
Press

Sweeney Todd
JOHANNA | UTAH OPERA
"Amy Owens and John Riesen are charming as Sweeney’s daughter, Johanna, and her love interest, Anthony Hope. Owens trills wistfully through “Green Finch and Linnet Bird,” followed up by Riesen’s heart-melting “Johanna.” Their sprightly duet, “Kiss Me,” is an oasis of sweetness."
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UTAH ARTS REVIEW
Carmina Burana
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & OTHERS
"Soprano Amy Owens, who has already proven her worth in the young singers program at Wolf Trap Opera, was an excellent replacement for Heidi Stober, who also had to withdraw from this concert for health reasons. With spot-on intonation and a pretty, virginal tone she was a sensation, especially in the orgasmic solo “Dulcissime” with its sighing high notes (“Sweetest one! I give myself to you completely!”). She was matched beautifully by the sweet voices of the Children’s Chorus of Washington in the love section (“The girl without a lover misses out on all pleasures”)."
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WASHINGTON CLASSICAL REVIEW
"Soprano Amy Owens delivered a beautiful, vibrant tone."
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BACHTRACK
"Notable moments came with Ryan’s “Once I Lived on Lakes,” where he amusingly portrayed a swan’s thoughts on being placed on a spit for roasting (it really is funny), Liverman’s “Day, Night and Everything” and Owens’s “In the Balance.” The latter two singers were terrific in “This is the Joyful Time,” with their flirtatious back and forth, and “Sweetest One,“ which showcased Owens’s beautiful soprano and range, and led into the closing mind-blowing “Hail, Most Beautiful One” and reprise of “O Fortuna.”"
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THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE

Candide
CUNEGONDE | UTAH SYMPHONY & OTHERS
"Owens showed the vocal brilliance to pull off the demands of her role. She sang her high notes effortlessly and gave a stunning rendition of the showstopper ‘Glitter and be Gay.’ She also showed remarkable acting talent, playing up the sassiness of her role wonderfully."
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UTAH ARTS REVIEW
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"Amy Owens…. was marvelous in the show-stealer “Glitter and Be Gay,” cracking up not only the audience, but the other singers on stage, so that they had to take a break before finishing with Bullock’s moving “Somewhere.”"
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THE WASHINGTON POST (Anne Midgette)​
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"Amy Owens as Cunegonde also slayed in the show’s best-known song, “Glitter and Be Gay.” In the number, Owens put on an operatic clinic, showcasing a dazzling array of vocal abilities. During the extended applause that resulted, the man next to me exclaimed, ‘That’s why I came! To see that right there!’"
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UTAH THEATRE BLOGGERS​
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The Pirates of Penzance
MABEL | VIRGINIA OPERA
"Amy Owens, whose performance as Mabel lit up the stage. Her silvery, focused soprano caressed each melodic contour, notably in “Poor Wandering One,” where she also milked the parodic bursts of coloratura for all they were worth."
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OPERA NEWS
"There was a good deal of heart in each of the performances, but the one that stands out is Amy Owens as Mabel. Her vocal control is undeniable. She is a more grounded soprano, as opposed to being too airy, so her performance is well-suited to comic roles. Her “Poor wand’ring one” in the first act is a delight."
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DC THEATER ARTS
"Mabel, the object of his affections, was played to perfection by soprano Amy Owens. Her beautiful light, lilting voice and vocal agility added the right touch of humor in spoofing Mr. Verdi and Mr. Puccini."
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SOUND IN DEPTH
Mahler's 4th Symphony
OMAHA SYMPHONY
"Amy Owens returned to Omaha to sing the soprano passage in the final movement of Mahler’s 4th. Her voice was fresh and electrifying. The audience warmly stood and applauded Owens and the Omaha Symphony."
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OMAHA WORLD HERALD


The Abduction from the Seraglio
BLONDE | UTAH OPERA
"Utah Opera's season-ending production of The Abduction From the Seraglio (seen May 10) got a shot in the arm in Act II from soprano Amy Owens, an ebullient resident artist with the company cast as Blonde. Owens' plucky Blonde was a breath of fresh air, charming her captors into submission and dishing out a healthy dose of attitude when more subtle wiles failed. Owens's lyric soprano was as uninhibited and pointed as her character. Throughout the aria "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln," she negotiated runs cleanly with open top notes and trills that matched her sparkling wit."
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OPERA NEWS
"...abundant charm and solid technique."​
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SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"Amy Owens is positively infectious as Blonde, easily stealing the show. Her comedic timing, dazzling vocals, and darling personality are the work of a true professional and exactly what the opera deserves."
