Reviews
As Nicolas in Britten’s Saint Nicolas with The Greenville Chorale:
Saint Nicolas is portrayed by a tenor soloist – Keith Jameson, in this performance. Jameson, a Furman University graduate with an international career, has a bright, ringing sound. His clarion tenor was particularly well-suited for Nicolas’ often-declamatory narration. —Paul Hyde, The Greenville News, November 6, 2011
As Uriel in Haydn’s The Creation with Boston Baroque:
Martin Pearlman had a stellar lineup of soloists: soprano Amanda Forsythe as Gabriel, tenor Keith Jameson as Uriel, and bass-baritone Kevin Deas as Raphael, the three archangels… Jameson was a youthfully earnest Uriel, by turns callow and authoritative. —Jeffrey Gantz, The Boston Globe, October 24, 2011
An inspired lineup of soloists – soprano Amanda Forsythe, tenor Keith Jameson, and bass-baritone Kevin Deas – joined conductor Martin Pearlman and the ensemble in a concert that made clear the oratorio’s stature as one of the peaks of Haydn’s oeuvre. Jameson’s bright tenor was evocative of his subject Uriel, an archangel of poetry. He gave a nuanced performance, bringing a completely different tonal expression to the final recitative that fit perfectly with the libretto. —Susie Y. Kim, Boston Classical Reivew, October 23, 2011
Three estimable soloists joined the ensemble: soprano Amanda Forsythe, tenot Keith Jameson, and bass Kevin Deas. Tenor Keith Jameson’s warm, round sound gave voice to the angel Uriel’s graceful recitatives and arias. —Joel Schwindt, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, October 23, 2011
Fortunately, Boston Baroque had brought an A-team of soloists to this particular game – soprano Amanda Forsythe shared the stage with tenor Keith Jameson and bass-baritone Kevin Deas… and Jameson had his best moments in Eden, too, singing of the creation of the First Couple with a ravishingly sophisticated radiance. The evening ended just as it should – on a note of poignant, innocent sweetness (Eve and Adam are just about to be tempted by that notorious apple). —Thomas Garvey, The Hub Review, October 25, 2011
It’s hard to imagine a more blessedly well-matched trio of vocal soloists, both technically and temperamentally. Keith Jameson’s strong but sweet tenor excelled in Uriel’s enthusiastic description of the creation of Man. —Lloyd Schwartz, The Boston Phoenix, October 26, 2011
As Triquet in Eugene Onegin with Los Angeles Opera:
Keith Jameson provided a delightful cameo as Monsieur Triquet. —Simon Williams, Opera News, December, 2011
Keith Jameson was a silky voiced Triquet. —Estelle Gilson, Operatoday.com, October 2, 2011
Keith Jameson’s Monsieur Triquet added a sensitivity and tenderness to the Tatiana Couplets in Act II that caused time to stand still with his interpretation. —Leticia Marie Sanchez, culturalcocktailhour, September 19, 2011
As Mosquito/Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen with the New York Philharmonic:
The tenor Keith Jameson, singing with impeccable diction, captures the pining schoolmaster’s haplessness. —Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, June 23, 2011
Keith Jameson, as the Schoolmaster (and, earlier, as a gleefully feasting mosquito) displayed appealing vocal vibrancy and a knack for physical comedy. —Joshua Rosenbaum, Opera News, June 23, 2011Tenor Keith Jameson was outstanding in the double roles of the Mosquito and the Schoolmaster. —Mike Silverman, The Associated Press, June 23, 2011
Tenor Keith Jameson made a tart cameo of the lovesick Schoolmaster. —James Jorden, New York Post, June 23, 2011
Tenor Keith Jameson had an endearing quality as the drunken Schoolmaster. —Howard Kissel, The Huffington Post, June 28, 2011
As Flute/Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Lyric Opera of Chicago:
