PRESS
Elgar - The Dream of Gerontius CD recording
Paul McCreesh, conductor
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Polish National Youth Choir
Andrew Foster-Williams cuts a powerful figure as the Priest... and his impassioned, more mordant aria as the Angel of the Agony, replete with some of the most anguished chromaticism in the work, provides a powerful foil and preparation for the dramatic culmination of Gerontius's glimpse of the Almighty
Jeremy Dibble - GRAMOPHONE
Andrew Foster-Williams brings unexaggerated authority to the double bass-baritone role
Richard Fairman - Financial Times
Handel - Deborah
International Handel Festival Göttingen
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
NDR Radiophilharmonie
The bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams sang with wonderful embellishments
Wagner - Das Rheingold Donner
La Monnaie
Director - Romeo Castellucci
Conductor - Alain Altinoglu
Excellent Donner (Andrew Foster-Williams)
Emmanuel Dupuy - Diapason
Andrew Foster-Williams (Donner) his bass baritone voice distinguished by a serious, profound and rounded timbre
Soline Heurtebise - Olyrix
Donner, bass baritone Andrew Foster-Williams sings with magnanimity and roundness
Benedict Hévry - ResMusica
Andrew Foster-Williams brought the necessary toughness to Donner
Antoni Colomer - Opera Actual
Dvořák - Stabat Mater
Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor - Kazushi Ono
Andrew Foster-Williams encountered no difficulties with this imposing orchestra. The bass-baritone pierced even the greatest forte with his brass-like timbre. His colossal range really reveals no weakness and he performs the slightest of his interventions with a truly disarming modesty and elegance
Valentin Gautron Lavarone - Bachtrack
Mozart - Così fan tutte Don Alfonso
New Zealand Opera
Director - Lindy Hume
Conductor - Natalie Murray Beale
Andrew Foster-Williams, with his effortless baritone voice, was perfect as Don Alfonso
Anthony Ferner - The Press
Andrew Foster-Williams was a wonderfully wily and manipulative Don Alfonso, in total command even before the overture begins
Roger Wilson - The Post
Andrew Foster-Williams gave his Don Alfonso a standout performance with an animated voice
John Daly-Peoples - New Zealand Arts Review
A sly Don Alfonso in the form of Andrew Foster-Williams, wry and world-weary but with a warmth and grain to his tone that belied the cruelty of his actions
Simon Holden - Bachtrack
Offenbach - Les contes d'Hoffmann The Four Villains
Gothenburg Opera
Director - Krystian Lada
Conductor - Sébastien Rouland
Andrew Foster-Williams a dynamic and exciting British bass baritone
Gunilla Brodrej - Expressen
Andrew Foster-Williams powerfully sings the four villainous bass-baritone roles
Bo Löfvendahl - Svenska Dagbladet
Andrew Foster-Williams was in fine form, devious as Lindorf and Coppélius, malign and oleaginous as Dr Miracle and just plain violent as the pimp Dapertutto, bringing a solid bass-baritone underlay to all four roles ★★★★★
David Karlin - Bachtrack
Andrew Foster-Williams sings with bite and authority
Lennart Bromander - Aftonbladet
Sibelius - In the Stream of Life (arr. Einojuhani Rautavaara)
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Conductor - Dalia Stasevska
Admirably sung by bass-baritone Andrew Foster Williams, In the Stream of Life was given a brilliant performance, one of nuanced acuteness and dramatic power. Well in accord with each other, the soloist, the orchestra and Stasevska set the poetry alight with expressive psychological and sonorous detail. Within the musical narrative, glimpses of the entire cycle of life were woven into the seven-song arch with sensitivity and dramatic beauty, concluding the first half with perfection
Adventures in Music
Britten - Peter Grimes Balstrode
Theater an der Wien, Vienna
Director - Christof Loy
Conductor - Thomas Guggeis
Andrew Foster-Williams is a vocally brilliant Balstrode
Peter Jarolin - Kurier
Andrew Foster-Williams deserves the Oscar in this tragedy
Walter Weidringer - Die Presse
Andrew Foster-Williams excellently cast as Balstrode
Martin Gasser - Kleine Zeitung
Andrew Foster-Williams a perfect casting for Captain Balstrode
Karlheinz Roschitz - Kronen Zeitung
Andrew Foster-Williams’ robust powerful baritone
Stefan Musil - Tiroler Tageszeitung
The charm and charisma of the character [Balstrode] are well expressed through the round, dark and powerful resonance of the vocal timbre, which is also manifested concretely in the transitions between registers. The midrange is imposing, broad and solid even on sudden climbs and descents. The particularly charming low register brings out the subtly rugged character of the voice.
