“Alain Coulombe, whose voice resounds as powerfully as a grand pipe organ, delivers a statuesque Commendatore.” **
Heidemarie Klabacher, www.drehpunktkultur.at
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Salzburg Festival
August 2016
“Alain Coulombe enthralled the audience at the end of the second act, with the power and authority of his bass voice.” *
Jeanne Hourez, sorstu.ca
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Opéra de Montréal
November 2016
“The Commander is given great stature with the stage presence and the majestic bass voice of Alain Coulombe.” *
Claude Gingras, La Presse
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, L’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal
June 2010
“Alain Coulombe, previously heard in CO2 on the same stage in May is an excellent surprise as Der Doktor, with a laser sharp vocal production and a dark medium-low register.” *
Vincent Guillemin, www.altamusica.com
Berg’s Wozzeck, Teatro alla Scala
November 2015
“Bass Alain Coulombe appears as King Arkel in a moving, profoundly sympathetic portrayal of the frail, world-weary old king singing with rich, heart-melting poignancy.”
Opera Going Toronto, operagoto.com
Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, Against the Grain Theatre
June 2014
“Alain Coulombe plays the aged king Arkel with great dignity and pathos. His deep bass, perfect diction and ability to convey dignitas and sorrow simultaneously were very impressive.”
John Gilks, operaramblings.wordpress.com
Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, Against the Grain Theatre
June 2014
“Special kudos to bass Alain Coulombe, whose broad vocal range and rich sound served the character of Banquo so well.”
Irène Brisson, Opera Canada
Verdi’s Macbeth, Opéra de Québec
May 2014
“Alain Coulombe’s Banco is the epitomy of good musical taste and of great on stage dignity.” *
Louis Bilodeau, L’Avant-Scène Opéra
Verdi’s Macbeth, Opéra de Québec
May 2014
“Artfully embracing the dark side, Alain Coulombe’s commanding authority, vocally and dramatically, holds steadfast throughout the full range of his sustained turns on stage. A coloratura-friendly bass is a precious commodity. There is as much suppleness to Coulombe’s stentorian timbre as there is resonance, a quality that must be heard to be believed.”
Operagoto.com
Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie, Voicebox: Opera in Concert
February 2014
“Alain Coulombe’s Comte des Grieux commands the stage with the opulence of his vocal abilities and his dramatic authority.” *
Louis Bilodeau, l’Avant-Scene Opera
Massenet’s Manon, L’Opéra de Montréal
May 2013
“The entire cast is excellent, with the superb basso profondo of Alain Coulombe as Clark Gable.” **
Joep Stapel, NRC Handelsblad
Robin de Raaff’s Waiting for Miss Monroe, The Netherlands Opera
June 2012
“Alain Coulombe was a properly sinister Sparafucile, his powerful bass projecting the lowest notes handsomely.”
John Guinn, Opera News
Verdi’s Rigoletto, Michigan Opera Theatre
August 2011
“Alain Coulombe’s deep basso and breath control as Sparafucile were nothing short of wondrous.”
J.H.Stape, Review Vancouver
Verdi’s Rigoletto, Pacific Opera Victoria
April 2006
“Alain Coulombe is flawless and disturbing as Sparafucile. His massively deep bass voice probes the theatre like the growl of a lion.”
Grania Litwin, Times Colonist
Verdi’s Rigoletto, Pacific Opera Victoria
April 2006
“Alain Coulombe, as the Bailiff, is a sumptuous bass and an accomplished actor.”
Alan Conter, The Globe and Mail
Massenet’s Werther, L’Opéra de Montréal
January 2011
“Bass Alain Coulombe delivers a first class bailiff.” *
Jacques Hétu, Resmusica.com
Massenet’s Werther, L’Opéra de Montréal
January 2011
“The standout in the first half, Alain Coulombe, as the bailiff, was superb. He delivered a velvety, well-rounded bass that could serve as a benchmark for aspiring singers.”
Earl Arthur Love, ConcertoNet.com
Massenet’s Werther, L’Opéra de Montréal
January 2011
“With his lush, resonant voice Alain Coulombe was as magisterial a Sarastro as one could wish. His bass plumbed the challenging depths of “In diesen heil’gen Hallen” with full security of tone.”
Christopher Hoile, Stage Door
Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Canadian Opera Company
December 2005
“Alain Coulombe’s Phinée shows a remarkable ability to maximize the impact of Lully’s careful settings of Quinault’s verses, with his ornate vocal decorations finely integrated into the musical line.”
George Hall, Opera
Lully’s Persée live dvd performance by Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, EuroArts
February 2006
“The star had to be Toronto-based bass Alain Coulombe, whose rich, commanding basso was tailor-made for the role of the King of Clubs.”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star
Prokofiev’s L’Amour des Trois Oranges, Toronto Opera In Concert
February 2005
“From the pungent opening chords of L’Opéra de Montréal’s The Rape Of Lucretia, one sensed immediately that this was going to be a performance of special merit. Above all, Alain Coulombe, a superb Collatinus, with a voice most Wotans would envy…”
Robert Markow, Opera News
Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, L’Opéra de Montréal
April 2003
“Alain Coulombe as Seneca gives the kind of assured, refined performance we’ve come to expect from him. Even as his sonorous bass lends gravitas to the philosopher’s great final scene, he suggests a man forcing his emotion to bend to his will.”
Christopher Hoile, Stage Door
Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Opera Atelier
April 2002
“The best work is by Alain Coulombe as the duplicitous King Créon. He’s a real singing actor who uses all the tools at hand to create a memorable character.”
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine
Charpentier’s Médée, Opera Atelier
November 2002
*Translated from French
** Translated from German