Julius Caesar // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"Sarah Mesko strides into the role of Julius Caesar and triumphs in it. Such believably manly grace and confidence she brings to it — both musically and as an actor. Slim and oh-so-handsome in that black trench-coat. So physically articulate and sure! Such mastery of vocal dynamics — that glorious crescendo, that breathtakingly controlled long diminuendo! Such lucid diction, such sweet purity of tone across her vast range! I am once again convinced that masculine ardor and force can be embodied simply in the mastery of beauty, whatever the vocal range. … Of all the people on stage only Sarah Mesko consistently uses the space naturally and dramatically. She grips us."
- Steve Callahan, Broadway World, June 13, 2024
"Sarah Mesko is excellent as Caesar. The mezzo-soprano’s arias are captivating. The glue that holds the entire production together, she gives the Roman ruler a vulnerability and authoritarian swagger that captivates audiences."
- Rob Levy, ReviewSTL, June 15, 2024
“As Caesar, mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko anchored the proceedings with ideal vocalism and acting…. Mesko’s greatest moment arrived with “Zephyrs fly to me” … she built a lovely messa di voce, I can still hear in my mind’s ear.”
- Benjamin Torbert, OperaWire, July 25, 2024
Julius Caesar // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"Act 1 ends with an astonishingly erotic encounter between Sarah Mesko as Caesar and Emily Pogorelc as Cleopatra. Both are brilliant. Mesko’s Caesar has a commanding presence, while Pogorelc makes Cleopatra’s resourcefulness as remarkable as her sensuality."
- Gerry Kowarsky, HEC, June 2024
"Mezzo Sarah Mesko as Caesar and soprano Emily Pogorelc as Cleopatra looked and sounded equally at home in their dramatic solos. Mesko’s 'Va tacito e nascosto,' in which Caesar compares his pursuit of Ptolemy to a hunter pursuing his prey, was a highlight.... Mesko cuts a heroic figure as the self-proclaimed 'master of the world'...."
- Chuck Lavazzi, Stage Left, June 13, 2024
Julius Caesar // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"Second among equals was the spectacularly assured mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko, who totally encompassed the challenges of the title role. I tend to prefer a countertenor in this assignment and have also heard a baritone or two in my time. But Ms. Mesko made a convincing case for this trouser role take, with her eloquent, slightly dusky singing, that was deployed with compelling conviction. Her Caesar cut a good figure with a believably swaggering masculine gait, an unaffected hero who paired charismatically with his Cleopatra. This fine artist was equally effective whether in heartfelt romantic banter, or fiery triphammer melismatic singing during which she sang the spots off the page. Ms. Mesko also notably pulled off the Marilyn Horne party trick of dropping from a searing high note to an amazingly potent chesty low note with no apparent effort. Hail, Caesar!"
- James Sohre, Opera Today, July 1, 2024
Carmen // Vancouver Opera
"Here, Carmen, rather than a simple seductress, feels more complex and empowered than usual. On opening night, American mezzo soprano Sarah Mesko ... brought both sizzle and strength to the role — not to mention a smouldering, richly hued voice."
- Janet Smith, Stir, April 29, 2024
"American mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko is a natural as the free-spirited, hyper sexual Carmen. She parlays her natural elegance, beauty and exquisite movement to the role … she possesses the vocal and physical attributes that this role demands."
- John Anthony Jane, Review Vancouver, April 2024
"...vocal prowess is met and matched, if not entirely overcome, by mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko as Carmen, a temptress unparalleled."
- Dorothy Woodend, The Tyee, May 6, 2024
Stabat Mater // Opera Lafayette
"Sarah Mesko’s expressive mezzo lent weight and elegance to solos like 'Fac ut portem Christi mortem,' deploying a range of delicate vocal effects and demonstrating some formidable low notes.... Blondeel and Mesko were excellent partners, building exciting tension in sustained harmonies and explosive combined moments like 'Fac ut ardeat cor meum.'"