Vinda Sonata Miguna - Ôlyrix
Tonight, this final scene moved me more than on any previous occasion I’ve seen it. Foster-Williams bringing out a haunted desire in his stage presence, one unwilling to give up on a happiness he had desperately wanted to have. The final scene that saw Balstrode in Grimes’s bed, the mob looking in on him, perhaps ready to make him their next victim, was seriously poignant. Foster-Williams sang the role in his compact, focused baritone, even from top to bottom.
Operatraveller
From sincere friend to suffering many mixed feelings, Andrew Foster-Williams' Balstrode has become a fascinating bundle of uncertainty with a hard-hitting baritone and immense charisma
Renate Wagner - Online Merker
Offenbach - Les contes d’Hoffmann The Four Villains
Zürich Opera
Director - Andreas Homoki
Conductor - Antonino Fogliani
Andrew Foster-Williams offered a tour de force as all the villains
Opera magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams wonderfully expresses the Mephistophelian characters with gruesome malice and devious charm
Das Opernmagazin
The Four Villains are admirably suited to Andrew Foster-Williams, who with his quilted and mischievous phrasing manages to reveal a specific character to each of the "devils" (moreover in the most refined French language of the cast)
Thibault Vicq - Opera Online
In the many roles of villain Lindorf / Coppélius / Le docteur Miracle / Le capitaine Dapertutto, the English bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams stands out for the elegance of his phrasing and the care in diction; the voice, clear in timbre, resonates with an evenness in tone
Connessi all’Opera
With his never over loud, rather ironic demonry, Andrew Foster-Williams makes perfect casting in the roles of the four villains
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Villains are in good hands with bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams. The Briton brings darkness and agility
Musik & Theater
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams totally convinces as Lindorf / Coppélius / Le docteur Miracle / Le capitaine Dapertutto and brings out the diabolical character of his roles
Online Merker
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde Kurwenal
La Monnaie, Brussels
Director/Design - Ralf Pleger, Alexander Polzin
Alain Altinoglu, conductor
Andrew Foster-Williams as Kurwenal sang as he acted, with nuance and imagination
Mark Valencia - Musical America
Andrew Foster-Williams as Kurwenal and Franz Josef Selig as King Marke make a strong impression
Ashutosh Khandekar - Opera Now
Full, round and voluminous voices were those of Franz-Josef Selig as Marke and Andrew Foster-Williams as Kurwenal, perhaps the two best performers for these roles today
Antoni Colomer - Opera Actual
Vibrant and striking, Andrew Foster-Williams’s Kurwenal raises the bar
Emmanuel Dupuy - Diapason
Andrew Foster-Williams made a similarly admirable Kurwenal
Nicolas Blanmont - Opera
Andrew Foster-Williams gave us a self-confident Kurwenal with beautiful stage presence
Patrice Lieberman - Bachtrack
Baritone Andrew Foster-Williams masters the ceremonial authority of Kurwenal and draws the character with a ringing voice, rounded and supported delivery… the voice certain and profound
Soline Heurtebise - Olyrix
Andrew Foster-Williams sings an excellent Kurwenal
Jos Hermans - Flemish Wagner Society
Haydn The Seasons
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor
Jurowski had the huge advantage of a stellar trio of soloists… [Foster-Williams] found true feeling in the music… sung with totally convincing warmth and focus
Boyd Tonkin - The Arts Desk
Andrew Foster-Williams was often required to use the higher tones of his flexible bass-baritone; his clear diction and light touch in the joyful husbandman’s aria was stylistically ideal
Antony Hodgson - Classical Source
The trio of soloists would be hard to beat… lyrical to the extreme and exceptional in their respective roles… highlighted by the last movement of ‘Winter’ opening with a solemn (and reflective) recitative by Andrew Foster-Williams… delivered by Mr Foster-Williams in a quiet and thoughtful way ★★★★★
Tony Cooper - Planet Hugill
Carl Maria von Weber - Euryanthe Lysiart
Theater an der Wien, Vienna
Christof Loy, director
Constantin Trinks, conducting
Lysiart, the evil schemer… Andrew Foster-Williams was physically and vocally intense in this role
Gerhard Persché - Opera magazine