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CLIFF'S MUSIC PICKS
"engaging, charismatic... strong performance with both vocals and acting... Owens added a much-needed dose of energy and spunk to the production. A natural on the stage, she stole the show with the scene in Act II when she teases Osmin and stands up to him."
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REICHEL REVIEWS
"...likable demeanor, acting skills, and clear voice"
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THE UTAH REVIEW

La Mère Coupable
FLORESTINE | ON SITE OPERA
"Amy Owens, possessed of a radiant soprano, was a passionate Florestine, convincing in both her grief and her joy."
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OPERA NEWS
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"Florestine, the sister and ward of the count, was sung by Amy Owens. She has a lovely light coloratura voice and soared over a demanding range easily."
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BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS​
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"Amy Owens' gleaming soprano made for a scene-stealing Florestine."
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BROADWAYWORLD​
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"Owens was the coloratura soubrette incarnate, with the most effortless high notes."
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CONCERTONET​
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"Amy Owens’ Florestine was a fetching blonde ingenue with a gleaming coloratura; I look forward to hearing what else she can bring to new music."
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PARTERRE​
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"Soprano Amy Owens made a winsome, sometimes fearful Florestine with impressive accuracy and some thrilling high notes."
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MUSICAL AMERICA​
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Les Six In Recital
BROOKLYN ART SONG SOCIETY
"Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama captured the songs' varying moods, ranging from whimsy to profound sorrow set to dance-like music, with elan. In addition to her chrystalline soprano, Owens is quite the actress. A gesture as quick and as fleeting as the tilt of her head, coupled with a grin, expressed to perfection the mock serious tale of a dancer who died while standing in her point shoes in “B-ateau.”
Owens and Sugiyama returned for a brilliant account of Darius Milhaud’s Chansons de Ronsard….Brofman described Milhaud’s setting of the words of the great French Renaissance poet as being more extreme for the soprano voice than the Queen of the Night’s arias in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and indeed they are. This, however, is a vocal realm in which Owens reigns supreme. She dispatched ear drum-splitting notes in the stratosphere with ease, aplomb, and beauty. Her wit and theatricality were always on display, as was her ability to switch emotional and musical gears in a heartbeat."
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NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
"Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama opened the evening’s performances with Auric’s “Alphabet” with impressive gusto. Owens’ voice in song one, “A-lbum,” sounded light and buoyant. The particular phrase, “Ayez grand soin de cet album né du plus funeste délire,” “be very careful with this album born of disastrous delirium,” came across as uncontrived, which reassured listeners of Owens’ particular level of awareness towards this song cycle.
Owens joyfully delivered wit with purpose. This being said, starting the evening of performances in this way was crucial. Les Six was an exclusive group of very accomplished artists. What came from each of them, however, especially during this time in history, greatly impacted a very broad interpretation of wit’s power in the creative period between the First and Second World Wars. The ability to still think for oneself, and create from this place of insatiable wit, was a cherished gift among most artists. This purpose remained at the forefront of works to come, especially from members of Les Six.
Song two, “B-ateau,” “A Boat,” was performed with precision and care, especially in Sugiyama’s piano playing. Song three, “D-omino,” “Dominoes,” felt like a blossoming moment where Owens’ voice fully came to life. The phrase, “Le domino, jeu des ménages,” “Dominoes, a household game,” sounded rich and colorful in her soprano. The remaining songs of the cycle, “F-ilet à papillons,” “M-allarmé,” “H-irondelle,” and “E-scarpin,” were also enjoyable and entertaining. Owens’ voice and Sugiyama’s piano were a special combination of energetic flair.
Soprano Amy Owens and pianist Miori Sugiyama performed Milhaud’s “Chansons de Ronsard Op. 223” together in stride. The high A’s that Owens’ soprano was expected to repeat throughout this piece sounded easy, but only because of Owens’ very disciplined vocal technique. Her throat remained open and her larynx relaxed, as the notes would jump into her highest registers at the drop of a hat. Owens also showed excellent stage presence and this made Milhaud’s challenging melodies appear much lighter and brighter. In the pre-lecture before this series’ performances began, Brofman mentioned how the Queen of the Night would be jealous of all these high notes.
The most striking parts of this song cycle were revealed when reading the text, written by French poet Pierre de Ronsard, while listening. This gave a better understanding of how masterful Milhaud was at narrating emotions and landscapes of the imagination. This song cycle highlights his gift for illustrating, through his compositions, the dream-world of his own mind. This was definitely a highlight in the series to behold and the audience applauded enthusiastically because of it. Amy Owens sounded incredible!"
