Il Pagliacci, Hannover, Germany
Viktor Antipenko’s virile tenor gives Bajazzo the necessary anger and force: emphatically powerful and resounding.
HAZ.de October 26, 2024
Il Pagliacci, Hannover, Germany
With a consistently lively performance and a strong tenor in all registers, the Russian-American guest singer Viktor Antipenko filled the role of the betrayed Canio.
Gerhard Eckels, DerOpernFreund.de, 26 Oktober, 2024
Il Pagliacci, Hannover, Germany
Viktor Antipenko in the role of Canio shines as a tragic clown with an impressive acting and vocal depth. Antipenko masterfully portrays Canio's tornness between love, jealousy and madness. His singing is captivating in his despair and leaves you with goosebumps.
Dominik Lapp, KulturFeder.de, October 28, 2024
Il Tabarro, Opera Australia, Sydney
Newcomers to the Opera Australia stage included tenor Viktor Antipenko, who was excellent as Luigi in Il tabarro;
David Larkin, BachTrack.com, July 7, 2024
Die Walküre, The Atlanta Opera, USA
Viktor Antipenko evinced a vocal combination you don’t often hear in the role of Siegmund — lyricism combined with heroic heft. He sang Siegmund’s aria “Winterstürme” — on his back, no less — with mellifluous phrasing.
Paul Hyde, ArtsATL.com, April 30, 2024
Die Walküre, The Atlanta Opera, USA
…Excellence did not stop there. We saw compelling performance(s) by tenor Viktor Antipenko..
Mark Gresham, EarRelevant.com, April 30, 2024
Die Walküre, The Atlanta Opera, USA
Viktor Antipenko brought an attractive and heroic tenor to Siegmund.
Cameron Kelsall, BachTrack.com, April 30, 2024
Die Walküre, The Atlanta Opera, USA
… Viktor Antipenko, made for a tremendously appealing Siegmund. He staggered onstage worn from battle, in a weathered, chest hair-forward Robinhood getup, balancing Siegmund’s need to display masculine force in a warlike milieu with instantaneous tenderness towards Sieglinde. He knelt before her during “Du bist der Lenz,” and sang the half of “Winterstürme” lying down, snuggled with Wilde. With recent turns as Melot and Froh in Seattle, Antipenko journeys stepwise up the Wagnerian ladder. An acquired taste is a fast vibrato, but his sounds pleasant even following sometime straight-toned onsets, and his bright timbre must surely be on a collision course with Lohengrin in particular. He knocked “Wälse, Wälse” clear out of the house and into the adjacent Braves’ baseball stadium, easily holding the thrilling second fermata on G♮ for a stopwatch-demanding duration.
Benjamin Torbert, Operawire, June 4, 2024
Eugene Onegin, New National Theatre Tokyo, Japan
As the besotted Lensky, Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko impressed with his blazing yet tender voice.
Natsuko Hirakura, Opera Today, Feb 3, 2024
Die Walküre, Victoria BC, Canada
Antipenko provided some of the night’s best singing. His unforgettable sustained notes in Act I (the so-called “Wälse calls” as Siegmund summons his father) radiated a strange ethereal beauty. A handsome tenor able to summon robust heft when required, Antipenko mined the nuance and delicacy within the role. Siegmund’s complexity was fully revealed.
Adrian Chamberlain, Times Colonist, Oct 14, 2023
Die Walküre, Victoria BC, Canada
Audible and then some was the trumpet-toned Russian-American tenor Viktor Antipenko, bolt upright and heroic as Siegmund. His prolonged shouts of “Wälse!” merited consideration as a Guinness record for duration, at least in the 21st century.
Arthur Kaptainis, Classical Voice America, Oct 18, 2023
Il Tabarro, The Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Luigi is the Russian-born Viktor Antipenko, whose successful characterization is entirely through his splendid tenor: he possesses a wide vocal range displaying both craving and lust mixed with caution and fear. This marks his debut here, and one hopes this will be the first in many performances in Scotland.
Gregor Tassie, Seen and Heard International, March 17, 2023,
Carmen, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, USA
The Lyric’s last-minute call for a substitute tenor on opening night resulted in the acquisition of an exceptional Don José who at times seemed as if he had dropped in from another opera, which in fact he had: Viktor Antipenko was plucked from a Tristan und Isolde he was preparing for Seattle Opera, and he brought a fascinating range of vocal textures and unexpected dramatic twists.
Paul Horsley, The KC Independent, September 25, 2022
Carmen, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, USA
Antipenko’s tenor is resonant and expansive: he has excellent technique and expression.
Hilary Stroh, Bachtrack.com, September 25, 2022
Samson et Dalila, Innsbruck, Austria
St. Petersburg native tenor Viktor Antipenko embodies the title role of Samson with a convincing presence, and radiant, unbreakable, triumphant voice in the high register. [...] Antipenko's pronunciation of the French text is outstanding.