The principals all responded well to Loy’s demands, most notably British baritone Andrew Foster-Williams, who sang Lysiart’s desperate plea to Euryanthe completely nude. His powerful, eloquent voice captured attention from the very first moment, and he was most adept at expressing the character's emotional journey
Ako Imamura - Bachtrack
Andrew Foster-Williams captivates through his acting… his vigorously expressive baritone
Walter Weiderinder - Die Presse
Andrew Foster-Williams embodies the destructive energy of Lysiart with wholehearted intensity
Albrecht Thiemann - Opern Welt
Andrew Foster-Williams as a fantastically acted Lysiart
Elisabeth Stuppnig - Salzburger Nachrichten
What can you not say about the baritone Andrew Foster-Williams. He catches the eye, not only when he wanders and sings on the stage stark naked for fifteen minutes - admirable of the singer… Foster-Williams has a Telramund voice (which he also sings, among other dramatic Wagner roles) and has no fear in playing the well-poisoning villain
Renate Wagner - Online Merker
Andrew Foster-Williams’ Lysiart especially stands out for his use of text
Martin Gasser - Kleiner Zeitung
[Andrew Foster-Williams] demonstrated creative vocal power and sensitive acting skills
Tiroler Tageszeitung
There is first-class acting for the first-class singing! Like Andrew Foster-Williams as Lysiart. He even masters the nude scene, where he creeps around the sleeping Euryanthe and admits the hopelessness of his desire, without any embarrassment
Jochim Lange - Concerti
Debussy - Pelléas et Mélisande Golaud
Opera Basel
Barbora Horáková Joly, director
Erik Nielsen, conducting
Baritone Andrew Foster-Williams convincingly shapes his role as Golaud with the whole range of love, hate, jealousy and despair. His voice allows him to convey all facets of this demanding role
Marco Stücklin - Das Opernmagazin
Andrew Foster-Williams sang with terrific conviction and solid stature
Sarah Batschlelet - Bachtrack
In his raging, almost pathological jealousy, the hothead Golaud behaves like a wounded animal… With Golaud (Andrew Foster-Williams): You can hear a voice as noble as it is agile
Johannes Adam - Badische Zeitung
Andrew Foster-Williams plays and sings his role convincingly. You feel his violence, can sympathize with his jealousy and suffer with him in his ignorance
Jakob Lorenz Fribourg - Online Merker
Wagner - Lohengrin Telramund
Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels
Olivier Py, director
Alain Altinoglu, conducting
As Telramund, Andrew Foster-Williams sounded imposing
Nicholas Blanmont - Opera magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams' Telramund has in his voice the poisonous virulence of his words
Marie-Aude Roux - Le Monde
The cast is truly royal… The British baritone Andrew Foster-Williams grasps Telramund with aplomb, served by a vibrant timbre and great breath control
Emmanuel Andrieu - Opera Online
Eric Cutler's plume and subtle shades in Lohengrin produce wonders, as does the quiet confidence of Gabor Bretz, King, and the aggressive energy of Andrew Foster-Williams (Telramund)
Christian Jade - Radio Télévision Belge Francophone
Andrew Foster-Williams spits Telramund’s venom with haughty arrogance
Emmanuel Dupuy - Diapason
Andrew Foster-Williams gives [Telramund] all the required venom
Christine Ducq - La revue du Spectacle
Gounod - Faust Méphistophélès
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Les Talens Lyriques - Christophe Rousset, conducting
In Mephisto, Andrew Foster-Williams consoled us after so many emphatic Slavic basses. A beautiful vocal line based on the words, a jovial or disturbing tone. He perfectly undersands the style of this French devil
Jacques Bonnaure - Opéra magazine
Highlights included a new Act I aria for Méphistophélès, 'Maître Scarabée', sung with artful drama by Andrew Foster-Williams
Alexandra Coghlan - Opera magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams is as Méphistophélès like a fish to water: his natural comic gift serves the character perfectly, and his bass baritone voice refreshes us nicely after so many monstrous Slavic devils
Laurent Bury - Forum Opera
Irresistible in the spoken [French] dialogue, Andrew Foster-Williams is as diabolical a Mephisto as one could wish for and musically superb
Revopéra
Andrew Foster-Williams gave us an extrovert Méphistophélès of undeniable personality and in impeccable French, both in the dialogue and in the sung numbers. He caressed the text with the love of a native speaker and so much of what he did was based in that clarity of diction
Operatraveller.com
The Mephisto of Andrew Foster-Williams has many assets. An imperceptible accent coupled with a real British chic add an ironic colour to the character, and not only a demonic one, which is often the case. Again, everything is in subtle measure and careful diction
