April 2025
LA SCENA MUSICALE, GIANMARCO SEGATO
Charpentier's David et Jonathas
“As David, tenor Colin Ainsworth was exemplary in meeting all these requirements. Followers of opera in Canada have had many opportunities to hear Ainsworth over his long career, and I wonder if he is somewhat taken for granted? As David, he delivered clarion tone, secure and beautiful throughout its range. His diction is pristine, making the surtitle translations almost superfluous. He moves with confidence and unabashedly inhabits his conflicted character who embodies heroism, loyalty, love and grief. The mainly lyrical nature of Charpentier's vocal writing perfectly suits his instrument. The company is lucky to have such a persuasive artist on its regular roster of soloists.”
BARCZABLOG.COM, PETER BARCZA
Charpentier's David et Jonathas
“It's a thrill hearing the powerful tenor voice of Colin Ainsworth, a stalwart performer for Opera Atelier.”
THE DANCE DEBRIEF, DEANNE KEARNEY
Charpentier's David et Jonathas
“The production features a large and impressive cast, with tenor Colin Ainsworth leading as David. His voice carries lots of power and warmth, paired with expressive acting that makes every moment land. Ainsworth truly continues to prove himself as an operatic legend in Canada.”
OPERA CANADA, JOHN GILKS
Charpentier's David et Jonathas
“OA stalwart Colin Ainsworth is very good in the haute-contre role of David. He sings stylishly and with enough oomph for the hall. He also has tons of experience of making this stylistic approach work dramatically. ”
January 2020
OPERAWIRE.COM, JOHN CARROLL
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
“With his tall, lean frame and blonde curls, Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth was a dapper, conflicted Lenksy. He worked up a frenzy of jealous angst in the name day dance scene, then pulled inward for the tragic duel and the melancholy'Koda, Koda' aria. The profound self-reflective pathos of this aria was made more moving through Ainsworth’s exquisite vocal control, launching the second verse with a haunting, clean-lined pianissimo.”
BACHTRACK, THOMAS MAY
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
“With his tender high tenor, Colin Ainsworth made a memorable impact in his leave-taking scene before the duel...”
THE SEATTLE TIMES, GAVIN BORCHERT
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
“As Olga’s fiancé, the impetuous poet Lensky, Colin Ainsworth’s tenor is as clear and warm as a sunny August day”
OPERAWARHORSES.COM, WILLIAM BURNETT
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
"'Eugene Onegin' contains Russian opera’s greatest tenor aria "Kuda, kuda vi udalilis". Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth performed the aria sympathetically. Always in character, Ainsworth showed comfort portraying a young man, whose jealous reactions to Onegin’s outrageous attention to his fiancee was wholly believable.”
April 2019
Stage door review
Mozart's Idomeneo
"For this production Pynkoski has assembled an especially starry cast. Colin Ainsworth, long an OA favourite, powerfully brings out the pain that the guilt-stricken Idomeneo suffers. Ainsworth’s voice, once so pure and high, has noticeably darkened over the years but has gained more depth of colour and expression. In this his first Idomeneo, he is best in the arias of delight such as 'Vedrommi intorno' and 'Torna la pace'."
Greek Press, James Karas
Mozart's Idomeneo
"The cast is exemplary starting with Opera Atelier stalwart, tenor Colin Ainsworth as the unfortunate Idomeneo. He is a haunted man who has made a terrible choice. Ainsworth has a finely tuned voice and his Idomeneo expresses vocal finesse and delivery of character as much as is permitted in opera seria."
Mooney on Theatre
Mozart's Idomeneo
"Tenor Colin Ainsworth gives an excellent reckoning of Idomeneo, satisfyingly muscular in both acting and musicianship. His slightly darker tenor suits his regal demeanor, while giving him the sprightliness needed for Idomeneo‘s emotional range."
December 2018
Baroquiades, Bruno Maury
Rameau's Pygmalion
« Colin Ainsworth s’affirme comme le haute-contre vedette de cette charmante production. Sa diction est signée, sa projection ferme et sonore, sans excès incongru. Sa vaillante prestance de chasseur, chaussé de hautes bottes et couvert d’une élégante cape (Agréable vallon, paisible solitude, empli de panache et superbement relayé par l’orchestre) va vite se muer en prière puis en effroi lorsqu’il entrevoit sa transformation (Mon cœur, autrefois intrépide). Relevons aussi sa gestuelle particulièrement expressive, en particulier dans ce passage de la transformation en cerf. Mais c’est évidemment le rôle de Pygmalion qui lui offre ses plus brillants morceaux : le timbre se fait charmeur pour invoquer le Fatal amour, cruel vainqueur avec de chaleureux reflets. Les airs qui s’enchaînent dans la seconde partie de la pièce seront salués d’applaudissements nourris et mérités : tout particulièrement L’Amour triomphe, et Règne Amour, soulignés par des traversos enchanteurs et repris par un chœur enthousiaste. »
ResMusica, Steeve Boscardin
Rameau's Actéon & Pygmalion
« La distribution assume parfaitement ces deux univers à commencer par Colin Ainsworth qui interpelle par la clarté de son timbre de haute-contre et la limpidité de sa diction. Que ce soit la plainte d’Actéon, ou le pyrotechnique « lance tes traits » de Pygmalion, rien ne semble résister au ténor qui malgré la vaillance de sa projection, ne manque pas de nuances. »
October 2018
Barczablog, Peter Barcza
Rameau's Actéon & Pygmalion
"Pygmalion is in a different style from Actéon, but again starring Colin Ainsworth, who seems to sing more notes than everyone else put together(!), a remarkable amount of flawless coloratura. Where he roamed into haute-contre territory for the role of Actéon the Rameau score seems to require more voice, a great deal of impressive singing."
