CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“Van Gay tackles the moral murkiness of Faust with finesse… His ‘Salut! Demeure chaste et pure’ is painfully beautiful.” |
“Commanding voice… warm tone with high notes piercing in an uplifting way.” |
“Convincingly besotted and emotionally engaged… mustering considerable vocal power.” |
Faust — Heartbeat Opera (NYC, 2025)
TheaterScene.net |
Photo: Andrew Boyle
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Blogcritics
“Tenor Orson Van Gay II has a commanding voice… Van Gay does a nice job embodying a weird, difficult character — a romantic lead who is also a wannabe-libertine and an abandoner, someone we can empathize with only to a very limited degree. His overall warm tone makes his high notes surprisingly piercing in an uplifting way.”
New York Classical Review
“Orson Van Gay II as Faust was convincingly besotted and emotionally engaged, mustering considerable vocal power.”
Seen & Heard International
“Orson Van Gay II’s ‘Salut, demeure chaste et pure’ glowed with warmth and ardor, a moment that crystallized the emotional weight of the evening.”
Bachtrack
“Van Gay drew easy sympathies with his warm tenor, creating an accessible and deeply human Faust.”
Blind Injustice — Master Voices — Lincoln Center
In a show-stopping aria by tenor Orson Van Gay II as the imprisoned Glover—to hip-hop, and from silky romance to jagged protest." — New York Classical Review Tenor Orson Van Gay II as Laurese Glover, the nominal leader of the East Cleveland Three, was outstanding with sulky and silky grievance, as well as humiliating resignation to his absurd fate. Tenor Orson Van Gay II as Laurese Glover soared with shimmering brilliance as he expressed and sustained a visceral emotional intensity in the stratosphere of his voice, earning immediate extended applause." — Front Row Center 
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Perhaps the musical and dramatic highlight of the evening was the searing aria sung by tenor Orson Van Gay II — a cry that rises desperately to the heavens from the wrongfully accused character’s soul in the depths of his despair." — Interludes The Hole, in which Van Gay II described repeated periods of solitary confinement in a cramped space with blistering emotion and a searing voice. — Seen and Heard International As one of a trio of prisoners known collectively as the East Cleveland Three, Orson Van Gay II’s piercing tenor stood out for its clarity and passion." — Theater Pizzazz |
La Traviata --Piedmont Opera |
Tenor Orson Van Gay, II has a charming warm tone, very even in all registers, with an intense vibrato, well-suited to his role of earnest young lover hoping to woo La Violetta away from her coterie of admirers and imitators. In Van Gay’s performance, Alfredo’s aria ‘De’ miei bollenti spiriti’ was a potent statement of personal conviction, the zealous lover proclaiming his total immersion. Van Gay was a romantic Alfredo. The vitality of his work was gratifyingly unflappable. 
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Bringing to his performance of Verdi’s music for the lovelorn Alfredo a flickering vibrato reminiscent of Miguel Fleta, tenor Orson Van Gay II sang and acted ardently, his body language in the opening scene of Act One communicating the character’s devotion to Violetta before his first word was sung. Launhcing the celebrated Brindisi, Van Gay voiced ‘Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici’ ebulliently. His traversal of ‘Un dì, felice, eterea’ was properly amorous... |
Orson Van Gay displayed a fine heroic tenor for Vitaliano.
- San Francisco Classical Voice
Danilo - The Merry Widow/Pocket Opera
Rodolfo - La bohème / Pacific Opera Project
Orson Van Gay II’s top notes were thrilling... |
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The Young Man - The Last Romance / New Theatre Kansas
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Alfredo - La traviata / Pacific Opera Project
Candide - Candide / Angel Vocal Arts
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What People are Saying...My colleague and I really enjoyed Candide! Especially your performance...you really made the show. Your acting ability is equal to your singing, which makes a show like that all the more enjoyable. Thank you for inviting me. It was a tremendous performance! |
Operatic Tenor sings in Mandarin to standing ovation
Diverse Spring Festival gala applauded in PhoenixHis performance of famous Chinese song "I Love You, China" in Mandarin won big applause from the audience. Spring Festival gala attracts Chinese, Americans in Los AngelesChinese News USA The climax of the show was the performance of American operatic tenor Orson Van Gay II from L.A. Opera. |
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Nemorino - L'elisir d'amore / Center Stage Opera
Tenor Soloist Debut with Pacific Symphony
An Evening of Music and Charm
His opera training and acting ability moved the entire audience. Orson is a superb talent...
Ben - Night of the Living Dead / Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
San Francisco Classical Voice
Car Hop: The Industry’s Mobile Opera Hopscotch Takes to the Streets
BY JIM FARBER
Cherubino - ¡Figaro! (90210) / Los Angeles Opera (world premiere)
"Van Gay unleashes a seductively smooth pop voice when Li’l B-Man transforms an ode to Barbara from a sexist rap into a soulful love song." Modern-Day Mozart Opera 'Figaro 90210' to World Premiere in LA Figaro! (90210); It’s a Hoot … and it Works. By Richard S. Ginell: From Out of the West 
Photographed by Ben Gibbs
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Figaro 90210 is a hilarious Los Angeles -themed adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro where every inch lives up to Mozart's beautiful score.
- LASPLASH.COM |
