Critical Acclaim

"Andrew Garland as Prior Walter sings with confidence."

"Compelling was the chestnut-voiced baritone Andrew Garland as Prior, called upon to give the most emotionally taxing performance of the cast and serve as the drama's moral center... beautiful dramatic performance."

"The central lovers received excellent performances — impassioned yet beautifully articulated musically and textually — from Andrew Garland (Prior Walter). Garland, in fine shape physically, is a skilled, specific actor. His baritone radiated healthy security."

"Garland's Prior was more clearly drawn, both musically and dramatically, from the moment he announces he has AIDS, and Garland took advantage of every chance he had, including the humor."

"The whole cast of this production was excellent, including Andrew Garland ripping his way through Prior Walter."

"Garland expertly sings and acts the role of Prior, simultaneously bringing out the character's vulnerability and swagger."

"As Prior Walter, a gay man dying of AIDS, Andrew Garland gave us a heartbreaking, lyrical performance bereft of self pity."

"Exceptional dramatic focus... Andrew Garland handled the mixture of singing and speech particularly well."

"Andrew Garland is a serious and game artist with a handsome lyric baritone."

"Andrew Garland's Papageno was, in many ways, the heart of the performance; his comic energy and suavity made him a clear standout. He had the audience in the palm of his hand."

"Andrew Garland's Papageno was endlessly amusing as a regular guy who wished he could catch a wife as easily as he caught birds. The singer's bluff baritone showed an unexpectedly lyrical side in the philosophical duet with Pamina."

"Andrew Garland had the crowd in his hands as the bird-catcher Papageno, singing adroitly and delivering his spoken lines with a deadpan comic inflection that seemed at times to channel Owen Wilson."

"Excellent. Garland showed an unexpected strength in the lower register as well as a strong top, and he was also equal to the more extreme demands of Orff's music. A fine actor, he was especially amusing in Carmina Burana."

"Andrew Garland was outstanding. Physically, he was ideal for the role, not only moving swiftly as Jove's messenger should but expressing great tenderness. And he sang extremely well. His voice is rich and surprisingly flexible, including a remarkably good trill."

"Garland's firm baritone fusing, in a single song of longing, their respective wishes for a soul-mate was an early moment of perfection that continued to expand throughout the performance."

"Baritone Andrew Garland grandly delivered an eloquent and soaring rendition of Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams."

"Baritone soloist Andrew Garland intoned with shining vocal luster, his E and F at the top of the stave projected effortlessly but with dramatic purpose. Each of his words was matched with a vocal coloration that limned its meaning."

"Garland's voice was powerful and rich, demanding attention."

"Malinche's son Martín, sung with vigor, excellent diction, and an exacting intonation by baritone Andrew Garland, created a Janus-faced moment in that he is identified as the first mestizo, indicating a new era has come into being."

"Andrew Garland's warm and beautiful tone combined with virtuosic agility made this one of the expressive highlights of the evening."

"Baritone Andrew Garland's conveyance of authority, intelligence and emotional sensitivity was a constant pleasure. He alone clearly searched for something deeper than mere musicality."

"A spine-tingling musical memory."

"This is a young man to hear... two arias could not have been sung better."

"Stylistically exemplary, with a seemingly instinctive grasp of Mozart's frequent infusion of opera seria into opera buffa. It was great fun to watch the baritone. Hilarious. Suave and graceful singing. To his credit, the singer chose the less easy route of nuance."

"The afternoon's showstopper was Tom Cipullo's superbly crafted "America 1968," given a riveting performance by baritone Andrew Garland. Garland's expressive, burnished voice was ideal for Robert Hayden's texts, as he balanced moments of searing power, poignancy and humor."

"A seasoned and communicative performer. Three selections from Steven Mark Kohn's American Folk Set brought Andrew Garland's narrative gifts into ebullient focus. Garland's flexible vocal heft and proudly rolled "r"s brought vivid authority to excerpts from Vaughan Williams."

"Garland's voice is ringing and noble, and was perfect for the "Songs of Travel," where he is called upon to inhabit Stevenson's alternately stoic and wistful words. Garland sang in a rapt manner, with sharply defined diction... Garland was entirely operatic, stretching his powerful voice into strange shapes."

"Andrew Garland lends his inimitable and powerful skills... the quality of the compositions and precise singing and piano prowess make for a captivating listening experience."

"The enormous fortune of having a baritone of Andrew Garland's caliber to interpret this delicate music is a winning one. He is the soul of the music, and he is the one who transforms every single interpretation into a special event. One cannot imagine a better interpreter for this score."