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OPERAWIRE

L'opera seria
PORPORINA | WOLF TRAP OPERA
"Amy Owen’s light soprano and pert presence as the rising star of the company, Porporina (purple-faced), was compelling, and to her belonged the comic high-point of the whole evening, the hilarious dolphin and fish song, where everyone laughed so loud as to rival the music. But what a good complaint! Her mic drop at the end was a killer touch."
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BACHTRACK
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The Rape of Lucretia
LUCIA | WOLF TRAP OPERA
"Sarah Larsen’s hearty mezzo as Bianca and Amy Owens’ sweet tone as Lucia also hit the spot, as did their finely detailed portrayals."
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OPERA NEWS
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"Bright soprano Amy Owens also shines in the minor role of Lucia, Lucretia’s maid."
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WASHINGTON CITY PAPER
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"Also, the bright, silvery tone of Amy Owens as Lucia, the maid, and the warm, soothing sounds of Sarah Larsen as the nurse, Bianca."
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THE WASHINGTON POST
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"In the wonderful women's ensemble scenes, which are the best parts of this opera, she was supported by the flighty high soprano of Amy Owens as Lucia and the steady maternal sound of Sarah Larsen as Bianca, her nurse."
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IONARTS
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In Concert (various)
NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG, BROOKLYN ART SONG SOCIETY, & OTHERS
"Amy Owens gave a steely, pinpoint-accurate rendition of “I am the wife of Mao Tse Tung,” the celebrated soprano aria from John Adams’s Nixon in China."
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NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
"Owens lent her soprano voice to the lyric modal machinations of the three featured pieces...Owens’s soprano was clear and articulate in every selection as she painted the very different pictures of each song–we heard a lifetime in the span of a few moments."
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ONSTAGE
"Soprano Amy Owens gave a glowing account of the charming melodies in Granados’s settings of Renaissance love poems."
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SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Opera Scenes
THE SANTA FE OPERA
"Amy Owens, playing Susanna, bubbled her way through the evening. ... Owens's high-flying vocals were later heard in a technically clean and focused Queen of the Night aria and Bernstein's 'Glitter and be Gay."
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OPERA NEWS
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"We particularly noticed the gorgeous coloratura work of Amy Owens who handled the embellishments perfectly."
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VOCE DI MECHE
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"Soprano Amy Owens and bass Colin Ramsey distinguished themselves with some superlative singing in glorious Gallic style."
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VOCE DI MECHE
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Un ballo in maschera
OSCAR | LIVERMORE VALLEY OPERA
"However, the king’s page, Oscar, leaps to Ulrica’s defense with the aria “Volta la terrea.” In this trousers role, bell lyric soprano Amy Owens absolutely delights with a bright, virtuoso coloratura rendering of the aria. Her petite youthfulness produces a characterization that is charming and highly believable."
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FOR ALL EVENTS
"Debuting at LVO in the trouser role of Oscar, Amy Owens is a natural for the role of King Gustav’s page. Smaller than the other principal singers, she looks and acts the part with youthful exuberance. Her character, Verdi’s homage to French grand opera in the mid-1850s, stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the somber Scandinavians. In the ballata “Volta la terrea,” her coloratura flows like sparkling champagne through dotted eighth notes and runs of sixteenth notes when she devilishly gives credit to Satan for Ulrica’s gifts of prophecy, and ends by belting out the word “Hell” on a bombastic high B-flat."
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THE INDEPENDENT
In Concert
NEW OPERA SHOWCASE
"Amy Owens was astounding in Corigliano's stratospheric writing for Florestine."
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CLASSICAL VOICE NORTH AMRICA
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"The vocal lines showed off the beautiful voices onstage, and Amy Owens, who filled in for a sick Maureen McKay, gave us a lovely performance with an expert control of dynamics in her coloratura range, seamlessly sliding from pianissimo to forte on several occasions."
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SOPRANO IN THE CITY
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"Note, too, the elegant vocal shading from... Amy Owens (Florestine)"
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OPERA NEWS
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George London Foundation Recital
THE GEORGE LONDON FOUNDATION
"She excels at everything she does but we were particularly delighted to hear her reprise the role of Zerbinetta yesterday onstage at the Morgan Library. She absolutely owns that role! We wanted to hear it again right on the spot. Audiences let the artists know what they like best with their applause and we must say that the rest of the audience was as impressed as we were with her stage presence, acting, phrasing, and artistic use of her natural gift--a bright and clear instrument that is as flexible as it is sonorous."
