Charleston Symphony: Aaron Copland - The Tender Land:
"Star laurels must go instead to soprano Courtenay Budd, whom I've been joyfully listening to (and reviewing) for some time now - mostly in Spoleto's fabled chamber music series (Charles Wadsworth sure knows how to pick 'em). I've also plugged her ravishing CD of lullabies in last year's festival blog - read my review (and others) right HERE. She was an ideal Laurie: the restless adolescent heroine. This lovable young lady - as usual - sang straight from the heart, and her soaring high notes were enough to melt the frostiest soul. To boot, her diction was superb: she was the only singer whose every word I could understand. Her singing has a conversational quality to it... in places, I almost forgot it was opera I was hearing."
- Lindsay Koob Charleston City Paper April 29, 2008
"The evening at the Sottile was a personal triumph for Spoleto favorite Courtenay Budd as Laurie, one of those small-town girls common in this sort of bucolic pastoral, who longs to escape the country to New York or Moscow or somewhere over the rainbow. From Laurie's first aria, filled with emotion, and powerfully sung with perfect diction and tonal purity, Budd embodied this little rustic from head to barefoot."
- Jeff Johnson Charleston Post and Courier April 26, 2008
Spoleto USA 2007 Dock Street Chamber Music Series:
"I was just as happy to hear that soprano Courtenay Budd will bring her delicious voice back to us after a couple of years away."
- Lindsay Koob Charleston City Paper May, 2007
Amy Beach's Chanson d'amour:
"Soprano Courtenay Budd took center stage, with cellist Andres Diaz and Wadsworth at the piano, for Amy Beach's Chanson d'amour. It radiated the sensual romanticism of Chausson, Faure, and Duparc. Budd, who has been away from the series for several years, made an impressive return. With effortlessly floating high notes and a shining a powerful voice, Budd expressed the touching emotion and inward sentiment of Beach's short work."
- William Furtwangler Charleston Post and Courier May 28, 2007
"Soprano Courtenay Budd and cellist Andres Diaz joined Dr. Wadsworth for MacDowell Colony alumnus Amy Beach's intensely romantic Chanson d'amour. Mrs. Budd's voice, always light and precise when quiet and shiver-me-timbers beautiful at the crescendos, twined in a lovers' embrace with Mr. Diaz's playful answering lines while our able pianist provided the backdrop of their love. A most rousing (and arousing...) start."
- Robert Bondurant Eargasms blog (Charleston City Paper) May 27, 2007
"When Courtenay budd sang Amy Beach's Chanson d'amour in the second Chamber Music program, the text was in French, but non-speakers still found themselves fully engaged, even without translations. This is because Budd was communicating superbly in two universal languages: that of music, and that of love. Budd's velvety soprano, soft-edged but clear as a bell, pours out effortlessly and naturally. We may not have understood the French words, but we definitely got the message."
- Joshua Rosenblum Charleston Post and Courier May 29, 2007
Menotti's Steal me, Sweet Thief and the Telephone Aria:
"Soprano supreme Courtenay Budd, backed up by series host Charles Wadsworth at the Steinway, delivered an ear-grabbing pair of opening arias. Budd's spine-tingling high notes produced some of the afternoon's most intense eargasms."
- Lindsay Koob Eargasms blog (Charleston City Paper) May 25, 2007
"The program's highpoint: soprano Courtenay Budd performing a witty aria from Menotti's The Telephone, for which she sang the entire piece into - oh, the irony - a cellphone."
- Patrick Sharbaugh Charleston Post and Courier, spoletobuzz.ccpblogs.com May 25, 2007
"The concert opened with two of Menotti's most famous arias, Steal Me, Sweet Thief and The Telephone Song, performed beautifully and with a sly sense of humor by soprano Courtenay Budd, with Wadsworth at the piano."
- Joshua Rosenblum Charleston Post and Courier May 27, 2007
"With gleaming tone, soprano Courtenay Budd gave us two arias from Menotti's early operas. The Telephone aria gave Budd a chance to act, using a cell phone as a prop. It worked delightfully, with Budd making the most of Menotti's humorous style."
- William D. Gudger Charleton Post and Courier May 26, 2007
"Budd sang with fullness enough to put over the first woman's swell of suppressed passion, and with brightness enough to capture the second woman's perkiness."
