Reviews (highlights)

"...impressive." - Evening Standard (Barry Millington, May 18, 2003)

"...disclosed a fine lyric voice; her phrasing was beautifully coloured, her coloratura secure." - Opera magazine (John Allison, May 2005)

"...strong...tender and touching." - Opera magazine (Elizabeth Millard, May 2003)

"sweet, delectable soprano." - Musical Opinion (David Alker, March/April 2004)

"a singer of limpid expressivity who will do well in the many young heroine roles in which she is already being cast." - www.operatalent.com (Tim Passmore, November 20, 2004)

"spellbinding" - The Classical Source.com (Richard Whitehouse, January 2004)

Polish-American soprano Pamela Hay studied at the Royal College of Music, John Hopkins University and Mozarteum, Salzburg, receiving numerous prestigious awards and singing in many masterclasses, including that of Barbara Bonney.

Pamela's wide-ranging opera roles performed include Donna Elvira (British Youth Opera), the title role in The Merry Widow (Bloomsbury Theatre, Opera UK), Yum Yum (UK tour), Barbarina (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), Norina, Euridice, Belinda, Créuse (British premiere of Milhaud’s Médée), Anne Page (Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor), La Princesse (Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges), and Elle (Poulenc’s one-woman opera La Voix humaine) with Houston Grand Opera, Utah Festival Opera Company, Aspen Music Festival, Carl Rosa Opera Company and Opera Della Luna. She has also sung roles written specially for her voice at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, including Psyche in The Golden Ass with Mark Rylance and created the role of Amy in Little Women at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

On the concert platform, Pamela has appeared in the recital series of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and also on tour in Moscow, St Petersburg, London, Salzburg, Belgium, Costa Rica and the USA, including the Kennedy Centre and the Voice of Ameirca radio network. She is the associate soprano with the new orchestra Sound Collective, comprising members of the Philharmonia and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. She frequently appears as soloists with choirs and orchestras all over the UK in music ranging from Haydn Nelson Mass to Britten Les Illuminations, at venues including St John’s, Smith Square, Little Missenden Festival, St Albans Abbey and the Yaroslav Symphony in Russia.

Pamela’s forthcoming engagements include Pamina in The Magic Flute (Bel Canto Opera, Cheltenham), Rosmene in Imeneo (Cambridge Handel Opera Group with conductor Andrew Jones and director Tom Hawkes), Hanna Glawari (international tour of The Merry Widow, Opera UK) and Ellen in Lakmé (Holland Park Opera).

Press reviews

"Pamela Hay cut a glamorous figure as the blonde dollybird - any resemblance of her dark-haired, havoc-wreaking Sofronia to Angela Gheorghiu was surely coincidental - and disclosed a fine lyric voice; her phrasing was beautifully coloured, her coloratura secure."
John Allison, Opera Magazine - May 2005 (Don Pasquale)

"All the principals are splendid. Pamela Hay as Norina brings beauty and vivacity to match her beautiful soprano."
Stuart Russell, The Standard, Wilts and Glos - March 2005 (Don Pasquale)

"...Trendy Noreen, pleasingly sung by Pamela Hay"
Anne Dunn, The Gloucestershire Echo - March 2005 (Don Pasquale)

Bubikopf ("A Girl"), The Kaiser of Atlantis Opera Up Close, London

“Pamela Hay as A Girl was also impressive”
- Barry Millington, Evening Standard, March 2003

“In the only other female role, that of the Girl, Pamela Hay was also strong, her light and clear tone piercing the heavier texture of the finale. Her duet with Christopher Ovenden was tender and touching.”
- Elizabeth Millard, Opera magazine, May 2003

Soloist, Song of the Angel, Lament for Phaedra (Tavener) Sound Collective

“[The two Tavener pieces] Both exceptional works and both receiving outstanding performances... the ambition of Sound Collective is musical perfection - they achieved this.”
- Bernard Pritchard, The Bucks Examiner, October 2004

“Bold and Splendid” “This was a splendid concert performed by a splendid group of young professionals... [the performance of Song of the Angel] manages to produce two striking ethereal climaxes”
- Stan Meares, Free Press, Bucks, October 2004