Jean-Pierre Robert - ON Magazine
Through the performance of Andrew Foster-Williams, Méphistophélès is liberated from the role of a droning diabolus in musica. Take for example the serenata "Vous qui faites l'endormie" when the devil appears as Schleppfuß; [Foster-Williams] presents this like a song with sweetly poisoned colours
Jürgen Kesting - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Godard - Dante Virgil
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Ulf Schirmer, conducting
Nominated for International Classical Music Award 2018
Andrew Foster-Williams stands out with his warm timbre and elegant phrasing
Eric Myers - Opera magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams is a Virgil that we would willingly follow to Hell or to Heaven
Laurent Bury - Forum Opera
Janáček - The Cunning Little Vixen
Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Weiser-Möst, conducting
One could have listened without end to bass baritone Andrew Foster-Williams
Zachary Lewis - The Plain Dealer
Saint-Saëns - Proserpine Squarocca
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Ulf Schirmer, conducting
WINNER International Classical Music Award 2018 - BEST OPERA RECORDING
Andrew Foster-Williams oozes dangerous charisma as Squarocca
Hugo Shirley - Opera magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams’s biting baritone makes for a splendid Squarocca
Mark Pullinger - Gramophone
Andrew Foster-Williams finds in Squarocca one of those villainous characters in which he excels, and which one can see as a preparation for the Méphistophélès in the recreation of the original version of [Gounod’s] Faust that he will perform in Paris in June 2018
Laurent Bury - Forum Opera
Delibes - Lakmé Nilakantha
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Laurent Campellone, conducting
Very noteworthy, because of his remarkable, very beautiful, interpretation of Nilakatha was Andrew Foster-Williams. He portrays the role of the terrifying father of the young Hindu as a wrathful deity, with his powerful baritone voice, impeccable projection, a strong stage presence and a fierce portrayal of a guardian and a protector of the divine laws
Luc Roger - Opera World
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
The Minnesota Orchestra
Edo de Waart, conducting
Andrew Foster-Williams brought a suave dignity to the roles of Priest and Angel of the Agony
Michael Anthony - Star Tribune
Haydn The Seasons CD recording
Gabrieli Consort
Paul McCreesh, conductor
Nominated for International Classical Music Award 2018
BBC Radio 3 Record Review - Disc of the Week
Gramophone Magazine - Editor's Choice
Presto Classical - Disc of the Week
BBC Music Magazine - Recording of the Month
The three soloists are first-rate. So is the recording. An uplifting performance all-round *****
Richard Fairman - Financial Times
Andrew Foster-Williams, more baritone than bass, makes a genial, firm-voiced Simon, singing his ploughman’s song with unforced gusto – impressive agility, too – and bringing a grave eloquence to his valedictory aria in Winter
Richard Wigmore - Gramophone
Top-class solo singing… Glorious
Nicholas Kenyon - The Observer
Andrew Foster-Williams, who grabs attention from the off with his description of departing Winter’s ‘blust’ry ruffians’ relishes every nuance
Katherine Cooper - Presto Classical
Radiant soloists
Andrew McGregor - BBC Radio 3 Record Review
Bach: St John Passion Christus & arias
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conducting
Andrew Foster-Williams, the bass-baritone who sang the part of Jesus, went the extra dramatic mile to portray a fully animated character living and feeling in the moment. Foster-Williams was a commanding and resonant figure throughout
Zachary Lewis - The Plain Dealer
Beethoven: Symphony No.9
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conducting
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams gave a free and easy, gesture-filled opening solo, which rode effortlessly over the distance from the back of the stage
David Bratman - San Francisco Classical Voice
When bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams began, I was impressed by the power of projection that he had. His voice had a sweet depth in it with sharp German diction
Mayumi Wardrop - Bachtrack
Mendelssohn: Elijah
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Giancarlo Guerrero, conducting
