In The New York Sun [2008] Jay Nordlinger singled out Ms. Porackova in her debut at the Salzburg Easter Festival in DIE WALKÜRE with the Berlin Philharmoniker, under the direction of Simon Rattle: “Foremost of those Walkyries, apart from the Brünnhilde, was Joanna Porackova as Gerhilde…she was girlish and fantastic.”

After her performance as Magda in THE CONSUL the  Boston Herald[2005] said “ ‘I cannot imagine that this performance  could ever be surpassed.  JOANNA PORACKOVA rose gloriously to the occasion of her climactic aria ‘To this we’ve come’. In short, she was a miracle.”

“In the central role of Magda Sorel, JOANNA PORACKOVA, singing with soaring majesty, tensile passion and earth-mother conviction, moved about like a caged tigress, all pent up and in the throes of paper chains. “ Opera News[2005]

Ms. Porackova sang her first ‘Isolde’ in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Grand Theatre in Tours, France during the spring of 2004.  After a triumphant success as TURANDOT in Klagenfurt, Austria, fall 2003: “Her dramatic soprano and her stage presence covered the role (TURANDOT) entirely…. Bravo, bravo for this astounding singer”  Die Woche Kultur

“As Senta, Joanna Porackova….transmitted the character’s obsessive passion with warmth” said The New York Times in the Würzburg 2002 production of DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER.

The New York Times also praised her for “singing with great fervor and skill” in her 2001 debut with the Washington Opera, Kennedy Center, as Magda Sorel in THE CONSUL under the direction of Gian Carlo Menotti. 

After her performance of the title role in Rolf Lieberman’s world premiere of MEDEA, at the Stadttheater Bern, Switzerland, in June 2001, The Neue Züricher Zeitung complemented her for “mastering the enormous technical and musical work with wonderful modulations in the voice and a bravura intense dramatic performance”.

The Boston Globe described her NORMA, with the Boston Bel Canto Opera, as a “mythic soprano with heroic declamation, suave cantilena, delicate fioritura and a huge vocal and emotional range, a poet’s feeling for nuance and the staying power of a triathlete … sending the audience into frenzies with her melting cadenzas, impassioned recitatives and floating high notes”.

Opera News said her NORMA demonstrated ‘fine bel canto style, passion, color and phrasing”. 

The American Record Guide January 1999 complimented “the absolutely phenomenal dramatic soprano” Joanna Porackova for her performance as Anaide to Jerome Hines’ Mose in Rossini’s MOSE IN EGITTO at Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center.  She also won critical acclaim from the New York Times for the same role as “the most stageworthy in the cast and her soprano blossomed through the evening”

Ms. Porackova has been engaged in principal roles with the Aix en Provence and Salzburg Easter Festivals with the Berlin Philharmonic, New England Conservatory Puccini Festival, Washington Opera, Paris Opera, Hong Kong Opera, Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, Stadttheater Bern, Switzerland, Boston Lyric, Baltimore, Connecticut, Greater Miami, Seattle, Anchorage, Boston Bel Canto Operas, Boston Academy of Music, Opera Boston and the Concert Opera of Boston.  

She has performed the title roles of NORMA, AIDA, MEDEA, TOSCA, LA WALLY, RUSALKA, FIDELIO,  as well as Gerhilde in DIE WALKUERE, Amelia in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Lady MacBeth in MACBETH, Leonora in IL TROVATORE,  Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, Giorgetta in IL TABARRO, Magda Sorel in THE CONSUL and Senta in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER.  She made her European debut in the title role of SALOME and Abigaille in NABUCCO in Germany. 

Ms. Porackova’s concert repertoire includes the Mahler 2ND SYMPHONY, Verdi’s REQUIEM, Wagner’s WESENDONK LIEDER , Beethoven’s  “AH..PERFIDO..” and Strauss’ VIER LETZTE LIEDER.  She has performed with the Civic Symphony Orchestra of Boston, the Ars Musica Chorale (NY) and Symphony Pro Musica. 

She sang a recital in the Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel, where she was the first place winner in the Jerusalem Vocal Institute Competition.  She was also presented by the Wagner Society of New York in a debut recital in CAMI Hall.  Ms. Porackova has worked under the direction of Gian Carlo Menotti, James Conlon, David Stern, Jean Yves Ossonce and Daniel Klajner, Simon Rattle and Rainer Armbrust.  She has been an invited guest performing in master classes with Franco Corelli, Ely Ameling, and Giuletta Simionato.

A winner of numerous awards and competitions, Ms. Porackova was a finalist in the Richard Tucker Foundation Competition, a fellowship award winner with the Opera Theater International (OMTI) and a grant competition winner from the Wagner Society of New York.  She is also prominently listed in the AMERICAN WAGNER SINGERS GOLD BOOK.  In 2006 she received a special grant from the Wagner Society of New York and performed a solo recital, “The Great Heroines of German Opera”, with the Boston Wagner Society.

Ms. Porackova has released a CD with pianist Dag Achatz on Americus Records in their Russian Masters Series.

UPCOMING: 

• Alto Solo, Verdi REQUIEM Masterworks Chorale, Boston, MA March 2010
• Alto solo Verdi REQUIEM Civic Symphony Orchestra Boston, May 2010
• Solo Concert, Boston Wagner Society (excerpts TRISTAN UND ISOLDE and DIE WALKUERE May 2010
• May 2012 Gerlinde in 'DIE WALKUERE' Berlin.Germany .. concert performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle conducting.
• 2010 VERDI REQUIEM, Mezzosoprano, Civic Symphony Orchestra, Max Hobart, conductor
  
• Solo Concert , Longwood Symphony (Boston, MA), Jonathan Mcphee, Conductor Season 2010-2011
• 2011 Gerlinde in concert performances of "WALKUERE' with the Berlin Philharmonic in Berlin, under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle.
  

RECENT PERFORMANCES:

• DIE WALKUERE Sieglinde -- Concert with Symphony Pro Musica January 2009
• Gerhilde in DIE WALKUERE, Salzburg Festival, Berliner Philharmoniker Conductor Simon Rattle, Summer 2008
• Gerhilde in DIE WALKUERE, Aix en Provence Festival, Berliner Philharmoniker, conductor Simon Rattle, Summer 2007 ……….
  
• September 2008 Boston Wagner Society Concert
  
• Magda in ‘The Consul” Boston Opera, October 2005
  
• Isolde in ‘Tristan und Isolde” Grand Theatre, Tours, France, 2004
  
• Norma (title) Florham Opera, New Jersey, 2004
  
• Turandot (title) Theater Klagenfurt, Austria, 2003
  
• Senta “Der Fliegende Hollaender” production Katharina Wagner Theater Wuerzburg, Germany, 2003
  
• Abigaille “Nabucco” Concert Opera of Boston, 2002
  Medea, (title) Rolf Liebermann’s “Medea” World premiere, Bern, Switzerland, ‘La Bastille Opera, Paris (cover) 2002
  

UPCOMING:

'Ms. Porackova is simply a great artist...Her vocal endowment is huge, larger than the majority of today's leading Wagnerian sopranos. This singer has absolutely everything it takes - including her physical beauty- to sing Isolde, Bruennhilde and numerous other German-opera heroines. The world needs to hear her."
President and Founder 'the Boston Wagner Society, Inc. Dalia Geffen