"On the podium, Joseph Colaneri made an impressive company debut. Fully in command of an orchestra that was understandably diminished in its forces, his magnanimous gestures produced a sound that was warm and effulgent."

“At the head of the Royal Opera Orchestra, Joseph Colaneri leads instrumentalists and singers in this complex score, of which he masters the shifting distribution between the different instruments. He also ensures a good sound balance between singers and orchestra, in which the voices are highlighted.” (translated from the French)

“In the pit, Joseph Colaneri, musical director of the Glimmerglass festival, imposes an unstoppable thoroughness for this score whose moments of apparent confusion (the finale of the first act, for example) are nonetheless expertly organized. And congratulations to the brand new Royal Opera Orchestra, formed for the occasion, which delicately distils all the diversity of colors desired by John Corigliano.” (translated from the French)

“The orchestration is very rich in terms of timbre and the performances of the musicians under the direction of conductor Joseph Colaneri reach a real feat!” (translated from the French)

"The orchestra has a more prominent role in Aida than in most operas, even more so when out of the pit and on the stage. The San Diego Symphony responded with precision when conductor Joseph Colaneri called for a gentle whisper to accompany singers or urged regal brass to come blazing forth."

"The work of all these artists came together under the leadership of Maestro Joseph Colaneri. His propulsive but subtle account of the score brought out the truth that Verdi ably described every emotion known to humanity with perfect accuracy. Colaneri provided space for the singers to breathe, a sense of majesty for the Triumphal Scene, and urgent orchestral drama for the interpersonal conflicts."

"In the pit, Joseph Colaneri kept the proceedings percolating with admirable unity of purpose and dramatic investment. Maestro Colaneri conducted with aplomb and obvious command of the ever-shifting musical genres. The accomplished orchestra responded with a cornucopia of impressive effects, including radiant string passages, tasty wind solos, snarling brass licks, and telling percussive punctuations. He also partnered beautifully with his singers to present a mellifluous ensemble effort, beautifully judged in its dramatic fruition."

"From the first haunting, glistening sound of the orchestral strings to the ponderous final strokes in the score that echoed the dying heartbeats of a doomed heroine, Glimmerglass Festival’s superior La Traviata was an indelible achievement.

This is owing in no small measure to the inspired baton of Joseph Colaneri, who reinvented this timeless classic with fresh ears. Maestro Colaneri has cleansed the performance of some time honored performance indulgences, and if some standard rubati and fermati were missing, the result was liberating. The sprightly passages of Verdi’s masterpiece fairly crackled, while the poignant stretches were heightened by contrasting, intense introspection. The instrumentalists responded with a cleanly detailed, stylistically apt reading that was arguably their best work in the pit, in a season marked by fine playing. The cast was assuredly up to the demands of Verdi’s middle period masterpiece."

"Conductor Joseph Colaneri, whose work with La traviata in this same Glimmerglass season opened me to a whole fresh hearing of Verdi’s opera, demonstrated he is equally sure-footed and sensitive to working with the contemporary Italian composer Corigliano’s massive and complicated score. Viva I’italia!"

"Corigliano’s score is a riotous mix of styles — Gilbert & Sullivan, Mozart, Rossini, Strauss, as well as his own — and Joseph Colaneri masterfully blended them into a cohesive whole. The orchestra underpinned all of the madcap escapades, tender love scenes and heartache with shimmering sound."

"Just as the director worked dramaturgical magic onstage, conductor Joseph Colaneri whipped Corigliano’s porous score into shape in the pit. On opening night, the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra played with the lightness of a chamber ensemble, with particularly piquant contributions from the nimble woodwinds. Yet when Corigliano called for brass explosions or jutting violin arpeggios, Colaneri and the musicians delivered."

"Glimmerglass conductor Joseph Colaneri brings his special affinity for the work to a most satisfying outcome. He draws out the intimacy of these relationships and the fragility of our heroine through his insistence on reining in both orchestra and singers. ‘Soft and delicate’ wins the day.

Colaneri argues musically from the podium that this is exactly what Verdi was going for in this middle period of a long life as opera-maker: la zona intima. Equally important, the Glimmerglass stage-audience relationship allows for this intimacy in its configuration, size, and warm acoustics. Just as Colaneri called it in his pre-show remarks yes, I heard Verdi’s well-known and much-beloved score 'like the ink is wet.'"

"There was a palpable sense of excitement emanating from the pit. Under Joseph Colaneri’s masterful watch, the orchestra, all Juilliard students, played splendidly."

“The orchestra, which in this opera continuously dialogues with the voices, and foreshadows all the dramatic outcomes, was led with subtlety and vivacity by the American Conductor, Joseph Colaneri."/ "La orquesta, que en esta ópera dialoga continuamente con las voces y anticipa prácticamente todas las alternativas del drama, fue llevada con sutileza y vivacidad por el maestro estadounidense Joseph Colaneri."