- Alex Baker, Washington Classical Review, February 3, 2023
Carmen // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"Vocally and interpretively, Sarah Mesko’s Carmen could not be more alluring. Leaving behind the clichés of Carmen portrayal, Mesko presents a Carmen whose most attractive quality is her strong sense of self. Her decisions are relatable and even admirable."
- Gerry Kowarsky, HEC Media, June 2022
"Confidence is sexy. That was the message of OTSL’s new Carmen ... embodied by Sarah Mesko’s lusciously sung, appealingly outgoing performance in the title role ... Escamillo matched Mesko’s magnetism and intensity....."
- Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News, June 22, 2022
"Sarah Mesko’s accomplished mezzo-soprano richly presents the famous aria “Habanera,” which ... sets the tone for the production. Mesko also shows the haughty, rebellious nature of the title character and her lusty approach to sundry lovers...."
- Mark Bretz, Ladue News, May 27, 2022
Carmen // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"...Initially seen dragging a bloody bull’s head across the stage ... a headstrong, independent Carmen .... She even rides through some scenes on a motorcycle, like a sort of Daughter of Anarchy. In other scenes, she sports a matador jacket, a visual metaphor for a woman who – ultimately fatally – runs and fights with men rather than the bulls."
- Chas Adams, PopLifeSTL, June 10, 2022
"Sarah Mesko plays Carmen and blesses the role with her lovely powerful voice, wonderful diction, and a strong, large-featured beauty.... The two combative duets -- José vs. Escamillo and José vs. Carmen -- are stunning. Both are powerfully mano a mano."
- Steve Callahan, Broadway World, May 23, 2022
Carmen // Opera Theatre of St. Louis
"Mezzo Sarah Mesko is a Carmen with attitude to spare. Decked out in biker-chic leather (and with a bike to match), Mesko’s Carmen is one tough cookie ... a skilled actress with a big, silky-smooth voice that’s ideal for the role ... a strong, free woman rather than as the morally depraved strumpet Bizet’s librettists had in mind. Because this is not an old school 'Carmen.'"
- Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX, May 25, 2022
"Unlike previous versions of Carmen staged by OTSL, this one is a more contemporary celebration of one woman’s intoxicating spirit and raw sexuality.... Presented here as a motorcycle mama with a “take no prisoners” outlook, Carmen is a force of nature.... Watching Sarah Mesko’s Carmen tear down the system at every turn is a sheer delight. Her powerful performance anchors an entirely fresh production, giving it polish, sparkle, and plenty of sass."
- Rob Levy, ReviewSTL, MAY 25, 2022
Carmen // Tulsa Opera
"...an exciting mezzo gifted with a generous tone marked by warmth and richness in its middle and lower parts and a silvery sheen as it climbs upward. Mesko delivered the goods in her taunting and seductive Habanera and Seguidilla, but most impressive was her effectively stoic take on the tarot-reading scene.... Mesko’s approach was measured and extraordinarily sophisticated."
- Freddy Dominguez, Opera Wire, October 30, 2019
Daytime & Night Songs
"In this collection of pretty songs by Mira Spektor, Mesko showcases a supple, resonant voice anchored by immaculate diction and elegant phrasing. She also shows a knack for subtle characterization in short order — she is able to sound beguilingly wistful on one track and righteously imperious on the next."
- Freddy Dominguez, Opera Wire, October 26, 2019
"Melodic lines are beautifully shaped here by Mesko ... a fluid vocal line that floats across the music."
- Steven A. Kennedy, Cinemusical, October 23, 2019
The Coronation of Poppea // Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
"Sarah Mesko's plush, dusky mezzo communicated Ottavia's despair with depth and grace."
- Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News, September 2019
"Sarah Mesko ... thrills with bitterness and vengeance."
- Steve Callahan, Broadway World, June 11, 2019
"Sarah Mesko displayed a fine technique and beautiful mezzo-soprano voice as Ottavia, as well as some imperial attitude."
