Nilsson’s luminous debut lifts the Met’s Tomb Raider “Aida”.
“… the triumphant company debut of Christina Nilsson in the title role.
Nilsson may be the most demure Aida ever to grace the Met stage. Her simple sheath instantly marks her as an outsider, but her regal bearing is that of a princess. Simplicity was Nilsson’s trump card, as visually and vocally, she stood out from the oversized and vocally super-charged Egyptians.
The Swedish soprano’s voice is cut from lyrical cloth but has an edge of Nordic steel. Her “Ritorna vincitor!” rang out impressively, but even more captivating were her spinning, luminous high notes, which crowned the aria. Sparks flew when Nilsson’s Ethiopian princess and Judit Kutasi’s Amneris squared off as rivals for Radamès, but this Aida shone most brightly in the Nile Scene.
Nilsson’s “O patria mia” was imbued with softness and passion, her shimming voice caressing Verdi’s soaring vocal lines with radiance and ease. Her duets with Roman Burdenko’s Amonasro and Brian Jagde’s Radamès were suffused with quieter depths of affection and drew equally fine-grained singing from them. The beauty of Nilsson’s voice and her emotional sincerity made this scene the emotional bedrock of the performance.” Aida/Metropolitan Opera 2025
Rick Peridan/New York Classical Review - March 15, 2025
"Nel ruolo del titolo si è distinta positivamente Christina Nilsson – giovane soprano svedese vincitrice nel 2017 del “Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition”, nel 2019 terza ad Operalia ed omonima di quel celebre soprano che nella seconda metà dell’Ottocento fu una delle più accreditate rivali di Adelina Patti – dotata di un timbro vocale gradevole e piuttosto peculiare, ottima proiezione, volume adeguato al ruolo. La tecnica sicura le ha consentito di superare senza apparenti problemi tutti gli scogli presenti in uno dei ruoli verdiani più complessi, do dei “Cieli azzurri” compreso. Una cantante che certamente merita l’attenzione che molti importanti teatri europei le stanno riservando." - Aida/Semperoper Dresden
"In the title role, Christina Nilsson stood out positively – a young Swedish soprano who won the Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition in 2017, placed third at Operalia in 2019, and shares her name with the famous soprano who, in the second half of the 19th century, was one of Adelina Patti’s most highly regarded rivals. She possesses a pleasant and rather distinctive vocal timbre, excellent projection, and a volume well suited to the role. Her secure technique allowed her to navigate all the challenges of one of Verdi’s most complex roles— including the high C in Cieli azzurri—without any apparent difficulty. She is certainly a singer deserving of the attention she is receiving from many major European theaters." Aida/Semperoper Dresden
Danilo Boaretto/OperaClick - January 18 2023
"...but equally impressive was the young Swedish soprano Christina Nilsson, sweet-toned and with a bell-like clarity, an angel on high soaring effortlessly in all her exposed lines." - Mahler 2/NDR Elbphilharmonie
Alexander Hall/Bachtrack - September 3 2022
"Christina Nilsson als Elsa mit ihrem schönen lyrischen Sopran macht eine ungeheure Entwicklung durch. Unter schwerer Anklage des Brudersmords stehend sie sich einen Retter, der nach einer enormen auch musikalisch dramatischen Steigerung auf mysteriöse Art erscheint und sie in einem Kampf mit ihrem Ankläger Telramund rehabilitiert." - Lohengrin/Oper Dortmund
Das Operamagasin - December 2 2019
"Christina Nilsson, die 28 Jahre jung ihr Debüt als Elsa gab, hat eine hübsche, helle, funkeinde, dabei aber durchaus tragfähige Stimme."
Detlef Brandenburg/Die Deutsche Bühne - December 1 2019
"Christina Nilsson ist eine Ariadne wie aus dem Bilderbuch: jung, verzweifelt, total am Rand. Sie singt ganz ohne Wobble, mit grossem Atem. Voll, weich und rund glänzt diese Stimme, sie hat heldische Höhe und orgelnde Tiefe.
Nilsson ist zurzeit einer der Shootingstars der Opernszene. Erst vorletztes Jahr hat sie in Stockholm ihr Examen absolviert, einige Preise gewonnen und wird nun international herumgereicht, zuletzt als Chrysothemis in Lyon. Und wo immer sie singt, fällt sie auf." - Ariadne/Ariadne auf Naxos/Opéra de Lausanne
Eleonore Büning/Neue Zürcher Zeitung - March 19 2019
”Sensational Young Aida Enchants Stockholm. … I expected no less, having heard her before, but here she showed true mastery. The voice is big, brilliant and beautiful, and like Tebaldi, she can spin the most delicate of pianissimo threads and still project over the orchestra. Her Nile aria was absolutely marvellous…” Aida/Royal Swedish Opera
Göran Forsling/Seen and Heard International – February 02 2018
