Josephine/Pagliacci – Union Avenue Opera
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves masterfully leads both the quintet in Josephine and the twenty-piece orchestra in Pagliacci. For Pagliacci he draws every single ounce of emotion out of that score. Marvelous!
Josephine is a musically and theatrically demanding piece for both the singer and the orchestra. Scored for a quintet consisting of violin, cello, flute, clarinet, and piano, the music covers a range of emotions with the most economical of means. The Union Avenue Opera musicians played flawlessly under the direction of Stephen Hargreaves.
…Conductor Hargreaves led the 20-piece orchestra in a rousing account of the score, and the Union Avenue chorus demonstrated impressive versatility as the assorted villagers.
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves leads the Union Avenue orchestra in a spirited account of Leoncavallo’s score.
Suor Angelica – Out of the Box Opera
The audience often catches glimpses of Stephen Hargreaves’ heartfelt, gentle conducting due to the placement of the orchestra in each room. Maybe it is just the latent choir kid in me, but being on the receiving end of his conducting deepened my connection to the music.
Meanwhile, music director and conductor Stephen Hargreaves guides the small orchestra into a wonderful sound that shifts from intimate to profound throughout the show.
From the moment the orchestra struck the first note, the audience was enveloped in Puccini’s lush, emotional score. Led by the skilled conductor, Stephen Hargreaves, the orchestra delivered a performance that was both powerful and nuanced, perfectly complementing the vocalists on stage.
Stephanie Kwong, Phenomnaltwincities.com
Cendrillon – Opera McGill
There’s no denying the exceptional quality of Opera McGill’s cast (impressive in number, especially as two casts share the three performances). From the very first bars, the orchestra asserts itself and delivers a performance of consistent quality, despite Cendrillon’s two-hour running time.
Elena Mandolini, Pan M 360
Don Pasquale – Union Avenue Opera
The singing is sublime, and the comedy is uproarious in the marvelous staging of Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at Union Avenue Opera. Stage director Jon Truitt and conductor Stephen Hargreaves have collaborated on a production in which the musical and theatrical values are equally brilliant.
Hargreaves leads the orchestra in a bracing account of the score in the orchestral reduction by Tony Burke.
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves lifts his baton to begin the gorgeous overture. It is a very kaleidoscope of music, with many quick shifts of form and mood and tempo. There’s a heartfelt cello solo, there’s frenzy, there’s sweet lilting melody, there’s chase—the whole spectrum. And it’s beautifully controlled.
Beautifully percolating beneath the action on stage is the chamber-size orchestra under the direction of conductor Stephen Hargreaves. The orchestra provides a satisfying and masterful account of the score.
Hänsel und Gretel – Opera McGill
Dans la fosse, Stephen Hargreaves dirige avec sensibilité les trente-six musiciens de l’Orchestre symphonique de McGill, qui, après avoir cherché leurs marques dans une ouverture plutôt timorée, se ressaisissent rapidement et gagnent en assurance, en particulier dans le prélude (« La chevauchée des sorcières ») et la conclusion du deuxième tableau, puis enfin dans un troisième acte très enlevé.
Falstaff – Union Avenue Opera
Stephen Hargreaves leads his large orchestra to a fine marriage with the singers, always supporting the voices, never dominating them. Hargreaves shows a masterful handling of dynamics.
Under the skilled baton of Stephen Hargreaves, the orchestra sounds great, with Verdi’s many expressive instrumental details coming through loud and clear. Individual performances range from good to stunning, both musically and theatrically, and the overall experience is immensely satisfying.
At Union Avenue, conductor Stephen Hargreaves and stage director Jon Truitt are in lockstep in their traditional staging. The excellent playing of the orchestra and singing and acting of the cast all work together to achieve the opera’s potential.
Under the baton of conductor Stephen Hargreaves, the music of Verdi’s final opera and only second comedy is frothy, splendid and connects deeply with the performers.
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves leads the UAO orchestra in a well-read and -performed interpretation of Verdi’s highly agreeable score, a treat for the audience’s ears.
Il barbiere di Siviglia – Union Avenue Opera
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves led his orchestra and singers into beauty and balance in what surely must have been an acoustically foreign setting.
Truitt kept everything humming at a most enjoyable clip, while Hargreaves coaxed an entertaining reading of Rossini’s score from the UAO orchestra.
La clemenza di Tito – Opera McGill
L’ouverture majestueuse est très bien conduite et interprétée par l’ensemble de chambre Pronto Musica et le chef Stephen Hargreaves : inflexions, accents et lignes mélodiques sont déjà teintées de l’aspect contrasté caractéristique de cet opéra.
Nabucco – Union Avenue Opera
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves does a sensational job culling an excellent reading of Verdi’s lush score by members of the Union Avenue Opera orchestra, making it easy to understand why this work propelled Verdi to fame in the first place.
But the chorus! The chorus, under conductor Stephen Hargreaves and assistant chorus master Jon Garrett, achieve the sublime! Time and again their sixteen voices blend in a sweet unison which focuses and compels and symbolizes the unity of a people. When they entered through the audience singing that incomparable “Va pensiero” I felt utterly wrapped and invested in that nostalgic yearning of the Hebrew slaves.Maestro Hargreaves does superb work from that moment when the ominous chorus of low brass starts the overture till the final notes of the evening.
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves and stage director Mark Freiman provide expert guidance, ensuring quality performances that help convey the story and musical themes.
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves found both good tempos and good balances between the stage and pit.
Lucia di Lammermoor – Opera McGill
L’Orchestre symphonique McGill, expertement dirigé par le chef et répétiteur principal Stephen Hargreaves, a été à la hauteur de la tâche en supportant et en appuyant une solide distribution qui, à mes yeux et à mes oreilles, a su rendre justice à cette œuvre notoirement exigeante pour les trois rôles principaux de Lucia, Edgardo et Enrico.
De son côté, Stephen Hargreaves, au gouvernail de l’Orchestre symphonique de McGill, n’a pas craint d’énergiser la partition, notamment dans le prélude du premier Acte, qui révèle un larghetto somme toute allant, appuyé par une timbale ferme et bien présente. Un choix qui s’est révélé judicieux. La section des violons, pour ce qui la concerne, a fait un joli travail de texture. Elle revêt un caractère agréablement lisse dans les moments où ses effectifs sont à l’unisson.
Le chef de l’Orchestre symphonique de McGill, Stephen Hargreaves y compris tous ses excellents musiciens et choristes ont aussi conquis le coeur du public.
Tosca – Union Avenue Opera
Conductor Stephen Hargreaves draws consistently excellent work from his singers and orchestra.
Stephen Hargreaves leads the Union Avenue orchestra in a rousing account of the score …
Alcina (continuo) – Santa Fe Opera
The addition of a concert harp, in the manner of a theorbist or chitarrone player, to the continuo group led stylishly by harpsichordist Stephen Hargreaves added magical variety in the pit.
#Uncle John (Don Giovanni) Banff
And of course, Stephen Hargreaves totally impresses as the conductor of this production. This man can interpret a Mozart score musically and properly for all its scholarly perspectives – and he always gets it right, phrase for phrase and tempo for tempo, every single time. So the musical interpretation really impresses.
Orpheus and Euridice – Chicago Opera Theater
Conducting the chamber ensemble in a corner of the room (the Metropolis String Quartet and bassist Timothy Shaffer) from the piano, Stephen Hargreaves led a flexible yet responsive performance.
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