- Steven Brown Charlotte Observer (Charlotte.com) May 31, 2007
Handel and Scarlatti arias:
"Super-soprano Courtenay Budd continued her winning ways in tricky, but gorgeous arias by Baroque masters Handel and D. Scarlatti (the younger). These days, you'd expect to hear such stuff done with the usual basso continuo: harpsichord plus a cello sawing away at the bass line. But here we got Budd's melting tones on top of Wadsworth's work at the Steinway."
- Lindsay Koob Eargasms (Charleston City Paper) June 1, 2007
"...At 1 pm, the same day, I returned to the Dock Street Theatre to hear another chamber music concert. The program began with Wadsworth, and cellist Andres Díaz accompanying Budd in works by Handel and Alessandro Scarlatti. The selections were Töne sanf from Handel's Alexander's Feast, and Sono guerriera ardita, an aria from one of Scarlatti's operas. Again Budd sang brilliantly, and her bright voice was matched beautifully by her colleagues."
- James Bash Northwest Reverb blog June 5, 2007
Canteloube and Dvorák lullabies:
"Soprano Courtenay Budd performed lullabies by Dvorák (Ukolébavka) and arranged by Canteloube (Bresairola), from her new CD, Sleep Is Behind the Door, being sold as a benefit for disaster relief. The former was accompanied with keen insight and feeling by Wadsworth; the latter, in an arrangement by (Christopher) Fecteau, by O'Connor, Palmer, violinist Daniel Phillips (of the Orion String Quartet), and Christopher Costanza, cello (of the SLSQ). The Dvorák, new to this listener, is a winner, and so, too, is the familiar and much-loved Song of the Auvergne, made popular for a generation of music lovers by Madeleine Grey. Budd did these songs great justice, winning enthusiastic applause from the near-capacity audience."
- John W. Lambert Classical Voice of North Carolina
"Courtenay Budd sang two selections from her CD, "Sleep is Behind the Door: Lullabies for Disaster Relief." The Canteloube piece begins with a relaxed lullaby feel that segues into what you might think of as molto relaxando, after the baby has fallen asleep. At this point Budd and the six players accompanying her summoned their best sotto voce sound, to sublime effect"
- Joshua Rosenblum Charleston Post and Courier June 1, 2007
"The second selection featured the lovely soprano, Courtenay Budd, accompanied by Charles Wadsworth on piano, in a little-known lullaby by Dvorák, Ukolébavka and was sung in Czech. Following the Dvorák, Budd and Wadsworth continued to serenade an enchanted audience with Cantelboube's Brezairola from the Chants d'Auvergne, arranged especially for Budd for violins, flute, cello, clarinet, and piano. Both vocal selections are from Budd's recent recording of 26 lullabies, "Sleep is Behind the Door.""
- Loretta Haskell Charleston Post and Courier May 31, 2007
"Next, soprano Courtenay Budd sang lullabies by Dvorák (Ukolébavka) and by Canteloube (Bresairola), which she has recorded in a recently released CD entitled "Sleep is behind the door" (the proceeds of which will benefit disaster relief). For the Dvorák number, Budd teamed up with Wadsworth. For the Canteloube piece, she was accompanied by O'Connor, violinist Daniel Phillips, and cellist Christopher Costanza of the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Both pieces were exquisite. It didn't matter if you knew what Budd was singing, she instinctively seems to be able to draw an audience into the realm of each lullaby."
- James Bash Northwest Reverb blog June 5, 2007
Lullaby CD:
"Yup, you got it. I'm asking for your money. But pour MOI? Perish forbid! As I write, I'm listening to one of the most gorgeous vocal CD's I've heard lately ... and no wonder; it's done by Courtenay Budd - of the lovely soprano voice that's graced Charles Wadsworth's Dock Street Chamber programs off and on in recent years. Ms. Budd - herself a young mother - came up with the idea of producing an album of lullabies, in conspiracy with many of her regular Dock Street colleagues. So not only do we get Ms. Budd's dulcet singing, but the tuneful and accomplished work of many of the instrumental wizards I've been blogging about all this festival (and last): Folks like Todd Palmer (clarinet), Tara Helen O'Connor (flute), Corey Cerovsek and Daniel Philips (violins), plus Alisa Weilerstein (cello). There's also another famous soprano taking part: Sylvia McNair. You'll hear quite a few other musicians, too - but you don't need the whole laundry list here. Thing is, this idea occurred to Courtenay in the wake of hurricane Katrina, which taught so many of us to think of natural disasters in a whole new way. Thus the entire project is done in the name of disaster relief: every penny of the profits will support exactly that, both domestic and international. If you love beautiful lullabies, lushly and lovingly sung, this is for you. You'll get 25 of 'em in all; sources range from folk material to film (Disney), art song and opera - and they hail from many different corners of the globe. Hey, this is a win-win proposition: you get gorgeous music that'll last you forever, and desperate people all over the world get a little bit of help and encouragement when times are tough. I wonder how many of them are little ones who still need lullabies? So GO for it. To get yours, click here."