“Superb Night of Musical Talents” “John Tavener’s Song of the Angel and Lament for Phaedra were the subject of elegant and controlled performances by soprano Pamela Hay.”
- Jerald Smith, Express & Star, Staffordshire, October 2004

Soloist, Les Illuminations Sound Collective

“As well as the required upper range, Pamela Hay had the vocal presence to project Rimbaud’s flights of fancy so that the audience ‘feels’ their potency without necessarily comprehending... the dying fall of ‘Phrase’ was spellbinding - as were the teasing prosody of ‘Being Beauteous’ and those varied recurrences of the initial setting which impart unity to the cycle as a whole.”
- Richard Whitehouse, The Classical Source.com, January 2004

“Britten’s Les Illuminations was led by a brutally magnificent opening... Pamela Hay’s sweet, delectable soprano... moments of grandeur and beauty, hastened by a tremendous energy from all”
- David Alker, Musical Opinion, March/April 2004

Anne Page, The Merry Wives of Windsor Bel Canto Opera

“Romantic interest is provided by the adorable Anne Page, beautifully acted and sung by Pamela Hay, who outwits her parents to get the man she loves.”
- Roger Jones, The Gloucestershire Echo, February 24, 2004

“The singing and acting were excellent”
- Di Alexander, The Standard, Wilts and Glos, March 2004

Yum-Yum, The Mikado Opera della Luna

“...Pamela Hay’s vivacious Yum-Yum...‘Terrific’ was the word I heard several times as the audience left the theatre. I agree.”
- Giles Woodforde, Oxfordshire Mail, October 2003

The Woman, La Voix humaine Independently produced

“ I found it spectacular from every point of view... [Pamela’s] voice was so expressive and with so many colors... Francis would have been proud.”
- Thomas Grubb, pianist, coach and author of A Manual of French Diction, May 2000

“She had a real way with the language, and moreover, her stage movement was seamless, and her presence was very striking throughout.”
- Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Head of Voice, Peabody Conservatory of Music, May 2000

“I have never heard such utterly convincing delivery of the French, or such rapid and assured handling of the recitatives... Cocteau would have been very pleased.”
- Roger Brunyate, Head of Opera, Peabody Conservatory of Music, May 2000

“[Pamela] sounded and looked like she could do no wrong.”
Judah Adashi, composer, May 2000

Louise, Carousel Utah Festival Opera Company

"One of the most moving moments is the Pas de Deux between Pamela Hay and Bill Biondolino. Hay plays Louise with a grace and sensitivity that makes her instantly lovable."
- Rick Mortensen, Deseret News, July 1999

"Among the joys of Carousel are the dances...When Billy and Julie's daughter Louise (played by Pamela Hay) dances her Pas de Deux with the Young Vaganbond, the scene is beautiful and affecting."
-Celia Baker, Salt Lake Tribune, July 1999

Singer, Twelfth Night Baltimore Shakespeare Festival

"Not only do [Olivia's] serving women festoon her garden shrubs with black ribbons, they trail behind her singing sad songs (composed by John Bowen and beautifully delivered by Pamela Hay...)
- J.Wynn Rousuck, Baltimore Sun, April 1999

Can-Can Girl, Orpheus in the Underworld Brevard Music Center

"Three accomplished dancers (Pamela Hay...) took center stage while the whole company joined in."
- John Bridges, July 1996

Recitalist Polish Heritage Association of Maryland

“A brilliant soloist... Pamela opened her program with a bold rendition of “The Laughing Song” from Die Fledermaus of Johann Strauss II. She flawlessly sang several German pieces of Mozart and Franz Schubert. Her graceful and happy rendition of a selection of songs by Karol Szymanowski enchanted the audience. The enthusiastic listeners gave the young artist a standing ovation. The venerable Monsignor Zdzislaw Peszkowski, who was in the audience, asked Pamela for her autograph.”
- Trumpeter (PHAM magazine), Vol.26 No.3, May/June 2000

Recitalist Residence of the Consulate General of the USA, St.Petersburg, Russia

“If I would close my eyes when [Pamela] sang, I would never believe it was a non-Russian singer.”
- Sergei Slonimsky, Composer, May 2001