The “rude mechanicals” (led by the endearingly obnoxious, though scrupulously musical Bottom of Peter Rose) predictably stole the evening. Keith Jameson’s coruscating melismas in Flute’s parody of bel canto insanity were particularly impressive, as was a winning company debut by James Kryshak as Snout. Sam Handley voiced Quince with notable beauty. Paul Sholten’s resonant Starveling and Wilbur Pauley’s dimwitted Snug rounded out the group delightfully. —Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, February, 2011 The rustics were neatly characterized, particularly tenor Keith Jameson’s bellows-mender, hilariously campy when his Flute as Thisbe commits mock-suicide. —John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, November 7, 2010
Keith Jameson was equally funny, his high tenor well suited to the timid Flute. —Lawrence A. Johnson, The Classical Review, November 6, 2010
As Clarín in Life Is A Dream at The Santa Fe Opera:
And as the jester Clarín who brings crucial comic relief to the opera, the vocally robust, physically agile tenor Keith Jameson stole every scene he was in. —Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, July 25, 2010
All of the singers deserve more positive comments than I can provide here. Simply mastering such craggy, wide-ranging vocal lines is immensely difficult, but all of these artists invested their performances with rich characterization: Soprano Ellie Dehn as an endearing, earnest Rosaura (her monologue at the end of Act Two was deeply moving); tenor Keith Jameson as the bright, boyish and ultimately tragic jester Clarín. —James M. Keller, The Santa Fe New Mexican, July 25, 2010
As Goro in Madama Butterfly at The Santa Fe Opera:
The tenor Keith Jameson, a standout as the jester in “Life Is a Dream,” was wonderful here as Goro, the wily marriage broker. —Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, July 26, 2010
The tenor Keith Jameson is a familiar presence in tenor character roles at the company, and his vivid portrayal of the smarmy marriage broker Goro displayed his usual high standards. —James M. Keller, The Santa Fe New Mexican, July 3, 2010
Keith Jameson’s Goro is the perfect snake of a marriage broker. —Rodney Punt, The Huffington Post, July 21, 2010
As Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro at Lyric Opera of Chicago:
South-Carolina-based tenor Keith Jameson is becoming a key character singer at Lyric and his Don Basilio was lovingly colored. —Andrew Patner, The Chicago Sun-Times, March 3, 2010
As Pietro in Die Gezeichneten at Los Angeles Opera:
Another stand out in the smaller roles was Keith Jameson, who was deliciously evil as Pietro. —Charlise Tiee, The Opera Tattler, April 11, 2010
As Vašek in The Bartered Bride at Opera Boston:
Keith Jameson made a hilarious company debut as Vašek, the bartered groom, part mama’s boy and part wide-eyed sparrow testing his wings. He was such a natural vaudevillian that one almost forgot he just happened to possess a knockout ringing tenor voice. —Kalen Ratzlaff, Opera News, May 1, 2009
Tenor Keith Jameson was the most entrancing of the cast as the stammering and not-too-bright Vašek. —Caldwell Titcomb, The Arts Fuse, May 9, 2009
Jameson spun comic gold from the hapless milquetoast; he was easily as funny as any other actor on a Boston stage, and all the while singing beautifully. —Thomas Garvey, The Hub Review, December, 2009
Superb tenor Keith Jameson was both touching and funny as the tongue-tied, stuttering Vašek and stole every scene he was in. —Lloyd Schwartz, The Boston Phoenix, May 12, 2009
As Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi at The Metropolitan Opera:
Patricia Risley (Ciesca), Jeff Mattsey (Marco) and Keith Jameson (Gherardo) sang and acted enjoyably as the more “normal” relatives. —David Shengold, Opera News, November 20, 2009
As Beppe in I Pagliacci at Lyric Opera of Chicago:
Keith Jameson brought a sweet, pleasing tenor to Beppe’s song. —John Von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, February 16, 2009
Keith Jameson used his short aria as Beppe to enchant the audience with a fluid, golden voice. —Evan Kuchar, Chicagocritic.com., February 14, 2009
Keith Jameson’s Beppe boasted a refreshingly appealing timbre. —Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, May 2009
