“Bridges seduced the entire audience with a powerful performance characterized by a rich, earthy sound and admirable legato.”
M.L. Rantala, Hyde Park Herald
J’Nai Bridges, known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times), has been heralded as “a rising star” (Los Angeles Times), gracing the world's top stages in repertoire ranging from traditional favorites to world premieres to spirituals and standards. Her 2019-20 season includes seven house debuts and two role debuts, including her much-anticipated house debut at The Metropolitan Opera.
Operatic engagements in the U.S. this season include her debut at The Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Nefertiti in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten, and her house and role debut at Washington National Opera performing Dalila in Samson et Dalila....
“Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges sang Josefa Segovia with glowering intensity and a beautiful dark tone.”
Lisa Hirsch, San Francisco Classical Voice
“Her voice is a rich blanket of plush sound, capacious and flexible, with a panoply of colors and weights, and as she demonstrated from the start, she’s not afraid of doing nothing.”
Opera News
“Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, who last month brought such fervent expression to the “Lamentations” movement of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) at Ravinia, proved still more striking on this occasion. True, “Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix” allows a singer considerable dramatic license to dial up romantic heat as the sensuous seductress of Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila.”
But even if Bridges hadn’t been wearing an iridescent sleeveless gown, even if she didn’t exude radiant beauty before singing a note, even if your eyes had been shut from first phrase note to last, there was no resisting the vocal sensuality of this performance. The fullness and tonal depth of Bridges’ upper notes, the husky quality of her low ones and the sheer lusciousness of her legato lines gave the evening its first thrilling high point.”
