Critical Acclaim

“The festival has a reliable and skilled core of performers whose collective voice has deepened over the years — familiar faces that have remained dedicated to the unique and specific demands of authentic Baroque performance. Warmth, collegiality, nuance — the pleasant hallmarks one has come to expect from Karson and company.”

— Orange County Register

“A delightful opening day of Bach, Handel and others shows why the annual Corona del Mar series has become a key cultural event for Orange County.”

— Los Angeles Times

“Karson led sensitive and polished accompaniments throughout, and the period instruments sounded especially full in the chapel’s acoustic.”

— Los Angeles Times

“The festival draws Baroque specialists from throughout the world, and the loyal audiences who return year after year to hear them are usually repaid with robust performances of creative, quirky and generally well-conceived programs. ”

— Orange County Register

“One of the joys of Karson’s festival is that his programs abound in variety; he does not recycle his repertory. This agenda was thrilling, and probably unique.”

— Daniel Cariaga, Los Angeles Times

“Vocal virtues impressed all afternoon. Soloists proved to be both powerful and modest. The Festival Singers sang with fervor and unity. Nothing went overboard, nothing went underplayed. The result: a thoroughly satisfying afternoon of Baroque splendor.”

— Orange County Register

“The period-instrument orchestra proved characterful and the chorus hearty, under Burton Karson’s conducting.”

— Los Angeles Times

“Karson’s festival is ever ambitious, and his curiosity and enthusiasm for all things Baroque has kept it going these
many years.”

— Orange County Register