- Sarah Bryan Miller, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 11, 2019
"Mesko as Ottavia was no wet dishrag.... Ottavia is outnumbered and outgunned, but Mesko’s performance garnered audience sympathy and support for her Sisyphean efforts to save her marriage, status and self."
- CB Adams, St. Louis Limelight, June 20, 2019
"...as Ottavia, Nerone’s repudiated Empress, mezzo Sarah Mesko sang through her teeth in barely repressed fury...."
- Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2019
Carmen // Metropolitan Opera
"Sarah Mesko brought a voluptuous mezzo as Mercédès...."
- Eric C. Simpson, New York Classical Review, October 31, 2018
L'incoronazione di Poppea // Cincinnati Opera
"Sarah Mesko was wonderful as the discarded empress Ottavia. Her mezzo is rich and powerful, and her two arias were among the high points of the evening."
- Joe Law, Opera News, September 2018
Il Trovatore // Metropolitan Opera
"Sarah Mesko made an endearing Ines, warm and tender with her dark-hued mezzo."
- Eric C. Simpson, New York Classical Review, January 23, 2018
Hercules // Oregon Bach Festival
"The powerhouse mezzo, Sarah Mesko, inhabited this role. Her voice has a rich velvet sheen, and yet still it has the flexibility to roll out the coloratura lines.... [T]he real test of the mezzo’s vocal ability is the “mad scene,” “Where shall I fly” ... [performed] with histrionic and vocal fire."
- Marilyn Farwell, The Register-Guard, July 11, 2017
Feature // Opera News
"Sarah Mesko's voice is warm and vibrant — a true mezzo, without the soprano hue that so many of her peers possess."
- Brian Kellow, Opera News, November 2016
Dido and Aeneas // Master Voices
"We soon met three women, dressed like laborers, who were, in fact, the three Fates, spinning the thread of life and deliberating Dido's future: the sweet soprano Anna Christy ... the rich mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko ... and the amazing Ms. Clark ...."
- Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, April 30, 2016
"...Sarah Mesko had a satisfyingly dark, round mezzo in her roles as the Second Woman and the Second Witch."
- Oussama Zahr, Opera News, August 2016
Metropolitan Opera // Rising Stars Concert Series
"Mesko also sports a lovely and flexible instrument, tossing off Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” ... without any strain and enlivening several ensembles with impish personality."
- Robert Battey, The Washington Post, April 3, 2016
"The mezzo, Sarah Mesko, is the real thing, with a voice that is dark yet focused. As she later demonstrated, she too has the flexibility to surmount the most challenging virtuoso passage work with ease."
- Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, Theater Jones Performing Arts News, October 27, 2015
Cato in Utica // Glimmerglass Festival
"Sarah Mesko's impassioned Emilia won deserved ovations in arias of incredible difficulty."
- David Shengold, Opera, November 2015
"Mezzo Sarah Mesko, as the vengeful widow Emilia, provoked excitement through the contrast between her smoky lower register and her flashing top."
- Fred Cohn, Opera News, October 2015
"Sarah Mesko proved a strong villainess in the role of Emilia, particularly at the close of the Act II aria 'Come invano il mare irato.'"
- Sacha Evans, Bachtrack, August 2015
Prize Winner // Loren L. Zachary Competition
"The gifted mezzo Sarah Mesko justly won the $10,000 ... prize with her impeccably polished Seguidilla from Carmen and La Clemenza di Tito’s 'Deh, per questo.'"
- Brian Kellow, Opera News, August 2015
Prize Winner // George London Competition
"Mezzo Sarah Mesko ... offered a moving performance of Didon’s death scene from Les Troyens. Earlier in the week, she had performed the aria at the preliminaries, where I noticed that the judges weren’t scribbling at all; they were just listening."
- Brian Kellow, Opera News, May 2015
Albums
Daytime & Night Songs
Songs and chamber music by Mira Spektor (featuring Brent Funderburk, et al)