CENDRILLON  -- New England Conservatory Opera Theater                         

Richard Dyer, Boston Globe, Mar. 14. 2005
    "The outstanding performances came from Maria Alu and Erica Brookhyser...Brookhyser, singing her second consecutive performance...boasts a full, secure, and attractive mezzo, flexible and at ease with high, soft notes.  She sings with exquisite musicality.  She also offers a special, radiant stage presence.  Dressed for the ball she looked more like Katherine Hepburn than Cate Blanchett did in "The Aviator," which made you wonder why the opera had to last as long as it did: At any moment this take-charge creature could have reared up in all her glory and sent all the others packing."

Paul Joseph Walkowski, Opera Online, Mar. 11. 2005
    "Erica Brookhyser, in the role of Lucette (Cendrillon)...delivered her role with an affectatious voice that was strong and crisp and full sounding.  She not only acted well, but sang to the part and had strong stage presence, making us believe she viewed herself as the inferior of the daughters.  What else could you ask for from a performer?"

William Fregosi, Opera-L, Mar. 3. 2005
    "The originally cast Lucette for the opening was ill so Erica Brookhyser from the Saturday cast took over and won all hearts. A lovely young woman with a beautiful lyric mezzo, she displayed a winning stage presence, ability to sing directly to the audience's emotions and a good, confident technique."

THAÏS -- Boston Lyric Opera                                                                       

Wayman Chin, Opera News, Jul. 2006
    "Sarah Asmar and Erica Brookhyser were charm and effervescence as the giddy slave girls Crobyle and Myrtale."

G. Paul Padillo, OPERA-L, May 8. 2006
    "Sarah Asmar and Erica Brookhyser not only looked well, but sang lovely their “ah ah ah ah ah ah’s” assured and sexy, the lovely “duet” accompanying the vocal pyrotechnics of Joyce Ting’s alluring (and dazzlingly costumed) La Charmeuse."

Lloyd Schwartz, The Phoenix, May 2. 2006
    "Young Sarah Asmar and Erica Brookhyser are amusing as Nicias’s tittering ambisexual slave girls."

Richard Dyer, Boston Globe, May 3. 2006
    "Sarah Asmar and Erica Brookhyser gamboled merrily as a pair of harlots-in-training."

Peter M. Knapp, The Patriot Ledger, May 1. 2006
    "Soprano Sarah Asmar and mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser were delightful as two spunky slave girls, Crobyle and Myrtale, respectively."

Anna Brook, The Record, Apr. 27. 2006
    "Nicias' servants, Sarah Asmar and Erica Brookhyser, acted and sang delightfully, introducing Athanaël to the debauchery of Alexandria."

THE SOUND OF MUSIC -- The Brevard Music Center                                   
John W. Lambert, Classical Voice of North Carolina, Jul. 19, 2006
    "In Brevard, the cast was headed by mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser, whose portrayal had literally everything - a stunning voice used with the utmost intelligence and skill, superior diction, great acting ability, fluid onstage motion, and looks that are ideal for the role of Maria. She brightened every scene in which she appeared and seemed to inspire everyone around her to superior levels of performance, too."

MADAMA BUTTERFLY -- Boston Lyric Opera                                                

Paul Joseph Walkowski, The Epoch Times, Nov. 3, 2006
    "A tip-of-the-hat, too, to mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser, whose role as Pinkerton's American wife, Kate, although brief, was delivered with clear vocal tones and a stage presence that was noticeable. Well done!"
 

LA TRAVIATA -- Central City Opera                                                              

David Shengold, Opera News, Oct. 2007 
    "Erica Brookhyser's vivid, rich-voiced Flora promised much." 

MESSIAH -- Utah Symphony ________________________________

Jake Wilcox, FishNet, Nov. 27, 2007
    "Indeed, the second (in order of prominence) standout piece of the evening was her He was despised. Erica brought it to an emotional climax that had me riveted."

LA CENERENTOLA -- Utah Opera                                                          __    

Catherine Reese Newton, The Salt Lake City Tribune, Mar. 9, 2008
    "Soprano Shannon Kessler and mezzo Erica Brookhyser were hilarious as the abusive stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, from their opening calisthenics to their battle for the faux prince's attention."

Jessica Harrison, The Deseret Morning News, Mar. 11, 2008
    "The stepsisters, played here by Shannon Kessler and Erica Brookhyser, were there for comedic relief. They strutted around like peacocks and bumbled like pros, but they did it with a nice subtlety."

MADAMA BUTTERFLY -- Los Angeles Opera                               ______         

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 3, 2008
    "Pinkerton's American wife, Kate, stands wind-swept like the masthead of a ship, a conspicuous contrast to Butterfly, and Erica Brookhyser made Kate a memorable image."

MUSIC'S MUSIC, by Steven Sametz -- L.A. Master Chorale _____________

Robert D. Thomas, Class Act, Feb 23, 2009
   "Brookhyser used her radiant voice to full effect in the opening solo section and kept on from there, making the wistful, plaintive piece her own. This is a vocalist worth keeping an ear on." 

Neslund, Classicalvoice.org, Feb 22, 2009 
   "What must have been the most emotional item was another World Premiere, a setting Megan E. Freeman’s poem “Music’s Music” by very popular composer Steven Sametz and sung by Los Angeles Opera mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser with the most gleaming and convincing performance of the evening."

DIE WALKURE -- Los Angeles Opera                                                                   

Carl Byron, Opera News, Jul., 2009 
    "Mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser was a stalwart Waltraute."