San Jose Mercury News
- American Bach Soloists
“Countertenor Eric Jurenas plunged into “Man of Sorrows,” which became a billowing lamentation.”
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Press
The Winnipeg Free Press
- The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
“A real treat was hearing Jurenas perform the solo sections more typically performed by contraltos — as they were during last year’s WSO concert. This American dynamo performed without showing any hint of strain, his unworldly voice easily soaring through his opening aria But who may abide the day of his coming as well as recitatives including Behold, a virgin shall conceive.”
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The New York Times
- Juilliard's Songfest – A Britten Celebration
“The concert began with the second and strongest of Britten’s five Canticles, “Abraham and Isaac” (1952). An austerely wrenching setting of the story of that biblical near-sacrifice, the piece was originally written for the tenor Peter Pears and the contralto Kathleen Ferrier, but her part — the voice of Isaac — has since often been taken by a male countertenor.”
“For the word of God, which frames the work, Britten has the two voices sing in plainchant unison. Elsewhere there are passages of Bach-like counterpoint, Handelian coloratura, simple lullaby and Modernist astringency, all unified by a stunned, inexorable dramatic momentum. The focused, full-voiced tenor Miles Mykkanen and the poised countertenor Eric Jurenas performed with eerie calm, the effect of the piece all the more intense because they looked unnervingly similar.”
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Opus Colorado
- Colorado Bach Ensemble
“Eric Jurenas returned to Colorado to sing the Countertenor role in this Passion. I have heard him sing, and I have written about him before, and he still stuns the audience with his remarkable voice and musicianship.”
“I have heard Eric Jurenas sing before, as I stated above; however, he never ceases to amaze me with the clear quality of his voice. It is as if one can see through it, and, in addition, his diction is remarkable.”
“For example, in the St. Matthew Passion, as he did in the B minor Mass, Bach writes an entrance for the countertenor on a note that is of very long duration. On this note the countertenor must gradually increase from a pianissimo dynamic level to a solid forte. Eric Jurenas was absolutely stunning in his long crescendo. Maestro Kim has to be able to pick a countertenor that has the breath control to do that.”
MoreClassical Sonoma
- American Bach Soloists
“Countertenor Eric Jurenas deserves special mention for his solo “Virgam virtutis” (The Lord shall send the rod of thy power). Accompanied by organ, cello, and contrabass, his rich yet imposing high voice could be fully appreciated.”
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Grand Rapids Press
- Calvin College's Calvin Oratorio Society
“But countertenor Eric Jurenas was a startling revelation.”
“A countertenor is a male with a well-developed head voice who sings in the alto range. It’s a difficult thing to do, and there are many pretenders. Jurenas, however, is the real deal, with a wide range that he showed off on the aria “Thou art gone up on high,” and fluid flexibility evident in the aria ‘O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion.’ “
“A couple of times on low notes his mechanism flipped to far into his natural baritone range, but his tone and technique with ‘He was despised and rejected’ made it clear that Jurenas, though young, is a singer of great promise in a field with few practitioners.”
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Encore Michigan
- Giulio Cesare – Michigan Opera Theatre
“Eric Jurenas as Nireno showed a clear and supple voice in the other countertenor role.”
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Opus Colorado
- Colorado Bach Ensemble
“I don’t ever recall hearing a countertenor who had the incredible power as Eric Jurenas, not to mention his breath control.”
MoreThird Coast Digest
- Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee
“Benjamin Britten’s equally intense Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op. 51, for solo alto and tenor with piano, followed. Britten drew on the Chester Mystery Plays to re-tell the Old Testament story.”
“The rich, mature voices of countertenor Eric Jurenas, as Isaac, and tenor Daniel O’Dea, as Abraham, along with pianist Michelle Hynson, produced a flawless, compelling performance. At times, Britten’s musical setting of text is a bit too restrained for its content – namely, a father discussing with his son his divine duty to kill him. Suspenseful piano accompaniment, however, does help to advance the emotional storyline. The most musically beautiful sections of the work occur when God speaks through the convergence of the two voices in duet. Jurenas and O’Dea’s impeccable balance and pitch throughout these close harmonies created a single, transcendent voice.”
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