Thomas Nußbaumer, Onlinemerker.com, January 20, 2020
Samson et Dalila, Innsbruck, Austria
"To our taste, the heroic vocality of Viktor Antipenko, who is guesting in Innsbruck for the third time in three seasons, after Enzo Grimaldo and Gabriele Adorno, stood out among the voices. St.-Petersburg native tenor has shown he has at his disposal all the necessary requirements to face this part - from an impeccable intonation to a splendid ring, always without the need to force, from a variety of timbres to a fullness even in the plan that allowed him to recreate exaltation and despair, sensuality and prayer."
Vittorio Mascherpa, OperaClick.com, January 11, 2020
Samson et Dalila, Innsbruck, Austria
Viktor Antipenko, as Samson, can use his powerfully reflective, but also capable of restrained tones, radiant tenor without performing restrictions.
Ursula Strohal, Tiroler Tageszeitung, December 23, 2019
Die Walküre, Die Theater Chemnitz, Germany
Viktor Antipenko seems to want to set a new length record with his "Wälse" calls in the first act. With so much power and intensity and seemingly never-ending breath, this scene has rarely been experienced. Otherwise he inspires with a radiant heroic tenor and a wonderful understanding of the text.
Thomas Molke, Online Music Magazin (omm.de) April 19, 2019
Die Walküre, Die Theater Chemnitz, Germany
… a passionate couple of Welsungs with the Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko (known in Oviedo for having participated in the Mazepa of September 2016). A Siegmund with a robust and wide-ranging voice, with vibrant, very effusive accents. Antipenko emitted powerful sounds, somewhat out of hand, it is true, and his phrasing was passionate, very launched, somewhat generic if you will, but sincere. A highly respected Siegmund. When one has seen, for example, the famed Klaus Florian Vogt in this role with his white, quasi-childlike timbre and mushy, lymphatic accents, one yearns for many Antipenkos.
Raúl Chamorro Mena, codalario.com, January 16, 2019
Die Walküre, Die Theater Chemnitz, Germany
Sieglinde (Astrid Kessler) and Siegmund (Viktor Antipenko) were found as ideal partners for singing and acting. Both shone above all with a powerful voices, with Antipenko a never-ending “Wälse” call broke out on the audience.
Franz Roos, OnlineMerker.com 13.01.2019
Simon Boccanegra, Innsbruck, Austria
Ideal cast. Viktor Antipenko returned to the Tiroler Landestherater. The Russian tenor felt at home in the role of Gabriel Adorno with his extremely dramatic and full tenor voice.
Sieghard Krabichler, Meinbezirk.at 26 November, 2018
Lohengrin, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Brazil
Soaring above everyone with great majesty was Viktor Antipenko, who owns the perfect physique for the role of the Knight, - a great posture and golden hair. This Russian exhibits clear articulation and beautiful tone perfectly suited to the fabric, embodying force and tenderness in his Lohengrin. His interpretation of the ultimate Mein lieber Schwann brought tears to my eyes.
Fabiano Gonçalves, Movimento.com, October 27, 2015
Lohengrin, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Brazil
The Russian Viktor Antipenko who sang his first Lohengrin last May at the Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie, performed with steady airflow and density, with flawless vocal projection, flexible melodic line, imposing character, safe and secure. His was an enchanting and beautiful knight of the Grail.
Jorge Coli, Concerto.com, October 13, 2015
Madama Butterfly, Opera Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S. Navy Lt. B. F. Pinkerton is one of operas’ worst scoundrels and tenor Viktor Antipenko was so convincing in the role that he received a couple of heartfelt boos at curtain. His voice was so beautifully assured that you wanted to believe he was a changed man because of Cio-cio San’s devotion.
Richard Davis, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 13, 2015
Lohengrin, Opéra de Rouen Haute Normandie, France
Viktor Antipenko is the great revelation of this production. This young Russian tenor dazzled the audience with his beautiful voice of great power, which is just as beautiful in the top as in the bottom, but also because of his physical presence. Plus he is young and handsome, exactly as the character should be. I am not alone in thinking that we will soon see him in the large Wagnerian roles. I've seen this opera three times including the Savonlinna festival in Finland, one of the greatest producers of Wagerian operas, and this is by far the best Lohengrin I've ever heard.
Annie Braunstein, Publics de l'Opera de Rouen, May 13, 2015
Lohengrin, Opéra de Rouen Haute Normandie The Headline:
Last Night At L'Opera de Rouen, Richard Wagner's Lohengrin Included A Revelation: The Russian Tenor Viktor Antipenko - A Very Great and Handsome Lohengrin!
The Review: Last night Viktor Antipenko, who was born in Saint Petersburg where he studied music, interpreted for the first time in his young career, a character and a role made for him! This young tenor (barely thirty) has shown his talent! His qualities are numerous: a clear and intelligent presence, an excellent actor, a very beautiful and very powerful voice in all registers of extremely easy and brilliant sound with good bass notes through a very admirable middle range! His tone is very beautiful, reminding me or Georges Thill! He sings with ease, effortlessly from beginning to end, without showing any fatigue (which is often the case). He will probably [have] a great career in the category of "heldentenor" and I take the bet that in two years he will sing at BAYREUTH!
