SELECTED PRESS
"The oldest man on stage — at least in appearance — was the great Joshua Bloom. Playing two roles deeply imbued with vocalized homoeroticism — John Claggart and Dansker — Bloom actually captured my attention through the sly way he managed to sing the villain. Taking advantage of the good acoustics of the house, he eagerly embraced subtle decrescendos in his voice when he meant to be disingenuous in a way that made me melt. We all knew that Britten’s villain is almost cartoonish, with a Scarpia-like quality. But the way Bloom rendered that deceitfulness was so elegant, so cinematic, so masterful. It was almost as if we, the audience, were the only ones who truly understood how terrible he is."
— Operawire
“perfect antithesis, joshua bloom as the villain claggart has a dark metal timbre that imposes an absolute blackness. he is a satanic figure whose voice also knows how to be soft or even tempting when he embodies the friendly dansker, bringing billy water and a biscuit of friendship in a kind of last eucharist.”
— Le Monde
“JOSHUA BLOOM IS A CONFOUNDING DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE IN THE DUAL ROLE OF THE FRIENDLY DANSKER AND THE TERRIBLE JOHN CLAGGART. HIS SPEAKING-SINGING IS CHILLING AS CLAGGART: YOU HAVE TO HEAR HIM PRONOUNCE “BILLY BUDD” UNDER HIS BREATH!”
— Bachtrack
“CLAGGART IS THE PERFECT ANTAGONIST. JOSHUA BLOOM’S THUNDEROUR BASS IMPOSES ITS IRON REIGN OVER THE ENTIRE VOCAL RANGE WITH ITS DEEP BASS AND DARKNESS OF ITS TIMBRE. A TRUE MOVIE VILLAIN WHO TAKES ON A GENTLE TOUCH WHEN THE AUSTRALIAN SINGER PLAYS DANKSER. BILLY’S LOYAL FRIEND, WHO COMES TO SUPPORT HIM IN THE FINAL MOMENTS”
— Olyrix
"Joshua Bloom, in Kissinger, gratifies us with a deep and rich bass voice. The singer knows how to navigate between the seriousness of his character and his moment of madness, particularly incongruous, when he – or his double – intervenes on the stage of the Peking opera during Act II."
— Forum Opera
“truly impressive this evening was joshua bloom in the roles of hoffmann’s four antagonists. his lindorf is brimming with arrogant superiority, his copelius rightly deserves the titles crazy, his dr. miracle is wonderfully frightening, and, like his dapertutto, wonderfully devious. He is one of those singers whose first notes elicit a quiet “wow” from me. this impression of a melodious versatile bass remained throughout the entire performance, as did his art of modulation to intensify emotions”
— Operngestalten
"Duke Bluebeard was well characterised by Joshua Bloom. His warm timbre was underpinned by a steely defiance that managed not only to be menacing, but seductive and even loving, particularly when describing the qualities of his three previous wives. The results were thrilling and chilling."
— Opera
“STRIKING IS THE SINISTER PERFORMANCE OF THE “MASTER OF ARMS” CLAGGART (JOSHUA BLOOM), WHOSE REJECTED DESIRE TURNS IN TO HATRED OF BILLY AND ALL THAT IS GOOD. HIS TRANSFORMATION INTO DANSKER, THE CONDEMNED MAN’S ONLY LOYAL FRIEND, WHO BRINGS BILLY A BISCUIT THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS EXECUTION IS STUNNING”
— Frankfurter Allgemeine
"Bloom was a magnificent Méphistophélès, providing a rich characterisation which was generally gleefully diabolical rather than malignantly evil. He wandered on stage with hands in pockets, dressed all in black opposite Pirgu’s tails, and from the outset filled the hall with a huge sound and a sardonic delight."
— Backtrack
"Armed with a physically relaxed presence and a rich, beautifully produced bass, Joshua Bloom pulls off the considerable trick of tastefully playing a character who has no taste. It’s easy to go for broke as Bottom but Bloom stays truthful while maximising laughs.”
— The Arts desk
“Joshua Bloom, a performer of great finesse who imbues his interpretation with a tenderness of wonder as well as a vampiric, sometimes libidinous darkness, as in his Gyere, gyere, csókra várlak!”
— Opera Diary