- Lindsay Koob Eargasms (Charleston City Paper) Sunday, June 10, 2007
Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival:
"After an intermission, we were treated to Courtenay Budd, a soprano signing a vocal cantata by Handel, Mi palpita il cor, HWV 132b (ca 1712) in six movements, accompanied by oboist Vogel, Lynn Harrell, cello, and Kathleen McIntosh, harpsichord. It was beautifully sung, with excellent Italian diction."
- John Seagrave Los Alamos Monitor July 20, 2007
Other recent Press
"Without hesitation, we can confidently award this disc Lullaby Album of the Year. Sleep is Behind the Door features Grammy-winning classical musicians and the stunning, heart-melting and highly-acclaimed voice of classically-trained soprano, Courtenay Budd. Ranging from simple voice and piano duets to tenderly orchestrated chamber settings, drawing from cellos, violins, flute, clarinet, guitar and a choral ensemble, this hour of exquisite and precious international lullabies truly eases the heart and lulls the mind, working just as effectively on adults as it does with little ones. Centering around the classical art song form and varying from crystalline impressionistic styles to playful and simple folk-like songs, these 25 tracks sing, waltz and lilt their way into your fanciful thoughts and daydreams. With all profits going to aid victims of natural disasters, this disc brings ease and comfort in more ways than one."
- CDBaby February, 2007
from Hooked on Classics
"By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be history, and if you come from a cheesy family like mine, you are likely thankful you have a year till the next awkward pre-meal go around the table with everyone having to say what they're thankful for. But as of this writing it's still two days before, so here are some things classical that I'm thankful exist:... - Coloratura Courtenay Budd at Spoleto Chamber Music. Okay, since she hasn't sung here since '04, I guess this is more of a gripe than a thanks. But a vocalist adds a colorful dimension to chamber music. I once saw her perform Menotti's The Telephone with a red phone up to her ear. What can I say - I'm a sucker for props. Also for Southern blondes. Budd is from Newnan, Ga., went to Sewanee, and seems like someone you might know." (web editor’s note: Courtenay returns to Spoleto Dock Street Chamber Music Series in spring of ’07)
- Jonathan Sanchez Charleston City Paper November 29, 2006
Missoula Symphony review:
"Though decidedly lighter in tone, this portion of the program boasted some beautiful highlights. Budd's coloratura aria from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann" was spectacularly sung."
- Joe Nickell The Missoulian December 11, 2006
Haydn's Creation with Colorado Symphony:
Courtenay Budd (familiar here through her many appearances with Central City Opera) delivered Gabriel's recitatives and arias with dead-on intonation and an achingly lovely tone.
- Marc Shugold Rocky Mountain News 19 March 2005
Close Encounters with Music:
Courtenay Budd performed beautifully the final eleven songs of the program written by eight American composers. These included John Duke's "I Carry Your Heart" and "Little Elegy", Paul Bowles' "Baby, Baby", Theodore Chanler's "The Rose" and "I Rise When You Enter", and Virgil Thomson's "Take, O Take Those Lips Away". Five more of the compositions were "The Silver Swan" and "Pippa's Song" by Ned Rorem, "I Wish It So" by Marc Blitztein, "The Willow Song" by Douglas Moore and "Glitter and Be Gay" by Leonard Bernstein. Budd performed each song with appropriate expression and style, displaying her skills of beauty, clarity and vocal range. She rendered all of the lyrics and melodies sensitively.
- Robert Loesch In the Spotlight 27 November 2004
Spoleto USA Dock Street Chamber Music Series 2004:
(Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen): Courtenay Budd was joined by Palmer, the clarinet obbligato, and Wadsworth, piano, in a breathtaking display of ensemble work. Offering a presentation of classic splendor, Budd's ideally precise voice, luminously interwoven with Palmer's darker clarinet line and Wadsworth's matchless accompaniment, were astonishing. They created a vivid sound portrait of the shepherd, his longing over separation from his sweetheart and his final uplifting lines about the coming spring.