The performance relied most on bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams. Without overacting, he turned the title role into a character: dignified, implacable, ironic, resigned, weary, peaceful, interacting with the chorus. He remained focused on his last emotion when he wasn’t singing and took up a new one when his resonant, flexible voice came into play. His exemplary diction also made clear each utterance of this doom-saying, despairing man
Lawrence Toppman - Charlotte Observer
Les Voyages de Don Quichotte Title role
Opéra National de Bordeaux
Marc Minkowski, conductor
Our language [French] holds no secrets for Andrew Foster-Williams... His death is full of an admirable modesty, a beautiful moment of emotion
Laurent Bury - Forum Opera
Wagner - Götterdämmerung Gunther
Royal Festival Hall, London
Richard Farnes, conductor
Winner BEST OPERA PRODUCTION Royal Philharmonic Society Awards 2017
Winner BEST OPERA PRODUCTION South Bank Show Awards 2017
Andrew Foster-Williams outstanding as the easily manipulated, nervy Gunther
Hugo Shirley - Financial Times
Andrew Foster-Williams was a strongly sung Gunther
Martin Kettle - The Guardian
The formidable baritone Andrew Foster-Williams, full of passion
Katy Oberlé - Anaclase
Andrew Foster-Williams [was] fabulous as the Gibichung Gunther… Foster-Williams giving a vivid portrayal of an utter coward
Mark Pullinger - Bachtrack
I also greatly liked Andrew Foster-Williams’ powerfully sung Gunther
Stephen Jay-Taylor - Opera Britannia
Andrew Foster-Williams was finally able to showcase his large voice
Colin Clarke - Opera Today
The desperate glances of Andrew Foster-Williams’s increasingly disturbed Gunther fall directly on us, pleading for deliverance from a plan spiralling swiftly out of control… A large part of the pleasure of this cycle has come from Farnes’s world-class company of singers... Foster-Williams’s exquisitely chilly and self-controlled Gunther
Alexandra Coghlan - The Arts Desk
Saint-Saëns - Proserpine Squarocca
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Ulf Schirmer, conductor
Always expressive, Andrew Foster-Williams flourishes with the colourful character of Squarocca
Laurent Bury - Forum Opera
Gounod - Cinq Mars Père Joseph
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Ulf Schirmer, conductor
The Sunday Times (London) Sunday Times “CD of the Week”
Andrew Foster-Williams sings a disturbing and powerful Père Joseph, whose vocal authority alone seems to send his opponents to their deaths
Jacques Bonnaure - Opéra magazine
Andrew Foster- Williams is a deliciously despicable Père Joseph
Laurent Bury - Forum Opéra
Andrew Foster-Williams brings new meaning to the Church’s excesses through his nefarious overtones as Père Joseph
Christie Grimstad - Concerto Net
Britten - Peter Grimes Balstrode
Theater an der Wien, Vienna
Christof Loy, Director
Cornelius Meister, conductor
WINNER Best New Production “International Opera Awards 2016”
Andrew Foster-Williams is a ravishing Balstrode
Peter Jarolin - Kurier
Andrew Foster-Williams gives a Captain Balstrode of distinctive stature
Ernst P. Strobl - Salzburger Nachrichten
Balstrode, hopelessly tangled in the power of suppressed emotions, is forcefully played and sung by Andrew Foster-Williams
Christian Wildhagen - Neue Zürcher Zeitung
This Balstrode becomes as interesting a figure as the title role - a challenge superbly met by Andrew Foster-WIlliams whose passionate and unabashed acting well compliments his effortlessly expressive singing
Moore Parker - The Opera Critic
Andrew Foster-Williams is in every respect a brilliant Balstrode
Susanne Zobl - news.at
Andrew Foster-Williams is totally convincing as Captain Balstrode
Bernard Neuhoff - BR Klassik
Most astonishing in this production is Balstrode
Walter Weidringer - Die Presse
Briton Andrew Foster - Williams was totally convincing as Balstrode, not only with a powerful voice, but also with a study of uncertainty and sadness that makes this character more tangible than usual
Renate Wagner - Der Neue Merker
Fauré Requiem CD recording
Brussels Philharmonic
Hervé Niquet, conductor
With the Libera me [Andrew Foster-Williams] injects the only real note of tension into the work with appropriate gravitas but without sounding excessively operatic
Marc Rochester - Gramophone
Beethoven - Symphony No 9
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor
[McGegan] was supported, especially, by Andrew Foster-Williams who opened the bass-baritone line not like a pompous oratorio singer but like a character in an opera – speaking to the audience, drawing us in, making the words mean something
Anne Midgette - The Washington Post
Mendelssohn - Elijah
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Paul McCreesh, conductor