Keith Jameson added to his catalogue of character roles with Beppe’s very prettily sung serenade, performed from atop a tall blue ladder. —operawarhorses.com, March 4, 2009
As the Novice in Billy Budd at The Santa Fe Opera:
A promising young tenor with a sweet yet substantial voice, Keith Jameson was heartbreaking as the Novice, a confused boy among tough men, who is dragged in bloody and humiliated after being unjustly flogged. —Anthony Tomasini, The New York Times, August 8, 2008
Keith Jameson’s tormented, anguished Novice was consistent in voice, character, and movement at every moment, in work of the very highest quality. —Craig Smith The New mexican, July 13, 2008
As the Novice, Keith Jameson brings exceptional sympathy to the character, as well as a clarion tenor voice of which one can certainly hope to hear more in the future. —D.S. Crafts, The Albuquerque Journal, July 14, 2008
…the mass of men was individualized by some deeply sympathetic figures – the Novice of Keith Jameson, who wrung as eloquent pathos from his lament at his flogging. —Simon Williams, Opera News, November, 2008
As the Footman at the Ball and First Staff Officer in War and Peace at The Metropolitan Opera:
Keith Jameson brought his keen light tenor to two tiny parts. —David Shengold, Opera News, March 2008
As Monsieur Triquet in Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera of Chicago:
Keith Jameson, another house debut, invested the little serenade of Monsieur Triquet with bel-canto finesse. —John Von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, March 2008
American tenor Keith Jameson nails Monsieur Triquet’s ridiculous French song in his Lyric debut. —Andrew Patner, The Chicago Sun-Times, March 2008
Notable company debuts…Keith Jameson as Triquet, his little ditty adding a splash of glitter amid the gloom. —Mark Thomas Ketterson, Opera News, May, 2008
As Nanki-Poo in The Mikado at English National Opera:
Keith Jameson, a best-boy of teeth-gleaming perfection and tenor as sweet as sugar candy makes an impressive ENO debut as Nanki-Poo. —Hilary Finch, The Times, London, February 6, 2006
With his doe-eyed sincerity and Eton enunciation, Keith Jameson’s ENO debut as Nanki-Poo owes a debt to James Hewitt —Karen Stretch, Metro, London, February 8, 2006
Newcomers include the US tenor Keith Jameson who, as the wandering minstrel Nanki-Poo, sings his songs with a crystal-clear tenor, lighting up the stage with a dippy smile as he pursues ‘merital heppiness’ with Sarah Tynan’s sweetly arch Yum-Yum —Erica Jeal, The Guardian, London, February 7, 2006
As Candide at New York City Opera:
Tenor Keith Jameson, a City Opera local, has found his best role to date in Candide. His sweet voice and innocent bearing made him instantly likeable. —Classicstoday.com, March 10, 2005
Keith Jameson, the boyish, sweet-voiced tenor playing Candide, amply captures the hero’s disarming charm and foolish gullibility. —Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, March 10, 2005
Keith Jameson plays Candide with boyish charm, along with mellifluous high notes. —Julius Novick, Back Stage, March 31, 2005
The two romantic leads were pretty much ideally cast with key company members. Keith Jameson brought a thousand-watt smile, commendably clear diction and lovely lyric singing to Candide’s travails and beautiful songs. Anna Christy made a delectable Cunegonde physically and vocally, her coloratura crisp and her tone pristine. —David Shengold, Opera News, May, 2005
As Candide, Keith Jameson offers crystalline enunciation in both dialogue and song, warmly beautiful tone and a sweetly hapless presence. —New York Newsday, March 12, 2005
Keith Jameson seemed wonderful in the title role, fresh of face and voice and nimble of foot…complete with sweet intonations and masterly management of emotions. —The New York Sun, March 10, 2005
As Tobias in Sweeney Todd at New York City Opera
As Tobias, the half-witted boy who dotes on Mrs. Lovett, Keith Jameson lifted ‘Not While I’m Around’ to dizzying heights. —The New York Post, March 11, 2004
