brownlee adds his crystal-clear tones to those of Spyres in a photo finish: a fit of vocal splendor and glory worthy of delight from any Rossini aficionado. In a word, breathtaking. If, as Spyres says of Rossini, "much of his writing for tenor set the boundaries for what the male voice could achieve," then this sensational album is living proof."

November 12, 2020

Schmopera

John Hohmann

"Rossini, two terrific tenors and a first rate musical ensemble—what’s not to love?... We get arias, duets and trios (the tenors are joined by mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught and fellow tenor Xabier Anduaga) that are thoughtfully interpreted and artfully sequenced to mimic the construction of a Rossini opera. Its most winning feature, besides the competing tenors who are in full bloom here, is that it flows."

October 26, 2020

Parterre

David Fox

"A beguiling and superbly gifted lyric tenor"

October 24, 2020

Observer

Billy McEntee

“The time is now to make a change, and this idea seems to be resonating in a way that gives me hope,” Brownlee told Observer during a recent conversation. “I have been extremely vocal about this for a long time, and hopefully, people are finally ready to take action. We need inclusion and diversity in every area of society, including the arts, and at every level from the administration, board rooms, composers, choruses, and orchestras to a more diverse audience and community engagement.” Brownlee also spoke of the field’s lack of diversity earlier this year on ABC, noting, “I’ve never been hired by a Black general director of a company or a Black artistic administrator or a Black casting director.”

July 27, 2020

Chicago Tribune

Howard Reich

“'Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter' made a compelling statement by featuring a cast of exceptional Black singers."

January 28, 2020

Houston Chronicle

Chris Gray

"As Fernand, Lawrence Brownlee — coming off last weekend’s “Giving Voice” solo recital — steers his supple tenor through a similarly broad emotional range... his low-key delivery effectively conceals his inner turmoil, but the center can only hold for so long: In his final scenes, Fernand’s despair becomes increasingly evident as Brownlee approaches the upper limits of his register."

September 30, 2019

Parterre

Henson Keys

"Anchoring the cast is an absolutely bravura performance from tenor Lawrence Brownlee, singing with unrivaled sweetness and astonishing flexibility, executing Rossini’s complex and intricate runs with flair and ease. Brownlee’s excellent comic timing and the delicate vulnerability in his acting made him an audience favorite...."

September 29, 2019

Chicago Tribune

Howard Reich

"Tenor Lawrence Brownlee wrung every possible ounce of humor from the role of Count Almaviva... [he] finessed the dizzying flurries of notes assigned to the Count without sacrificing beauty of sound. His physical humor was a delight to behold."

September 29, 2019

Chicago Sun Times

Wynne Delacoma

"Brownlee... certainly delivered the goods Saturday night. His tenor has a dark cast that gave his Almaviva a virile, resolute authority."

April 6, 2019

Washington Classical Review

Charles T. Downey

"Lawrence Brownlee strode onto the stage brimming with confidence for Ilo’s entrance aria, “Terra amica.” The American tenor delivered this extraordinary firebolt piece, which he revived in his Vocal Arts DC recital in 2016, with show-stopping authority. High notes rang with authority, including an endlessly sustained final note, and the complex runs and arpeggios crackled with verve in the concluding cabaletta. Although Brownlee was in excellent voice throughout, in both ensembles and arias, this piece was a tour de force."

March 25, 2019

Parterre

Henson Keys

"The tenor Lawrence Brownlee also made a stunning vocal contribution to the evening, first with a velvety, caressing version of “Un’ aura amorosa” from Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, followed by a delightful, joyous rendition of Donizetti’s “Ah mes amis…” from La fille du regiment. Never have all those high C’s been dispatched more effortlessly or beautifully."

February 23, 2019

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Peter Dobrin

“[Brownlee’s] bel canto moves and silver-sheen sound add up to his superpower. At one point, he held a high note so long that Owens jested by checking his watch-arm for the time.”

January 30, 2019

Houstonia

Hannah Che

"Brownlee, in his role as the love-sick Nadir, was earnest and convincing, and his silky, gorgeous timbre in the the pianissimo sections “Oh divine ecstasy!” was among the vocal highlights of the night."

January 29, 2019

Parterre

Patrick M. Crowley

"The tenor role of Nadir, Zurga’s best friend, was played in outstanding fashion by Lawrence Brownlee, whose liquid tones perfectly suited the role."

January 28, 2019

Arts and Culture Texas

Sherry Cheng

"Brownlee was able to give the character a flawless voice and a natural likeability. One of the foremost bel canto tenors on the scene today, his vibrant tone matched the youthful passion of his character."

January 28, 2019

Houston Press

D.L. Groover

"Brownlee, as Nadir, has no peer with this type of lyric tenor hero, where clarity and beauty of tone speaks pages."

