Melinda's Flute Gallery

"I heartily concur that this was a strong production. I saw the second performance and was most impressed with conducting and orchestral playing. There is a particularly beautiful set of passages between a bass clarinet and alto flute that were as musically played as anything I have ever heard."

James Fitzpatrick commenting on  Tim Smith's Clef Notes blog
Review of Opera Vivente's presentation of "Albert Herring", May 2009
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2009/05/opera_vivente_offers_appealing.html

"Conductor JoAnn Kulesza had a sure hand at the podium of a generally good chamber orchestra (the reduction of the score was done by Tony Burke), with exceptional sounds from the flute and piccolo of Melinda Wade-English. "

Opera Vivente's  performance of Orpheus in the Underworld
Reviewed by Charles T. Downey , Ionarts 2008
  http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/04/opera-vivente.html

"The artistic highlight was a superior performance of Domenico Cimaros' "Concierto in G Major" with flute and oboe duet by Staff Sergeants Melinda Wade and Kerry Willingham. This duet was performed with a virtuosity worthy of any professional performing organization."

U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus performance in Monterey, Mexico April, 1988
Pentagon Operations Directorate

"The playing from the pit, situated to the left of the performance space, was assured and clean, with prominent coloration from the flute and piccolo of Melinda Wade-English..."

Opera Vivente performance of Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel
Reviewed by Charles T. Downey, Ionarts, March 3, 2008
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/03/tobias-and-angel-opera-vivente.html

"...a rivieting performance, the ensemble joined moments of soulful reflection on loved ones lost with plaintive tones of anguished despair."

Herman Berlinski's Premiere performance of Kristallnacht at the Library of Congress
Reviewed by Cecelia Porter, The Washington Post, November 9, 1988