"...the conductor Joseph Colaneri brought great tenderness to Janacek’s tuneful score, teasing out the composer’s flourishes of Moravian folk music."

Janáček called for a large force, and the score is awash with lush and brilliant orchestral colors. Joseph Colaneri was in total control and paced the performance beautifully. Instead of the brilliance and forward propulsion that he had achieved in the Rossini the previous evening, the sounds that emerged from the pit were luminous and throbbing with emotion.

"…climactic high points in the flowing melody soared over the orchestra, elegantly conducted by Joseph Colaneri."

"...this Norma was an aural bel-canto-ing treat—last-performances conductor, the sensitive Joseph Colaneri, gets much credit, as does, of course and always, Bellini..."

“Mark Adamo’s Little Women is one of the few contemporary operas that have entered the repertory. Even The New York Times’ oft-quoted assessment, “some sort of masterpiece,” lifted it up, rather than jinxed it. Its popularity is not confined to the U.S.: since its first performances in 1998, the opera has been seen in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and the Philippines. … …Joseph Colaneri carefully sculpted the musical side of the equation, and The Mannes Orchestra played with clarity and subtlety. … Mannes lavished all the care and attention on this production that Adamo, who was in the audience, could wish for.” (Mannes Opera, Adamo, Little Women) May 12, 2016

“Mark Adamo is one of the three big A's in contemporary opera composition. Little Women, the first of his three completed operas, is produced by the Mannes Opera. … Joseph Colaneri conducted the Mannes Orchestra, and helped bring out all the special touches the composer provides. ... When you see such talent making opera art with contemporary works and an engaged and satisfied audience, it suggests that opera will live on in this century. Mannes is contributing to a rich future.”(Mannes Opera, Adamo, Little Women) May 7, 2016

"Joseph Colaneri conducted with forward motion and authentic style. The Maestro never over-indulged the bathos and horror. His very brisk opening statements, and pulsing undercurrent to the floated, ethereal strings established his approach to the score. The orchestra exhibited excellent ensemble work, but there were also beautiful solo passages
that mirrored the drama on stage. Maestro Colaneri was a willing partner in the breathless finale to the Macbeth-Lady duet as they scurry off stage after the murder of the King. I have heard some wonderful orchestras here over the years, but this was arguably the finest idiomatic playing I have yet heard from Glimmerglass pit." (Verdi, Macbeth Glimmerglass Festival 2015) -James Sohre, operatoday.com August 7, 2015

“Glimmerglass Festival's "Macbeth," as anticipated, was a huge success July 11, opening night, with larger-than-life guest artist Eric Owens in the title role, luxurious-voiced Melody Moore as Lady Macbeth, and a lineup of standout vocalists. Superstar status for this production of Verdi's 1847 opera, however, goes to the festival orchestra conductor Joseph Colaneri, who electrified the audience from the ominous opening chords to the mournful finale.” Verdi, Macbeth, Opening Night Production, Glimmerglass Festival 2015

“…the immortal drama [Macbeth] moves ever forward, thanks to a driving and powerful orchestra performance, conducted by music director Joseph Colaneri…” Verdi, Macbeth, Opening Night Production, Glimmerglass Festival 2015

"In the warm Edwardian embrace of His Majesty’s Theatre, conductor Joseph Colaneri tendered Verdi's grandiose score without resorting to pomposity, supporting the drama with effective tempi and allowing the artists to ride comfortably over the music. ...Colaneri mustered the artists and musicians of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to deliver gratifying results." Verdi, Il Trovatore, West Australian Opera

"The company's artistic director Joseph Colaneri led the WA Symphony Orchestra in a vivid account of Verdi's score, always closely connected to the singers." Verdi, Il Trovatore, West Australian Opera

"Conductor and Music Director Joseph Colaneri, who knows this opera score inside and out, maintained good balance with the singers throughout the performance." Puccini, Madame Butterfly, Glimmerglass Festival, July 2014

"Highest marks go to the WA Symphony and conductor Joseph Colaneri for a sensitive, intelligent and sensuous rendition of the score..."Verdi, Otello, West Australian Opera

"Aside from the production, the chief glory here was the playing of the West Australian Symphony orchestra under Joseph Colaneri. The Tuesday night packed house was able to enjoy a first rate band in a musical interpretation that was viscerally energetic, exciting and detailed in an acoustic that is ideally balanced (eat your heart out Sydney Opera House)." Verdi, Otello, West Australian Opera

"WA Opera director Joseph Colaneri proved why Otello is his favourite opera, leading the WA Symphony Orchestra in a polished and secure performance from the stormy opening to the poignant instrumental solos. ... I think Colaneri may have converted some new Otello fans in Perth, and I am very excited about the rest of the WA Opera season under his helm."Verdi, Otello, West Australian Opera

"WA Opera's artistic director Joseph Colaneri, an acclaimed Verdian, elicited a performance of profound expressivity and refinement from the WA Symphony Orchestra."Verdi, Otello, West Australian Opera