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams was outstanding in the title role. Vocally, he impressed with his resounding strength, unadorned clarity, shapely phrasing and excellent diction. Foster-Williams’s Elijah was also brilliantly characterised as he assuredly traversed the prophet’s many mood swings
Murray Black - The Australian
As Elijah, Andrew Foster-Williams was a revelation. More than simply the old-testament prophet, he dramatised the hopes and fears of a figure that in lesser hands can come over as a blinkered fanatic. Vocally confident and secure, his rich baritone sailed over all obstacles, helped by the fact that he has the money notes that Mendelssohn always seems to require to ring out on the word “Lord”. His diction was superlative, his use of the text gripping
Clive Paget - Limelight
Andrew Foster-Williams portrayed Elijah with glowing richness and fierceness bordering on relish
Peter McCallum - The Sydney Morning Herald
Rossini - Mosè in Egitto Faraone - Pharaoh
Welsh National Opera
David Pountney, Director
Carlo Rizzi, conductor
Andrew Foster-Williams and Christine Rice, are formidable
Hugh Canning - The Sunday Times (London)
The virtuosity and range of the baritone Andrew Foster-Williams
Hilary Finch - The Times (London)
Andrew Foster-Williams sang with smooth, dark elegance of tone
Peter Reynolds - Opera Now
WNO has assembled an outstanding ensemble cast... Andrew Foster-Williams brings agility and weight to Pharoah’s music
Hugo Shirley - The Spectator
Foster-Williams impressed greatly as Faraone... both musical and dramatic in his solo, with an admirable facility for passagework, but it was the entirety and completeness of his performance which really impressed
Robert Hugill - Opera Today
Miklós Sebestyén’s Mosè is a vocal force. He is ably matched by Andrew Foster-Williams’s Pharaoh
Rian Evans - The Guardian
Foster-Williams gave the most striking vocal performance of the evening, and was especially effective in “Cade dal ciglio il velo”, undaunted by the elaborate coloratura and the long-phrased melodies
Simon Rees - Bachtrack
Beethoven - Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II CD recording
San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Andrew Foster-Williams gives a vivid account, ranging over nearly two octaves, of Joseph crushing the head of the “monster called Fanaticism”
Richard Lawrence - Gramophone
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams stands out among the vocal soloists for the eloquence of his singing
Joshua Kosman - San Francisco Chronicle
Andrew Foster-Williams particularly good evoking the ogre of “Fanaticism” that Joseph II allegedly banished
Richard Morrison - The Times (London)
Wagner - Lohengrin Telramund
Le Festival de Lanaudière
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Ortrud’s [Jane Henschel] co-conspirator, Friedrich of Telramund, was no less lifelike as portrayed by the splendidly focused British bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams
Arthur Kaptainis - Montreal Gazette
Dauvergne - Hercule Mourant Hercules
Opéra National de Versailles - Aparté recording
Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset, conductor
Hercule shows heroic resolve, a frame of mind that Andrew Foster-Williams’ rich bass- baritone and commanding bearing impressively convey
George Loomis - Opera
Top honours, though, go to bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams as Hercules himself... from his first sentence he imbues Marmontel's heightened lyrics and Dauvergne's commanding vocal phrases with ringing authority
International Record Review
A strong cast is led by Andrew Foster-Williams in the bass-baritone title role, Véronique Gens as his wife Deianira and tenor Emiliano Gonzalez Toro as Hilus
Andrew Clark - Financial Times
Hercule’s bitter shame at his unworthy deceit of his wife at the start of Act 3 is sung commandingly by Andrew Foster-Williams
David Vickers - Gramophone
Andrew Foster-Williams is a nuanced, multi-faceted Hercules
Katherine Cooper - Presto Classical
Andrew Foster-Williams (Hercules) has the measure of the drama in his role
BBC Music Magazine
A strong vocal line-up, among whom Veronique Gens and Andrew Foster-Williams deserve special mention, sets the seal on a fine achievement
Classical Music
Andrew Foster-Williams and the great Véronique Gens play Hercules and Deianira with a passionate intensity that proves all the more remarkable for their avoidance of flashy histrionics
Tim Ashley - The Guardian
Rossini - Guillaume Tell Title role
Rossini in Wildbad
