"
a stentorian bass

/  The New York Times  /

Kieler Nachrichten

“Star of the main program was the American opera singer Kevin Thompson, whose impressive bass elicited from the audience cheers. Kevin Thompson touched the audience with his bass voice.”

“Kevin Thompson was stentorian in the best sense.”

Voix des Arts

“Bass Kevin Thompson recounted the Old Gypsy’s Tale with gravitas and solid, impactful tone that rushed through the theatre like a bracing wind from the steppes. His timbre when singing Russian vowels combined the resonance of George London with the tonal orotundity of Mark Reizen. Thompson plunged below the stave to the kind of primal sound that one associates with Russian Orthodox monastic chanting.”

"

Kevin Thompson has a bass voice to sit up straight for.

/  Charlotte Observer  /

"
Bass Kevin Thompson portrayed an appropriately menacing Sparafucile.

/  The Independent  /

“Bass Kevin Thompson as Banco was spectacular and possibly one of the most handsome and effortlessly powerful bass voices I have ever heard live. Thompson’s instrument is smooth, deeply melodic and just hypnotically enthralling. He was a commanding grounding force in the initial duet with Macbeth and delivered his last aria with heart-wrenching and chilling effects.”

“He has a voluminous bass with its exquisite overtone-rich timbres and rafter-shaking sonority. The audience willingly followed Thompson into the deepest, darkest, cellar of his throat, being spiritually transported.”

"Basso Kevin Thompson sang a thrilling "Ecco il Mondo" from Boito's Mefistofele, revealing a huge cavernous sound coupled with a dominating physical presence that stunned the audience. Mr. Thompson's full round register and profound interpretive gifts evoked memories of Paul Robeson and Boris Christoff rolled into one. A well deserved ovation followed"

"As Banco, audiences got a chance to marvel at the imposing bass of Kevin Thompson. Not only is his instrument monstrous in its quality and volume, but it is highly articulate, fearless in his ability to traverse his entire range and colorful. The shading in his final scene, the famed aria “Come dal cielo precipita,” had a controlled shimmer that expressed the fear he sensed around him. Contrast this with the brighter colors he managed from the opening duet with Macbeth, doubt and jest creeping into his performance."

“The thunderous bass of Kevin Thompson brought immediate and commanding authority to the role of Banco, which is just as it should be since the plot of the opera kills off the character midway through the second act.”

“Kevin Thompson (Banco) has excellent control over an enormous instrument, and gives an exceptional performance with appropriate gravitas.”

“Kevin Thompson's magisterial bass notes made him an ideally imposing Osmin”

“What a devil! Kevin Thompson sang that role with zest and a scary believability, a powerful bass that filled the hall and confused the senses.”

“In the role of Baldassare, Kevin Thompson sang with a booming tone. The bass has an immense sound that can easily fill any hall and he did just that at every moment he could. His voice is one filled with an exciting sound.”

The San Francisco Examiner

“Bass Kevin Thompson turns his first West Bay outing into a triumph as the menacing and propulsively funny Turkish body guard, Osmin. From the moment he makes his first ominous entrance from the back of the house, Thompson uses the burnished thunder of his voice and quick-trigger temper to create a memorable portrayal. His towering height only adds to the dominant impression he makes as the opera’s comic villain.”

“Kevin Thompson shone in the role of Méphistophélès. With his deep rich bass voice and his stature and presence, he was unquestionably the focal point for the entire production. In addition to his singing, which was exceptional, Thompson’s physical grace and ability to act and emote enabled him to create a character that was both terrifying and playful – setting the tone for the rest of the cast and providing a welcome hint of lightness to his demonic role.”

“Kevin Thompson as the Old Gypsy told his tale well in the beginning of the opera, displaying a phenomenal range and showed us his dramatic chops by being simultaneously sad, angry, disappointed and ultimately resigned to his daughter’s death at the hands of Aleko.”

“Kevin Thompson, as the high priest Ramfis, impressed with his physically and vocally commanding presence. His deep, pure bass rumbled through to the backseats, with the strikingly staged judgment scene as a particular standout.”

"The voice booms, roars, rumbles through his 6'5" frame and bellows forth when he sings even we he speaks a Basso Profundo"