- William Furtwangler Charleston Post and Courier 13 June 2004
Wadsworth provided perfect keyboard support for the pure soprano line of Budd, whose clear diction and smooth-flowing vocal lines were well displayed in "Chère Nuit" by the little known opera composer Alfred Bachelet. After rising and falling dynamics, it built to a hall-filling forte. Fauré's "Nocturne," was a gorgeous slow evocation of night. Délibes' "Les Filles de Cadix" found Budd flirtatious, making full use of body language in a lively piece with stirring rhythms. Todd Palmer played an unusual clarinet arrangement of the mezzo-soprano line from the "Flower Duet" from Delibes' opera Lakmé. Budd's almost instrumental soprano was perfect for the pure high line.
- William Thomas Walker Classical Voice NC June 2004
Budd sang both songs (Bachelet's "Chere Nuit" and Faure's "Nocturne") with a nice, sustained tone and varied phrasing. For Delibes' "The Girls of Cadiz," she was a convincing street girl luring the guys with promises of boleros and hidalgos. Delibes' "Flower Duet" becomes even more exotic when one of the human parts is take over by the clarinet, and Budd and Palmer were an enthralling combination.
- Jeff Johnson Charleston Post and Courier 12 June 2004
Soprano Courtenay Budd, joined by violinist Corey Cerovsek and Wadsworth, performed a perfectly sung and golden aria from Mozart's early festival or pastoral play "Il Re Pastore" (The Shepherd King). Budd, who possesses a creamy and luxuriant voice, gave Mozart's sumptuous music a breathtaking presentation. Cerovsek introduced the aria with delicious flourish on his violin. .
- William Furtwangler Charleston Post and Courier 9 June 2004
Cerovsek's sweet violin singing over the bass line of Wadsworth's piano introduced the aria "L'Amero, saro costante" from Mozart's opera Il Re Pastore. Soprano Budd's singing was a model of sensitive phrasing, precise intonation, and equality of tone throughout her range. Most memorable were trills rendered concurrently by Budd and Cerovsek.
- William Thomas Walker Classical Voice NC June 2004
Soprano Courtenay Budd, with Wadsworth switching to the piano, offered three songs by Gustav Mahler and two by Richard Strauss. These two last masters of Romantic expression provided Budd with perfect vehicles to create lasting impressions. Strikingly attractive, Budd's creamy, full-toned voice showed astounding dynamic transformations. Each song was laced with difficult-to-execute vocal shadings, but she always maintained complete, expert control. Budd's is truly a voice for connoisseurs.
- William Furtwangler Charleston Post and Courier 6 June 2004
Three songs by Mahler brought on soprano Courtenay Budd for the first time this year. She sounded splendid, even at 11 in the morning on Saturday. The three songs ("Ich atmet' einen Linden duft," "Liebst du um Schönheit" and "Hans und Grethe") glowed with vocal purity and were touched by delicacy and humor. A pair of Strauss songs ("Nacht" and "Cäcilie") ended the vocal part of the program.
- Robert Jones Charleston Post and Courier 6 June 2004
Two sets of Lieder found soprano Courtenay Budd in top form, with perfect high notes, an even vocal register, and clear diction.
- William Thomas Walker Classical Voice NC June 2004
Beethoven's Symphony #9 with the California Symphony:
Courtenay Budd, a real find, probably in her debut here, sang the soprano part exactly centered, effortless, with a gorgeous liquid high range.
- Robert P. Commanday San Francisco Classical Voice 18 May 2004
Rachmaninoff's The Bells with Greenville Symphony:
... soprano Budd delight(ed) the audience with her radiant voice.
- Ann Hicks Greenville News 8 May 2004
Carmina Burana with Reno Philharmonic:
excellent...Soprano Courtenay Budd’s singing seemed effortless.
- Merry Anne Davis Reno Gazette Journal 27 April 2004
dramatic and outstanding soloists...the pure and impressive soprano of Courtenay Budd ...Miss Budd's musicality creates an enticing and appealing effect, which makes a telling impression on "Carmina's" love music.
- Jack Neal Nevada Events and Reviews 26 April 2004
Messiah with Syracuse Symphony:
Courtenay Budd was the silvery soprano of the quartet. Hers is one used with intelligence and solid musicianship
- Chuck Klaus The Post Standard 15 December 2003
Schönberg's String Quartet, #2 with the Bard Festival Quartet in Harrisburg, PA:
Then soprano Courtenay Budd came alive. Her voice in radiant form, Budd made an intense, dramatic experience - tension, then resolution - of two psalm-like poems by Stefan George, "Litany" and "Transport." The sound she produced and its effect was a thing of icy beauty.