Antonino Fogliani, conductor
Tell was sung by Andrew Foster-Williams. He has a powerful baritone, which is strong in its heights, with beautiful colours
Lennaert van Anken, Operamagazine NL
Andrew Foster-Williams - in whose blazing voice one can hear the outrage of the Homeland - a singer on the way to becoming a Heldenbaritone
Badische Zeitung
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams shines with internalized dramatic power
Eckehard Uhlig - Die Deutsche Bühne
Andrew Foster-Williams earthy baritone, with lush sound, is initially underlined by his expressive recitative, before this later develops in the arioso passages into a hot flowing legato with natural height
Udo Klebes - Der Neue Merker
Andrew Foster-Williams shone in the title role, and seemed to have the interpretation of Tell written in his body. He sings this not necessarily pleasant guy, this fighter, with a very meaty and powerful bass-baritone
Manfred Langer - Der Opernfreund
Andrew Foster-Williams sang the title role with his rich, always moving, baritone
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams brilliantly masters the title role
Werner Müller-Grimmel - Stuttgarter Nachrichten
Andrew Foster-Williams added interesting nuances to Rossini’s often one-dimensional William Tell
Michael Stallknecht - Süddeutsche Zeitung
Andrew Foster-Williams as William Tell with his powerful baritone, is a splendid specimen of a revolutionary!... Foster-Williams and [Michael] Spyres as Tell and Arnold: What vocal charisma! What energy!
GEA, Reutlinger Generalanzeiger
[Andrew Foster-Williams] gives the words exactly the proper weight and expressiveness
Maurice Salles - Forum Opéra
Beethoven - The Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II
San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Of the two chief vocal soloists, bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams delivered his one heroic aria with forthright vigor
Joshua Kosman - San Francisco Chronicle
Bach - St. Matthew Passion
Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Two of the three British singers involved, Karen Cargill and Andrew Foster-Williams, proved excellent. One looked forward to their every intervention. The bass-baritone again showed himself a paragon of cleanly produced passagework with a handsome, forward tone and due gravitas
David Shengold - Opera News
Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem DVD
Orchestre des Champs-Élysées
Philippe Herreweghe, conductor
The soloists are excellent. Andrew Foster-Williams is solemn and authoritative in 'Herr, lehre doch mich’”
Richard Lawrence - Gramophone Magazine
Dauvergne: Hercule Mourant Hercules
Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset, conductor
Hercule himself was sung with great authority by Andrew Foster-Williams
Brian Robins - Opera
With great presence, charisma and an unparalleled, almost surreal, incarnation of Hercules, Andrew Foster-Williams is an ideal. His bass-baritone sound is coppery, powerful and colourful, his vocals and his prosody are connected with an ease and creativity in flawless ornamentation. This is the highest triumph so far for this great singer who came recently to the French repertoire and who fills us with his commitment to its psychological and dramatic roles
Pedro-Octavio Diaz - Muse Baroque
The Royal couple: Andrew Foster-Williams, a man of marble, and Véronique Gens, his destroyed wife, are both perfect in colour and in language
Ivan A. Alexandre - Diapason magazine
Beethoven: Fidelio Don Pizarro
Sir Richard Armstrong, conductor
Tim Albery, director
Andrew Foster-Williams's superb Pizarro
Richard Morrison - TheTimes (London)
The finest singing came from Andrew Foster-Williams's evilly beautiful Pizarro
Tim Ashley - TheGuardian
Andrew Foster Williams’s nasty Eichmannesque bureaucrat of a Pizarro sang [his] aria expertly
Rupert Christiansen - The Telegraph
Andrew Foster Williams brings lieder-like clarity to the jealous ravings of Don Pizarro
Anna Picard - The Independent on Sunday
As Pizarro, Andrew Foster-Williams offered plenty of heft and easy maneuverability in his lean and hungry vocalism
George Hall - Opera News
Andrew Foster-Williams’s Pizarro has a tensile strength of purpose that makes his villainy frighteningly real
The Stage
As the baddy of the story Andrew Foster-Williams gave a formidable sung and acted portrayal, his bespectacled demeanour sent a chill down my spine whilst his declamation, even at forte, was first class
Robert J Farr - Seen & Heard International