Andrè Junement, Publics de l'Opera de Rouen, May 14, 2015
Carmen, Yury Bashmet Festival at The Winter Theatre, Sochi, Russia:
Viktor Antipenko was the most admirable. He was passionate and has shown glorious vocal range. As Don Jose he was most convincing, even by the dramatic play standarts.
Vadim Ponomarev, newsmuz.com, February 19, 2015
Carmen, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia:
Viktor Antipenko is already familiar to the Moscow audiences as, in all respects, worthy Don Jose. If anything has changed in his voice during the last few years, then it's only for the better!
Fedor Borisovich, operanews.ru, March 16, 2014
The Bells by Rachmaninoff at The Kimmel Center Verizon Hall, Philadelphia, USA:
Tenor Viktor Antipenko was the brilliant voice of the opening silver bells.
Peter Dobrin, philly.com, February 18, 2014
‘Tchaikovsky is Forever: Operatic Arias and Romances’ at The Embassy of Austria, Washington DC, USA:
...Tenor Viktor Antipenko continuing the drama with “Hermann’s Aria,” joined Conte onstage to avow his eternal love, imploring both Lise and heaven to “be merciful as I die” should she spurn him. The tuxedoed Antipenko (the women were gowned), his fair hair and mustache, blazing blue eyes and heroic stance making him the picture of Romantic Russian chivalry, nailed “Kuda’s Aria,” his own top note an achingly, gloriously searing lament. As to Antipenko, he owned “Lensky’s Aria,” his golden tones edged in soldered brass, his delivery so heartfelt, so incisive and so uncompromising, it was as if he had become Lensky, and was demanding that we tell him “Where, oh where have you gone, golden days of my youth?” and respond to his perfervid calls to his beloved, to whom he had “devoted the sad dawn of [his] storm-tossed life!” This writer found tears coming to her eyes even before she looked at the translation. When she did . . . it was all over for her. Fortunately, the first half of the program was also over, allowing those of us who’d been swept away by the sounds and emotions of the preceding hour to gather our forces in preparation for part two. With “Coral Beads” Antipenko went from passionate anticipation to the depths of despair, from a clarion top note to a muted disbelief and then, acceptance; then held nothing back in an explosive paean to the glories of his loved one in “No, I Will Never Name Her.”
DCMetroTheaterARts.com, Washington D.C., December 8, 2014
Der Fliegender Holländer, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia:
Fresh voice of the young tenor Viktor Antipenko, who sang Erik, is definitely an auspicious asset of this production.
Sergey Khodnev, Kommersant, October 18, 2013
Der Fliegender Holländer, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia:
Remarkable Erik, Viktor Antipenko, a real tenor and a dramatic actor, has shown his internal strength, passion (not the Italian style) and the power of his voice. Turns out we have real tenors!
Obshaya Gazeta, October 21, 2013
Der Fliegender Holländer, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia:
A young tenor, Viktor Antipenko, debuted as Erik in Der Fliegender Holländer at the Bolshoi this evening. He is a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Viktor demonstrated command of his voice, endurance and style.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 24, 2013
The Two Tenors at the Chapel, Recital:
Mr. Antipenko began with the opening aria from Verdi’s Ernani. Instantly one recognized the sure, rich tones of a lyric- dramatic tenor. This stirring rendition was followed by his gripping interpretation of the Flower Song from Bizet’s Carmen. ...Mr. Antipenko then offered a Russian piece, Rachmaninoff’s dazzling “Spring Waters,” book-ended by two Spanish pieces. This particularly thrilling group led off with a virtuoso account of the popular “Granada.”
Charles Wanner, The Putnam News, Putnam County, NY, August 29, 2012
Hommage to Seville Gala Concert, Heidelberg, Germany:
[Viktor Antipenko's] wonderfully smooth lyric tenor voice in Ernani's cavatina was gorgeously blooming in flowing colors, sounding cultured and completely effortless. Such natural vocal beauty, as we heard from this Russian tenor is rare. A sincere, soulful poetry of Don Jose's Aria was conveyed with exemplary top and excellent technique.
Von Rainer Kole, Die Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, July 30, 2012
Opera Index Award Winners’ Concert Honoring Elinor Ross:
[The concert] began with Viktor Antipenko, who sang “E lucevan le stele” from Puccini’s Tosca with vibrant tone and emotion in a tenor voice that recalled the greats of old.
Nino Pantano, Opera-L Archives, New York, NY, May 25, 2012
Carmen, The Allentown Symphony, Allentown, USA:
[Viktor] Antipenko portrayed the passion of a spurned lover with frightening realism, especially in the final act, when he charges a Carmen, knife in hand, like an enraged bull.
Steve Siegel, The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, February 13, 2011