Lakmé / Landestheater Linz
“The Japanese soprano Mari Moriya was an ideal candidate for the difficult and not always rewarding role of Lakmé. In the lyrical passages she enchanted with her soft pianos, quite as much as in the virtuoso coloratura of the ‘Bell Song.” This was a fabulous performance.”
Nachrichten
“In an excellent cast, it must nevertheless be stated that Mari Moriya was in a class of her own. With a range from almost whispered, but still clearly audible pianissimi, to a powerful yet still rounded fortissimo that threatens to overwhelm the our intimate national theatre, the delicate soprano has everything needed to succeed as a top singer and she is also a convincing actress. The Bell Aria (Où va la jeune Hindoue) with all its harmonic and technical difficulties was perfectly sung, as convincingly musically as dramatically.”
Der neue Merker
“Mari Moriya gave a bravura performance of the breakneck coloratura of the “Bell Song” in Act 2, receiving prolonged applause. Her dramatic portrayal of the character was also convincing.”
TT.com
“Of course, from amongst the ensemble of soloists the role of Lakmé stood out: the Japanese soprano Mari Moriya was very convincing, with the coloratura safely and artistically achieved.”
Neues Volksblatt
Maria Stuarda / Landestheater Linz
“In the title role Mari Moriya stood out with her soaring soprano…”
Kleine Zeitung
“Mari Moriya exudes fine lustre and a tragically beautiful shine to the sound, bringing intensity and credibility to the final scene.”
Salzburger Nachrichten
Maria Stuarda / Landestheater Linz
“In the title role Mari Moriya stood out with her soaring soprano…”
Kleine Zeitung
“Mari Moriya exudes fine lustre and a tragically beautiful shine to the sound, bringing intensity and credibility to the final scene.”
Salzburger Nachrichten
Adina: L’elisir d’amore / Tulsa Opera
“A bel canto opera, however, exists primarily to show off voices, and Tulsa Opera has assembled an fine cast, led by Gregory Schmidt as Nemorino and Mari Moriya as Adina. Both have voices well-suited to the bel canto repertoire — bright and clear, with sharp intonation and great flexibility. They sang with power and confidence regardless of register; low notes were clearly heard and the high notes just seemed to appear without apparent effort.”
TulsaWorld
Zerlina: Don Giovanni / Opera Ireland
“The production benefited from Cork-born soprano Cara O'Sullivan as Donna Anna, Paolo Fanale as Don Ottavio and, most of all, Mari Moriya, whose strong singing as Zerlina suggested a terrific future as some of the gutsier bel canto heroines.”
Opera News
Queen of the Night: Die Zauberflöte / Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
“Mari Moriya negotiated the treacherous vocal domain of the Queen of Night arias in intrepid fashion.”
BaltimoreSun
Queen of the Night: Die Zauberflöte / Glyndebourne On Tour
“Following her Metropolitan Opera debut in the role, Mari Moriya's Queen of the Night, brought a real sense of theatrical climax, her face the white mask of a savage geisha spitting fiendishly difficult arias…”
Music OMH
“…came into triumphant focus for her own trial by fire in Act 2.”
Opera
Queen of the Night: Die Zauberflöte / Mannes Opera
“Mari Moriya sang the Queen of the Night well, and with so much colour that one could envision her as, say, a Donizetti Queen.”
New York Times
Queen of the Night: Die Zauberflöte / Seattle Opera
“…Mari Moriya as a marvellously psychotic Queen of the Night – those famous super-high notes in “Der Hölle Rache” accompanying a Katisha-like stroking of her neon-red dagger.”
The News Tribune
“Since the Sunday afternoon performance took place on Mother’s Day, it was ironic when you consider that the mother-figure in The Magic Flute is the evil Queen of the Night. Fortunately, Mari Moriya was more than up to the task. She nailed every single stratospheric high note (they go up to an F above high C) right in the centre of the pitch. She also looked terrific in a dark gown that mirrored the starry sky.”
OregonMusic News
“She succeeded magnificently in the great aria of the Queen of Night achieving a force and power usually not compatible with the agility required for these stratospheric vocalisations .”
Res Musica
“…achieved an aptly cold, cut-glass quality in the second half of her second aria.”
SeattleTimes
“Sunday's ice queen Mari Moriya, miraculously pure and accurate in these high-flying moments, went into a sort of romantic reverie, chillingly, as if she were falling in twisted love with the very idea of vengeance.”
SeattleWeekly
Liù: Turandot / Opera Ireland
“…the sumptuous-voiced Japanese lyric soprano Mari Moriya.”
Opera
“…absolutely stole the show…Her first aria ‘Signore, ascolta’ displayed a hair-raising control of dynamics and vibrato, her every nuance of timbre faithful to her character and to the poignant words of her aria.”
Sunday Tribune
Zerbinetta: Ariadne auf Naxos / Opera Ireland
“The Japanese soprano Mari Moriya sailed through Zerbinetta’s coloratura as though it were just a morning exercise….”
Opera
“The coloratura Zerbinetta, who leads the giddy commedia dell’arte troupe in prologue and opera, finds soprano Mari Moriya exceptionally agile with a weightier tone than one normally expects for this flibbertigibbet.”
Irish Independent
“The Japanese soprano Mari Moriya made light of the coloratura terrors of Zerbinetta’s part…”
Sunday Times
Final / Veronica Dunne International Vocal Competition
“...Moriya was an outstanding winner and well up to the high standard this event has achieved since 1985.”
Irish Post