There’s a brilliant turn from Andrew Foster Williams as the villain Don Pizarro, overdressed in a natty suit and waving a sharp letter opener; a frightening depiction of petty evil
Graham Rickson - The Arts Desk
This costume concept is used most successfully for Pizarro, with bass-baritone Andrew Foster Williams creating the feeling of faceless, corporate evil in an expensive suit and permanent sunglasses. He delivers the hugely dramatic aria Ha! Welch ein Augenblick with a power that is intentionally at odds with his lack of physical energy. Sitting casually at his desk, he boomed the famous 'Triumph!' with little more than a flick of his letter-opener to remind us of his murderous intentions. His vocal performance is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this Fidelio
Laura Kate Wilson - Bachtrack
Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress Nick Shadow
Opéra National de Lorraine
Tito Muñoz, conductor
This charismatic bass-baritone, singing brilliantly and dominating the stage
Rolf Fath - Opera
Andrew Foster-Williams holds the attention of the audience with the energy of someone who has great experience, and with sensational vocal ability which he uses with total freedom, he easily makes his mark in the role of Nick [Shadow] - this is particularly justified in the magnificent final scenes in which the British bass-baritone excels
François Lehel - Opéra
The standout of the cast is baritone Andrew Foster-Williams, who sings a remarkable Nick Shadow with elegance and assurance
Didier Hemardinquer - Est Republicain
The great discovery of the show is Andrew Foster-Williams. He is English, a dark baritone, he is just 37, and embodies the devilish Nick Shadow with stunning humour. He possesses a voice of fire, clear diction and an obvious pleasure in playing the bad guy, and perfectly represents an envoy from hell who delights in pulling the strings of the drama
Caroline Alexander - Webthea
Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten The Seasons
Concert and ‘LSO Live’ CD recording
Sir Colin Davis, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
“Editor’s Choice” Gramophone
“Editor’s Choice” BBC Music Magazine
“Disc of the Month” Hi-Fi News
Foster-Williams’ force and authority rang through the hall
Geoff Brown - The Times (London)
Andrew Foster-Williams’ vivid bass-baritone, a model of vocal security and textual definition
George Hall - BBC Music Magazine
Andrew Foster-Williams as Simon is a real bass-baritone, excelling as ploughman or huntsman and never turning cavernous
Piers Burton-Page - International Record Review
Andrew Foster-Williams, a fine classical stylist, is breezily extrovert in the ploughman’s song and the bird-shoot, and brings a grave intensity of line to his momento mori in Winter
Richard Wigmore - Gramophone
Andrew Foster-Williams’ robust, polished singing in the bass-baritone’s musical numbers ensures that the aria quoting the Surprise Symphony is duly amusing and the dramatic aria describing the shooting of a bird is charged with tension
George Loomis - The Classical Review
The best section is "Winter," since Haydn did less tone-painting here, and since the oracular, rotund quality of baritone Andrew Foster-Williams suits the proclamation about the power of God
William R. Braun - Opera News
Beethoven: Fidelio Don Pizarro
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Ádám Fischer, conductor
The churning figurations beneath Pizarro's aria suggested the eruption of some malevolent spiritual force. In keeping with Fischer's approach, Andrew Foster-Williams gave us a demonic Pizarro
Tim Ashley - The Guardian
Andrew Foster Williams sang strongly as Don Pizarro
Hugo Shirley - The Telegraph
Bach: Mass in F major "Lutheran"
Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst, the orchestra pulled out all the stops to produce an evening that audiences will likely remember for the rest of their lives... Foster-Williams was particularly outstanding and explored his range to great effect
The Observer
Händel: Messiah
Bernard Labadie, conductor
Les Violons du Roy
Carnegie Hall, New York
Most effective was Andrew Foster-Williams, the bass-baritone in “Messiah,” who dispatched the quavering figures depicting fire and rage with full-bodied tone despite Mr. Labadie’s brisk tempos and was just as effective intoning the serene “great light” seen by “the people that walked in darkness.”
James R. Oestreich - The New York Times
Haydn: Mass in D minor “Lord Nelson”
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
The [Cleveland] orchestra was joined by a fine quartet of soloists... most imposing of all, bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams