And in the work’s most intensely and ravishingly beautiful movement, the Agnus Dei, the only word that suffices to describe the effect of Anthony Dean Griffey’s inspired singing is “sublime.” – – Bernard Jacobson, Seattle Times

Lyric Opera of Chicago

“Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey scored a triumphant Lyric debut as Susannah’s avenging brother, Sam Polk, singing the part exceedingly well while playing down the character’s overtly cornpone aspects.”

John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, October 3, 2002

“Notably Sam Polk, Susannah’s loving but ne’er-do-well drunken older brother, [was] sung by American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey. Making his Lyric debut, Griffey brought a warmly enveloping voice and unforced tenderness to the role.”

Wynne Delacoma, Chicago Sun-Times, October 3, 2002

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La Jolla Music Series

“Familiar to San Diegans who witnessed his brilliant San Diego Opera appearances as Lennie in Floyd’s Of Mice and Men (1999) and Mitch in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire (2000), Griffey displays a large-sized lyric voice.” “All his choices required a great deal of training and sophistication.” “Griffey was so successful with his English language songs by John Dowland and Aaron Copland, that one might want to advise the young man to actually ‘go for’ an all-English program in the future. He delivered his Dowland pieces with flawless diction, making even the songs’ antiquated vocabulary and odd syntax easy to comprehend.”

David Gregson, SanDiego-online.com, March 2002

Houston Grand Opera

“Anthony Dean Griffey’s Lenny [sic.] —fidgeting, grinning, cowering and raging—is one of the most riveting impersonations that I’ve seen on any stage.”

Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News, February 3, 2002

“Anthony Dean Griffey made a winningly puerile Lennie, singing with a sweet lyric tenor.”

William Albright, Opera, July 2002

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New York Philharmonic

“The texts, by several poets, including Blake, Keats and Tennyson, were in English and the tenor soloist, Anthony Dean Griffey, sang them with perfect clarity. He brought a deeply felt lyricism to his readings.”

Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, October 10, 2001

Bregenz Festival

“Anthony Dean Griffey sang Lennie. He radiated a sunny helplessness and vulnerability, singing with true Heldentenor energy and thrust yet able to achieve surprising sweetness and grace when needed. His was a great performance, which reminded me of Jon Vickers at his best.”

Horst Koegler, Opera, October 2001

“At the show’s center is the remarkable performance of tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, whose acting as Lennie is only outclassed by his sensitive singing; this is a truly world-class performance.”

Robert Levine, Andante.com, July 2001

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San Francisco Symphony

“[The furiously focused Lauren Flanigan immediately impressed with powerful, radiant tone.] Anthony Dean Griffey was equally outstanding, sounding in this context like a reincarnated Fritz Wunderlich; his pure, sweet tone never failed even as he sang over a blaring orchestra.”

Jason Serinus, Andante.com, June 2001

New York Philharmonic

“Griffey sang with ardent tone and a wide range of expression that was utterly compelling.”

William V. Madison, Opera News online, June 2001

Atlanta Symphony

“Anthony Dean Griffey, a fast-rising star in the opera world, commanded authority with his heroic tenor, mellow with a charismatic ‘ping’ in his tone.”

Pierre Ruhe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 23, 2001

Pittsburgh Symphony

“Anthony Dean Griffey has all but defined Mitch for future productions. He has mastered the combination of strength and insecurity bound up in the virtuous character.”

Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 15, 2001

“If you attend only one Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert this season, this weekend’s show should have been it.” “The only holdout from the original cast, tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, was superbly judged, providing a marginally better Mitch than actor Karl Malden did on stage and screen. His every action screamed naïve mama’s boy, yet he could be inescapably tender, as in ‘You Know When It’s the Right Thing’.”

Steven Singer, Daily News (McKeesport, PA), January 15, 2001

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The Metropolitan Opera

“The excellent young American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey gave a winning performance as the Steersman. His voice was both full-bodied and sweet-toned, and he shaped the Steersman’s phrases with an almost Schubertian lyricism.”

Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, December 12, 2000

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