Press

“Beautiful turns and ensemble singing from soprano Adia Evans, mezzo-soprano Jazmine Olwalia, tenor Lawrence Barasa Kiharangwa, and bass Kevin Short…Evans and Olwalia each gave brilliant turns, their voices often coiling into a golden braid.”

— Michael Andor Brodeur | The Washington Post

“Giacomo Puccini's Act 3 of La Boheme…was beautifully performed. Adia Evans of Baltimore is brilliant onstage and her big beautiful voice shines brighter than her sparkling sequinned gown. She is an upcoming star.”

— Susan Lillis | Splash Magazine

“We prefer to share with you our impressions of our most favored singers …The opening aria was a stunning one as soprano Adia Evans tackled Elisabeth's aria "Dich teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser. We liked the way she modulated her sizable instrument, shading it to the demands of the text.”

— Meche Kroop | Voce di Meche

“On another day, any of [the encouragement award winners] may well have been among the six top-prize winners, especially soprano Adia Evans, tenor Bergsvein Toverud and bass-baritone Ben Strong. Evans opened the competition with a rousing ‘Dich teure Halle’ from Tannhäuser.”

— Rick Perdian | Seen and Heard International

“Of note were the First Lady (Adia Evans), Second Lady (Jazmine Olwalia), and the Third Lady (Quinn Middleman), whose strong voices carried much of the humor in the first act.”

— Darby DeJarnette | DC Theater Arts

“Were there other triumphant moments? There certainly were. I was floored, not once but twice, by the assurance and musical luster of soprano Adia Evans, who was a nimble partner to baritone Scott Lee in an excerpt from William Grant Still’s alluring 1942 opera “Highway 1, USA” and then to tenor Daniel Luis Espinal in the Act III duet from Puccini’s 'La Bohème.'"

— Joshua Kosman | San Francisco Chronicle - Datebook

"First, the singers are at a world-class level and well-suited to the roles they were assigned… Adia Evans brings dignity to the role of High Priestess"

— Gregory Sullivan Isaacs | Onstage NTX

"Especially thrilling were the respective vocal blends of the opera’s two trio ensembles — the Three Ladies (brightly and beautifully sung by Adia Evans, Erin Wagner, and Veena Akama-Makia) and the Three Spirits (Olivia Prendergast, Maggie Reneé, and Cody Bowers)."

— Joshua Kosman | San Francisco Chronicle - Datebook

"Other standout moments among many were soprano Adia Evans and baritone Scott Lee’s luminous performance of a duet from William Grant Still’s opera 'Highway 1, USA'"

— Caroline Crawford | Local News Matters - Bay Area

"Here, then, are some of the names to look for on the posters of the world’s great opera houses in the near future: ...Soprano Adia Evans and baritone Scott Lee in a brief nod to William Grant Still’s neglected works, here the duet “Listen, Mary, trust me” from Highway 1, USA"

— Janos Gereben | San Francisco Classical Voice

“The role of the beautiful and rich landowner, Adina, was sung by soprano Adia Evans, who was making her debut with UTOT. Evans showed off a big, beautifully projected voice nuanced with an attractive edge and sparkle that made listening to her a joy.”

— Alan Sherrod | Arts Knoxville