January 28, 2019

Houston Chronicle

Chris Gray

"Making in his debut in the role, tenor Lawrence Brownlee brings real warmth to his early scene with Elliott and tenderness to his duets (on and offstage) with soprano Andrea Carroll’s Leïla."

January 20, 2019

Cleaveland.com

Zachary Lewis

"the radiant singer brought many in attendance to their feet"

November 4, 2018

Trouw - Netherlands

Peter van der Lint

“Brownlee and Spyres are tenors who are out of this world, for whom really no C goes too high. They beautifully matched the sound of the resonant Residentie Orkest and conductor Michael Balke.”

November 1, 2018

Bachtrack

Jenny Camilleri

"a pair of dynamite performers"

October 6, 2018

Olyrix

Damien Dutilleul

"His romantic phrases are very lyrical and effortless in every register, and his charming smile adds to his sparkling high notes."

June 18, 2018

ResMusica

Steeve Boscardin

"As a teenager addicted to his phone, Lawrence Brownlee is remarkably natural in the role of Ernesto. One will never sufficiently underline the elegance of this singer, too rare on Parisian stages. All is fluid, linked, clear and direct, with beautiful colors that aptly translate the emotions of adolescence."

June 10, 2018

Olyrix

Damien Dutilleul

“Lawrence Brownlee is an Ernesto with clear high notes, exalted in a full voice and soft in a mixed voice. The timbre is rich and warm, notably in the medium and the neat legato. When low, the timbre is full-bodied and pleasant. His light vibrato maintains a contained and regular rhythm. His phrasing most often shows his courage, but he's able to become delicate in his duo with Nadine Sierra.”

June 10, 2018

Opera Online

"The American tenor Lawrence Brownlee is an Ernesto with a warm and soft timbre...he excels in his serenade."

June 10, 2018

Toute La Culture

Yaël Hirsch

"A true revelation in this Don Pasquale, Lawrence Brownlee enchants us throughout the opera and even in a teenager's sweatshirt and cap he moves us with "Povero Ernesto!" as well as the distant "Com'e gentil a Notte," sung backstage."

June 9, 2018

Concert Classic

Pierre-René Serna

"For his part, Lawrence Brownlee constitutes the evening's lovely surprise, Ernesto propelled by a delightful, diaphanous di grazia tenor voice."

April 27, 2018

Daily Herald

Natalia Dagenhart

“His artistic presentation, emotional face and unbeatable charm complemented the beautiful tone and amazing range of his voice. Brownlee impressed the audience with his long, high notes, especially at the triumphal ending of the aria. What a great high C!”

April 26, 2018

Broadway World

Richard Sasanow

“The warmth and vibrancy of his voice fit the needs of the music exquisitely [in the Dichterliebe]…in [Cycles] the singer absolutely commanded the stage and sounded gorgeous even in the most dissonant sections.”

April 25, 2018

Berkshire Fine Arts

Susan Hall

"A new Brownlee emerged as he sung these songs. A brilliant edge was added to the lovely lyricism of the voice we have come to know. Anguish, desperation, and sadness are all painted in his darker tones, often richly textured in the lower registers.”

April 8, 2018

Boston Classical Review

Aaron Keebaugh

"Indeed, there may be no better or more agile bel canto tenor on the scene today than Brownlee...the singer commands a stellar technique and honeyed tone that makes his high notes ring with characteristic warmth."

Acclaim

The New York Times

Music Web International

Broadway World

Observer

The New York Times

Opera Wire

Opera Now

Parterre Box

New York Classical Review

Interludes

Gramophone

The Rehearsal Studio

Washington Classical Review

Schmopera

Opera Today

Plays to See

Classical Voice North America

Bachtrack

Scottish Daily Mail

Opera Magazine

The New York Times

The Washington Post

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Classical Review

Classical Voice

I Care If You Listen

The Boston Globe

The New Yorker

The New Yorker

The New York Times

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Washington Classical Review

Parterre

Opera News

BBC Music Magazine

Fanfare Magazine

Opera Now

Art Music Lounge

All About the Arts

BachTrack

American Record Guide

Gramophone

Parterre

Classical Voice North America

East Bay Times

Opera News

San Francisco Classical Voice

The New Yorker

Limelight Magazine

Broadway World

Schmopera

Parterre

Observer

Chicago Tribune

Houston Chronicle

Parterre

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Sun Times

Washington Classical Review

Parterre

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Houstonia

Parterre

Arts and Culture Texas

Houston Press

Houston Chronicle

Cleaveland.com

Trouw - Netherlands

Bachtrack

Olyrix

ResMusica

Olyrix

Opera Online

Toute La Culture

Concert Classic

Daily Herald

Broadway World

Berkshire Fine Arts