Giustino – Royal Ballet & Opera / Linbury Theatre - Opera Online

“Polly Leech is an outstanding Giustino as her mezzo‑soprano conquers every phrase in compelling fashion, and often reveals notable depth...”

Der Komponist – Ariadne auf Naxos, Garsington Opera - Bachtrack

"Leech is a real find... she was completely audible above a Philharmonia giving their all in full Straussian lushness. Every part of her range was deliciously warm, phrases weighted so felicitously as to make you sigh with delight as each phrase ended…"

Dorabella – Così fan tutte, Garsington Opera - Opera Magazine

"Polly Leech has blossomed into an artist of magnetic poise and the kind of vocal splendour that emerges only rarely among British mezzo-sopranos…"

Cherubino – Le nozze di Figaro, Dutch National Opera - Bachtrack

“Polly Leech was superb in Cherubino's two signature arias, her voice rich and soaring while retaining litheness. She has a bright future ahead.”

Sorceress – Dido & Aeneas, Dutch National Opera - Place de l’Opera
"But it was Polly Leech who truly released the magic at the premiere. With her velvety mezzo, she gave When Orpheus sang a hushed, spellbinding delivery… With the allure of an accomplished artist and an impressive chest register, Polly Leech dominated the stage, stopping just short of parody and visibly enjoying herself."

'The cast sell the evening, with several standouts. As Giustino, Polly Leech is sensational: agile, centred and honest in tone, dispatching coloratura with neat precision but never for its own sake. In ‘Sull’altar di questo nume’, she makes the bravura fizz – runs clean, ornaments that feel like thought rather than frill, a buoyant return that reads as character as much as craft...’
Music OMH - Keith McDonnell

“Polly Leech is an outstanding Giustino as her mezzo‑soprano conquers every phrase in compelling fashion, and often reveals notable depth... When such strong musical credentials combine with a staging whose effectiveness grows across the evening, the results are certainly worth experiencing.”
Opera Online - Sam Smith

'Handel wrote the title role for castrato Domenico Annibali, making formidable vocal demands that present no obstacle to mezzo Polly Leech, who is in total command… the wonderfully pungent playing and consistently high standard of singing make this an evening to treasure.'
The Observer - Stephen Pritchard

“There’s an embarrassment of lower‑voice riches here, a full spectrum of altos starting from the oaky weight and smoothness of Leech’s voice – wonderfully true and sweet…”
The Arts Desk - Alexandra Coghlan

'Polly Leech sings with luscious mezzo tone as Giustino, especially in the beautiful aria Zeffiretto, che scorre nel prato... Highly recommended.'
The Times - Mark Pullinger

“Polly Leech’s Giustino takes centre stage more decisively, with impressively burgeoning mezzo vocal range, and with violence at the opera’s end.”
The Guardian - Martin Kettle

“Where the direction and design fall flat, the cast step in. Mezzo‑soprano Polly Leech is convincing as Giustino’s naivety gives way to political ambition…”
Broadway World

‘Polly Leech’s Giustino stands out for the creamily sustained calm and control of her interpretation.’
Opera Today - Curtis Rogers

'The clarity of humanisation was also down to the cast... Mezzo Polly Leech gave us a really enigmatic Giustino – it is quite a complex role, getting caught in love triangles and his whole world turned upside down by the revelation of his noble birth – Leech navigated this well, singing with a very exciting and inviting tone. She also has such an emotive range in her face and stature, nicely illustrating the Giustino’s gradual metamorphosis...'
Opera Now - Jonathan Whiting

'The singers Polly Leech, Keri Fuge, Mireille Asselin, and Esme Bronwen-Smith all did marvels with their individual arias; the quality of the women’s chest registers was terrific…'
Slipped Disc - Alistair Macaulay

'Leech was fully equal to everything the role threw at her, making emotional material of Handel's more experimental sections and having the Handelian chops for her big aria...'
Planet Hugill

"As the bespectacled composer, Polly Leech grasped the character’s blend of artistic naivety and impulsive creativity. It was a warmly sympathetic performance, her tightly focused mezzo-soprano conveying both single-mindedness and a dreamy fountain of inspiration, rising to an ardent climax with 'Musik ist eine heilige Kunst...'"
Musical America