The most surprisingly strong character of the show, however, turns out to be Keith Jameson’s Tobias, a simpleton who follows around a fake Italian barber…Jameson’s street slang and boyish impetuosity render the show’s most touching song, ‘Not While I’m Around,’ a heartfelt affair…The song rightly becomes emblematic of his character – rather than simply a showpiece. —The New York Sun, March 15, 2004
Keith Jameson deployed his clear lyric tenor to lovely effect on the show’s most famous ballad, ‘Not While I’m Around.’ —Daily Variety
Keith Jameson made a touching Tobias and showed that ‘Not While I’m Around’ works best when served straight. —Fred Cohn, Opera News, June, 2004
As Oronte in Alcina at the New York City Opera:
Tenor Keith Jameson brought major pizzazz to the role of Oronte, rattling out his coloratura with metronomic accuracy and an infectious sense of fun. —Gay City News, September 26, 2003
Keith Jameson’s firmly focused tenor as Oronte proves a welcome masculine contrast. —New York Magazine, September 29, 2003
Keith Jameson, whose bright tenor and forthright style, made Oronte lively and credible —John W. Freeman, Opera News, December, 2003
As Nanki-Poo in The Mikado at New York City Opera:
The lead couple were adorably cast with Keith Jameson, who upheld earlier good impressions of his singing with ringing tones… —Anne Midgette, The New York Times, October 21, 2003
Nanki-Poo, our traveling minstrel, really the Mikado’s son, was sung with wide-eyed innocence, bright tone and an even range by tenor Keith Jameson, spit-curl in place. —Robert Levine, classicstoday.com, October 22, 2003
As Bob Boles in Peter Grimes at The Santa Fe Opera:
Judith Christin was at her most amusing as the nosy Mrs. Sedley; Jill Grove, a resonantly trenchant Auntie, and Keith Jameson, an unusually sonorous and lyrical Bob Boles, made exceptional contributions. —David Shengold, Gay City News, September 1, 2005
Stellar singer-actors filled the other roles: Keith Jameson’s fanatical Boles, using religion to hide his own demons. —Craig Smith, The New Mexican, July 25, 2005
As Pong in Turandot at The Santa Fe Opera:
Vocally, we had an excellent trio of singing actors as the imperial ministers; Hyung Yun’s Ping, David Cangelosi’s Pang, and Keith Jameson’s Pong were absolutely first-rate. Their Act II trio was a symphony of song and color. —Craig Smith, The New Mexican, July 3, 2005
As Ugone in Flavio at New York City Opera:
…tenor Keith Jameson, with exciting, accurate coloratura and nice stage presence as Ugone, deserves more attention. —Robert Levine, classicstoday.com, April 23, 2003
In The Good Soldier Schweik at Glimmerglass Opera:
Another standout was Keith Jameson who made a menacing and clarion-voiced Secret Policeman. —The Syracuse Post-Standard, July 31, 2003
As the Secret Policeman, Keith Jameson wound a pleasingly ductile light tenor up to a nimble high C. —David Shengold, classicstoday.com, August 1, 2003
As Goro in Madama Butterfly at New York City Opera:
Keith Jameson was a strong Goro with a striking legato. —Anne Midgette, The New York Times, September 24, 2002
As Colonel Fairfax in The Yeomen of the Guard at Symphony Space:
Mr. Jameson as Fairfax was a standout for his bright, rich tenor and clear diction. —The New York Times, May 3, 2003
As Anfinomo in Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria at New York City Opera
Keith Jameson’s assured and ringing tenor stood out in the role of the suitor Anfinomo —The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2001
In Messiah with Boston Baroque:
New tenor Keith Jameson led off with some ringing, technically accomplished, and fervent vocalism; he’s a find. —Richard Dryer, The Boston Globe, December 21, 2004
Jameson sounded confident and heroic, opening with ‘Comfort Ye’ and later singing ‘Behold and See.’ —Boston Herald, December 21, 2004
In Messiah with Phoenix Symphony
Jameson’s ringing ‘Ev’ry valley’ set a high standard with its fluency and power —The Arizona Republic, December 14, 1999