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THE MUSICAL TIMES
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"Soprano Amy Owens made her first appearance on the stage alongside Jones and violinist Cindy Wu for Donald Waxman’s “Lovesongs for Soprano, Violin, and Piano.” With this song cycle, Owens established her penchant for contrast, which ultimately served to underscore her theatricality. Starting with “Lovesong,” the soprano hinted at the strength of her upper register with seemingly effortless, vibrant high notes, made all the more distinguishable by a markedly restrained use of vibrato throughout the piece. The tempo picked up with “The Mad Maid’s Song,” followed by “Nocturne,” which accentuated Owens’ bright timbre and youthful spirit. The Cinderella-esque text was a medium through which she could emote wonder, excitement, and anticipation (“Now, revealing night Unfolds in splendor; And takes our hands within its own to hold…”), and then reveal depth of character with her mature acceptance of the beauty of love’s transience (“As stars shall die in dawn’s first sky, So love must end, but sweetly.”). The fourth and final song in the cycle, “A Bygone Occasion,” again showcased the soprano’s youthfulness, this time through zealous speed.
Owens then returned to flaunt her technical and theatrical prowess with Zerbinetta’s aria “Großmächtige Prinzessin” from R. Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” Her voice resplendent and energy high, the soprano amused her audience with comedic charm. At one point, her dazzling cadenza ran on so long that when she turned to face Jones on the piano, his face read [jokingly, of course] “Are you finished?” Her face seemed to reply: “Yes, now your diva is done!” Except she wasn’t. The vocal acrobatics went on and on in a brilliant display. Admittedly, she commanded such attention that it was difficult for me to keep up with the text in the program!
After the intermission, Owens performed Darius Milhaud’s “Chansons de Ronsard,” another cycle of contrasting songs. Her final note of “À une fontaine,” a joyous melody, was beautifully sustained, and her remarkable dynamic control in the seraphic “À Cupidon” resulted in deeply expressive phrasing, particularly in the last three stanzas. The next song, “Tais-toi, babillarde Arondelle,” was the complete opposite of “À Cupidon” – it was fast, fun, and sassy. As the soprano sang of silencing the morning birds, she herself became one of them, with those piping cascades of coloratura! Keeping with the theme of contrast, Owens quickly changed her mind about the birds in the next song “Dieu vous gard'” (“God be with you, faithful messengers of Spring . . . “). Her youthful exuberance had certainly captured the hearts of the crowd, evident by the applause.
Overall the recital was an absolute success – both Griffey and Owens made it clear that they are extraordinarily talented singers, as well as skilled actors."
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OPERAWIRE
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Becoming Santa Claus
CHICAGO OPERA THEATER
"Soprano Amy Owens pulls off an elfin entrance to a high E-flat and assorted enchanting elves include mezzo-soprano Leah Dexter, tenor Justin Berkowitz and bass Matt Boehler. Things are kept moving with momentum by director-choreographer Kyle Lang."
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NEW CITY STAGE
"The true pillars of the opera, however, were the four elves, played by mezzo-soprano Leah Dexter, soprano Amy Owens, tenor Justin Berkowitz, and bass Matt Boehler, all of whom were on stage throughout the entire 90-minute opera. Their crystalline diction, precise comedic timing, and vocal assuredness in the face of unusual harmonies and rapid-fire syllabic text propelled this production to success. Dexter was a commanding force both vocally and dramatically, while Owens’ impossibly high soprano was charming and awe-inspiring as she threw out high E’s like it was nothing."
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CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW
Various
UTAH OPERA, OPERA NAPLES, & OTHERS
"As Despina, Amy Owens steals the scene every time she walks onstage....Owens carries it off with glee, whether popping up in phony officials’ wigs and gowns or hovering over the sisters to powder and paint them as she slyly manipulates them... A triple threat in the theater."
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NAPLES DAILY NEWS (Cosi fan tutte)
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"A fine assembly of supporting characters was led by Utah Opera resident Amy Owens as Annina, whose engaging bell-like soprano heightened her brief vocal opportunities."
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OPERA NEWS (La traviata)
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"Owens sings “I Decided to Marry You” with a beautiful operatic soprano voice and is sweet and naïve. ... Owens and Starsky gave compelling and convincing performances-
the performers of the show are as engaging to watch as their singing voices are heard."
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UTAH THEATRE BLOGGERS (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder)
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"Amy Owens stole the show with a pristine soprano and vivacious enthusiasm as Papagena. This attractive young singer has a bright future."
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OPERA NEWS (The Magic Flute)
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"Amy Owens was a mischievous and high-spirited Papagena."
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SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (The Magic Flute)
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