Schmopera, Jenna Simonov
Rameau's Actéon & Pygmalion
"…all supporting the heroic and human sound of tenor Colin Ainsworth, who sings the title roles in both operas. The double-bill is a great arc for Ainsworth, moving from the submissive, apologetic pleas of Actéon, into the full-bodied Pygmalion; Ainsworth delivers an extended monster aria of coloratura and awesome high notes, seemingly without a drop of sweat."
Ludwig van Toronto, Steven Bonfield
Rameau's Actéon & Pygmalion
"Ainsworth has the kind of voice that makes you think of several composers and their diverse styles all at once, ranging from Lully to Gluck to Mozart and well beyond. He was brilliant and brought to life the many instructive elements of story-telling found in the courtly entertainments of Louis XV. What a time it must have been to experience such unvarnished praise of living a life steeped in an eros at once thought of as creative as it would have been extolled for its pure pleasure. There were no brakes here on Ainsworth as he disgorged a virtuoso series of scales, trills, and breath-defying virtuosity in his prayer to Venus and his celebratory aria to end the work, the very acme of Rameau’s musical depictions.
Colin Ainsworth sang ebulliently and quintessentially in mid-century style, his tenor a perfect transliteration of the original and rare haute-contre. Ainsworth’s voice is a true gift to audiences, and here he literally became the vocal embodiment of Gledhill’s movement power, just as Mireille Asselin’s Amour (Cupid) personified the divine Eros characterization with her command and ease of line and pure grace."
April 2017
Musical Toronto, STEVEN BONFIELD
Charpentier’s Medée
“With iron-clad dramatic singing all the way from Colin Ainsworth’s ignominious Jason, who cannot stand to suffer another moment of his devoted Medea, played with considerable puissance…The casting was through and through perfect, with Mr. Ainsworth’s Jason roving from petulant to truculent and showing that the hero of the Golden Fleece was, in reality, a reprobate player and user of his wife Medea, casting her aside after he had found enough use for her spells to abet his heroism, and wishing that he could be “loved just a little less.” Mr. Ainsworth even brought a churlishness to his upper-timbre when he complained in Act III that he could not bear Medea’s complaints any longer about his faithfulness, knowing full well that his betrothal to Créuse will follow in the very next scene, breaking Medea’s heart.
When I saw Mr. Ainsworth perform the role again Sunday afternoon, he was even better than Saturday’s opening night, looking consummately self-assured and in complete harmonic control, not only relying on his trademark lyricism but reaching professionally for much more in timbre and vocal acting. Audiences will appreciate his strident depictions: a heroism of convenience fraught with self-deception that reaps its consequences, and finally, Mr. Ainsworth’s striking counterpoise of shock and incredulity relative to a delirious Medea who murders Jason’s sons, her own children in effect, giving in to a vengeance that yields a cathartic consummation of Euripidean tragedy.”
Opera Going Toronto, IAN RITCHIE
Charpentier’s Medée
“Appearing as Jason, tenor Colin Ainsworth is a powerhouse, channelling his big lusty instrument with almost rash abandon, impulsive and dangerous. Fearlessly employing a somewhat more unvarnished tone than Kriha Dye, the versatile Toronto-based singer actor positively shreds his frequent strapping duets with her, flinging us headlong into the midst of their crumbling partnership with his potent contribution to their first tart encounter, D’où vo’ vient cet air sombre? (“Whence come you with this black brow?”) This is an on-stage team of some considerable ferocity.”
May 2016
The Seattle Times, MELINDA BARGREEN
Wagner's Flying Dutchman
“Colin Ainsworth is a lyrical Steersman and a highly effective actor.”
Bachtrack
Wagner's Flying Dutchman
“The Steersman (Colin Ainsworth) became a much more active participant, returning in the final scene to watch the planned wedding party disintegrate into chaos, to which he contributed unhinged laughter.”