"Leech’s Composer is bright-voiced, passionate and superbly acted."
The Guardian

"Polly Leech, who sang an ideal Dorabella in last season’s Così fan tutte, was the best Composer we’ve heard since Janet Baker. Faithfully capturing the headstrong, idealistic young artist and singing with warm, burnished tone, she held the house spellbound with her 'Du, Venus’ Sohn…' and the moment when the cast paused to listen to her was truly magical…"
MusicOMH

"Rarely has [the prologue] moved with the speed and definition of forked summer lightning, as it does here… That makes the cool waters of reflection which punctuate the hurly-burly all the more moving: we’re awed when Polly Leech’s flame-toned Composer explains the eternal constancy of Ariadne, the arrival of a god… There's great teamwork here between dazzling Leech and William Dazeley’s perfect Music Master…"
The Arts Desk

"Leech was simply radiant as the Composer’s despair at the future of his masterpiece (prefiguring Ariadne’s despair in the second half) turns into radiant optimism. Both have top quality voices… Leech is a real find. Like France, she was completely audible above a Philharmonia giving their all in full Straussian lushness. Every part of her range was deliciously warm, phrases weighted so felicitously as to make you sigh with delight as each phrase ended…"
★★★★★ David Karlin, Bachtrack

"But it was Polly Leech who truly released the magic at the premiere. With her velvety mezzo, she gave When Orpheus sang a hushed, spellbinding delivery… With the allure of an accomplished artist and an impressive chest register, Polly Leech dominated the stage, stopping just short of parody and visibly enjoying herself."
Place de l’Opera

"Polly Leech, who caught the ear as a touring Hansel a while back, has blossomed into an artist of magnetic poise and the kind of vocal splendour that emerges only rarely among British mezzo-sopranos… Leech’s Dorabella will have made her many friends… Together their voices blended with rapt euphony, while their big individual moments, from Leech’s 'È amore un ladroncello' to Harris’ 'Come scoglio', were thrilling and full of import."
Opera Magazine, Mark Valencia

"Polly Leech is a marvellous, warmly voiced and empathetic Dorabella…"
Neil Fisher, The Times

"[The opening night] snapped together with a beautifully centred 'Smanie implacabili' from Polly Leech’s Dorabella… pitched acutely between a caricature of desperation and genuine anxiety. Leech’s cry of 'Fuggi, fuggi, fuggi' – in response to nothing more than a cup of hot chocolate – captures the spirit of the piece in a nutshell, as a knife-edge parody of and homage to operatic conventions (and her biscuit eating deserves an Oscar nomination).’"
Peter Quantrill, The Arts Desk

"Her sister was adorably presented by Polly Leech, whose lovely, burnished mezzo is ideal for Dorabella and whose acting makes it so clear that she will be the one to fall first…"
Melanie Eskenazi, MusicOMH

"Polly Leech in that part, alluring and ripely voiced, is the first of the two women to fall for the outlandish charms of the Albanian visitors…"
Curtis Rogers, Seen and Heard International

"The Dorabella of the English mezzo-soprano Polly Leech, no less moving and inspiring in her joie de vivre and boldness…"
Charles Ritterband, Klassiek Begeistert

"Similarly distinctively drawn were the sisters from a thrilling Camilla Harris as a more serious Fiordiligi and a flirty Dorabella from a delightfully sung Polly Leech…"
Mike Smith, Opera Scene

“Polly Leech’s Orfeo wears his heart on his sleeve… Then comes Orfeo’s Big Moment, the song everyone knows – Che farò senza Euridice? Leech rises to the occasion, pouring out all Orfeo’s desolation and despair in four minutes of concentrated anguish.”
The Opera Critic

“Polly Leech is an accomplished actress-singer with the ability to convey meaning by using her face and body language as well as her voice… she floated her sound smoothly and beautifully over a pretty punchy orchestral sound, and saved well judged extra impact for the key moments in the drama. The audience was waiting for her “Che farò”, of course, and duly applauded, stopping the show, but it had not been just a matter of pure tone and smooth line, Kathleen Ferrier-style, but also an expression of anguish and despair…”
The Arts Desk

“Polly Leech, a talented young British mezzo soprano much in demand across Europe, made her Opera North debut as Orpheus. Leech oozes youthful ardour and displays an agile and creamy voice which is coloured to compelling effect. The famous ‘Che farò senza Euridice?’ conveyed grief and anguish to a level at one time perhaps uniquely associated (by an earlier generation) with Kathleen Ferrier or even Jean Grayston…”
Ilkley Gazette