- Zachary Lewis The Post Standard 23 November 2003
Neue Gallerie New York:
Courtenay Budd, a young soprano and recipient of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions first prize in 2001, offered a series of songs by Hugo Wolf on texts by Goethe, as well as the three Ophelia songs by Richard Strauss. Ms. Budd brought clarity of tone and aptness of style to these works, which ranged from the hymnlike Anakreons Grab to the ebullience of Fruhling cabers Jahr. She was exceptionally effective in the Strauss songs, whose abrupt shifts in harmony and texture suggest Ophelia's madness, and she deftly conveyed the contrasting colors of the pair of related little Goethe gems Die Sprode ("The Coy One") and Die Bekehrte ("The Convert to Love").
- Robert Clark The Hudson Review
Reviews from Spoleto Festival USA 2003: Dock Street Chamber Music Series Ned Rorem songs:
Ned Rorem's unexampled way with the artsong was illustrated by soprano Courtenay Budd and series host Charles Wadsworth at the piano. Musically sophisticated and sensuously thoughtful, Ms. Budd sang them with the right sort of refined muscularity. Her approach to "Pippas' Song," for example, a Robert Browning poem stretched by Mr. Rorem to limits of the vocal register in difficult intervals, was full-throated but lightly phrased. Her firm diction and rhythmic sense allowed her to beautifully emphasize cadences on open vowels, repeatedly found in songs such as "See How They Love Me" and "Spring."
- Jack Dressler Charleston Post and Courier 5 June 2003
Rachmaninoff songs:
The concert began with an array of songs by Rachmaninoff, with violin obbligatos by Fritz Kreisler and, in three of the songs, by Wadsworth. Courtenay Budd sang them impeccably, in Russian.
- Robert Jones Charleston Post and Courier 2 June 2003
A fine dramatic showcase for Budd, who sang with expressive phrases and purity of tone.
- Jeff Johnson Charleston Post and Courier 1 June 2003
Brahms duets with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Dudley and pianist Charles Wadsworth:
We were truly gifted to hear this intuitive collaboration by Courtenay Budd and Jennifer Dudley. Budd's rich, textured soprano meshed gloriously with the equally jeweled mezzo tones of the Met's Dudley.
- Nada Arnold Charleston Post and Courier 29 May 2003
Saint Saëns' Le bonheur est chose légère and Amy Beach's Chanson d'Amour:
(Daniel) Philips' sweet and sensual violin obbligato complemented Budd's glowing vocal lines perfectly. (Cellist Alisa) Weilerstein then took over in "Chanson d'Amour." This marvel was delivered with aching beauty and intensity. Budd's exquisitely nuanced singing was beguiling, each note a gleaming tonal pearl.
- Lindsey Koob Charleston Post and Courier 24 May 2003
Mahler's Symphony No. 4 with the Las Vegas Philharmonic:
Beautiful...Courtenay Budd had a delightful stage presence: singing from a printed page can seem rather lecture-like, but she seemed to be telling the audience, "See what wonderful words I have found in this book!" What words, indeed: "The angels bake the bread ... Good apples, pears, and grapes ... all fish gladly swim along!" Try telling that kid about mortality.
- Rob LaGrone Jetsetters Magazine 3 May 2003
The piece calls for a light but exacting mood. The final movement is especially upbeat, as the vocalist describes an image of heaven and heavenly delights. Budd hit the right tone with her charm and cheerful voice.
- Julia Osborne Las Vegas Review-Journal 6 May 2003
a beautiful, bright, agile voice
- Marilyn LaRocque Las Vegas Sun 5 May 2003
Dvorak duets at the Bard Festival:
The highlight for me was the vocal section of the program, Dvorak's 2 sets of duets. Soprano Budd was excellent: support, intonation, diction feeling for text, and she was a superb match with mezzo Fritz.
- Peter C. Gerdine Vox / in Camera April 2003
Most touching were the Moravian Duets performed exquisitely by Courtenay Budd, soprano, and Malin Fritz, mezzo-soprano, with pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. The two women singing in an otherwise instrumental performance underscored the incredible beauty of the human voice.
- Marsden Epworth Compass 1 May 2003