“Polly Leech makes for a moving Orpheus, particularly during her rendition of the famous aria ‘Che farò senza Euridice’.”
British Theatre Guide

“Polly Leech is a creamy-toned Orfeo, taking us across an emotional spectrum, spanning the grieving depths of despair at Euridice’s passing to the rapturous, yet guarded joy of their reunion… It is testament as to how successfully the production inflames the tension between the two that, when Orfeo’s disciplined resistance snaps and he turns to face her, there is an audible gasp from a knowing audience. The famous ‘Che farò senza Euridice?’ is delivered without recourse to too much over-romanticising, but pulls tellingly at the heart strings, nevertheless. This is Polly Leech’s debut for the Company, but it is to be hoped that her return is not far distant.”
Leeds Living

“The principals set the stage ablaze with their outstanding vocals… Leech’s voice was deeply penetrating with a chilling sadness… The inner turmoil she created with her mezzo-soprano voice touched the soul…”
Fairy Powered Productions

"Polly Leech created a magical atmosphere in the role of Mrs. Grose…"
Corriere dello Spettacolo

"Polly Leech’s Mrs. Grose was equally well defined, vocally at ease with Britten’s writing and style. Her connected singing was marked by clarity and lightness, and her phrasing was articulated with just the right expressive intensity."
Opera Libera

"The duet between the Governess and Mrs. Grose, mezzo Polly Leech—both possessing great vocal quality—works perfectly: without becoming paralyzed by the geometric precision of Britten’s work, they succeed in creating a heartrending atmosphere."
Première Loge

"Polly Leech, who sings Hansel, is a revelation. More than that, she's a huge talent and a star in the making. Vocally enthralling with a powerfully centered and exquisitely controlled mezzo… Leech is the complete package. A glittering career awaits, so remember this review. You read it here first."

Mark Valencia, WhatsOnStage

“Cherubino, sung by mezzo-soprano Polly Leech, is a golden choice. He is the linchpin of everything, sounding board and driving force, ambiguous in appearance, and with a predilection for all women. The two arias, 'Voi che sapete' and 'Non so più' are highlights in vocal artistry and acting style.”
Theaterkrant

“Young mezzo Polly Leech was superb in Cherubino's two signature arias, her voice rich and soaring while retaining litheness. She has a bright future ahead.”
★★★★ Bachtrack

“The colorful mezzo-soprano Polly Leech sings a blissfully adolescent Cherubino, the page with an eye on all women, who rummages through the countess's underpants.”
★★★★ Volkskrant

“Mezzo Polly Leech successfully went all out in the role of the oversexed adolescent Cherubino.”
(“Mezzo Polly Leech leefde zich met verve uit als de oversekste adolescent Cherubino.”)
★★★★ NRC

“Of the four singers, the mezzo-soprano Polly Leech is particularly impressive.”
NRC

“The young talents Polly Leech and Martin Mkhize, grown in the talent studio of DNO, show that they are ready for the big stage. Leech has an unmistakable presence on stage and has no trouble filling the room with her mezzo-voice. Her great solo comes from Handel's Rinaldo, eccentrically re-composed by Rick van Veldhuizen.”
Place de l’Opera

“… the vengeful Handel aria Venti turbini, which derails in a cacophony of sound, as if strings are leaping and wind instruments mutter. Mezzo-soprano Polly Leech sings with blissful agility.”
★★★★ De Volkskrant

“Polly Leech is wonderfully theatrical…”
Place de l’Opera

“…accompanied by a servant Abra, portrayed charmingly and vividly by the very young Polly Leech.”
Trouw

“A bright-voiced mezzo and a fine actress, Leech blossomed vocally over the course of the evening.”
Bachtrack

“Polly Leech sang a vital Abra…”
NRC

“…the stepsisters are viciously played by the soprano Julietta Aleksanyan and the mezzo-soprano Polly Leech. Both study at the Dutch National Opera Studio and know how to convince in slippers as well as on towering pumps under ridiculous crinolines.”
Trouw

“The cast gathered for this production is strong and all gave thoroughly rewarding performances. Soprano Julietta Aleksanyan (Clorinda) and mezzo Polly Leech (Tisbe), both members of the Dutch National Opera Studio, certainly more than held their own and were two delectably viperish stepsisters.”
Bachtrack