• “If Geter’s music is a luscious stew in which unfamiliar and sharp ingredients occasionally surface, then Librettist Jarrod Lee’s words are mounds of cornbread that allow us to soak up this meal without missing a drop.” – Gregory Ford, DC Theater Arts

 

• “Jarrod Lee’s remarkably effective libretto has dramatic tension in the best sense. There is tension between the characters, especially between the powerful role of Devil and Johnson, as played by bass-baritone Christian Simmons who delivered a wonderfully sung and powerful portrayal of his character.” – Arnold Saltzman

 

• Heidi Waleson of the Wall Street Journal calls The Delta King’s Blues “an efficient showcase” for composer Damien Geter’s talent, celebrating its compact 45-minute form, expressive chamber ensemble, and rich libretto by Jarrod Lee”

Kandake / “If any of the works on offer seemed poised for expansion into full-length form, Kandake was the clear candidate, its narrative ambition and dramatic breadth demanding a longer canvas.” – Chase Adams for Pop Life STL

Two Corners / “Boykin’s score is tender and nostalgic, but not so driven by the past that it skirts the emotional honesty demanded in the present by librettist Jarrod Lee’s direct language in the text. Lee’s distillation of this story — based on the real-life experiences of the composer’s grandmother, Florine, who grew up Black alongside her white friend Sarah in 1950s Alabama — bears the implicit message that true unity is only possible when we share in one other’s pain and even accept culpability for how our actions or inactions contributed to that pain…In this world premiere performance, Finger Lakes Opera presents a polished opera ready for multiple productions at opera companies across the country.” – Daniel J. Kushner / Roc City Magazine

Oshun / “With just 20 minutes to work with, the hero’s journey had more self-realizing self-actualization than trials, and more self-discovery than sacrifice. This is not to say that the journey was unpleasant – far from it – but that the narrative affect was more akin to oral storytelling than ‘traditional’ opera.”  – Basil Considine / photo by Scott Suchman

Voices of Zion / “at its most successful in the lyrics of those arias that focus on the personal concerns of its characters, and that reflect the resilience of Black folks and their allies” – Gregory Ford, D.C. Metro Theatre Arts

Black Flute /“Black Flute welcomes the presence of Blackness and African Heritage into the narrative of a European diasporic canon that has often worked hard to keep any African presence invisible.” – Gregory Ford, D.C. Metro Theatre Arts

“To this end he introduced a narrator, evocatively played by Jarrod Lee, in the persona of a poet delivering appropriate Rumi excerpts and helping the audience through the intricacies of the literally and figuratively baroque plot.……..Another nice touch was having Lee suddenly become part of the action, breaking into song in the role of the romantic go-between (a servant in Handel’s original version), opening a whole new door on a character that through entering the opera was at once diminished and humanized.” – Anne Midgette / Washington Post

“There used to be a river here” General Levi (played by Jarrod Lee) bellows with lament…” – Angela N. Carrol / Baltimore Magazine

“Father Levi (Jarrod Lee) then kills himself, along the bend of a river. We don’t know why, but he dies beautifully………Jarrod Lee as Levi was breathtaking. I’m a fairweather opera fan, but Jarrod Lee’s voice will make even the opera hater stand up and take notice.  His smooth, warm and intense voice vibrated and resonated in the intimate space. I could see it bounce off the wall and enter my ears. He dramatized with his whole body and I could feel his pain and anguish.” – B.I.TR. Sisters / Baltimore Independent Theater Review

“Jarrod Lee was the vocally assured Benoit (and, later, Alcindoro).” from La bohème – reviewed by Marc Schulgold for Opera News

“Among the scrunched-together “radio” actors, Jarrod Lee made the strongest impression, handling the dialogue for Somarone with the same comic flair he displayed as Benoit/Alcindoro in AOC’s Bohème.”  – from Béatrice et Bénédict – reviewed by Marc Shulgold for Opera News

“…the William W. Watkins Memorial Award of $1,000 and the two Todd Duncan Memorial Awards of $500 each — went to bass-baritone Jarrod Lee, who displayed vocal artistry and versatility. Lee’s delivered the judges’ requested “Kennst du das Land” from Adamo’s “Little Women.” His version of “Knowest the land where the lemon trees bloom” touched this listener’s heart” – reviewed by Mary Johnson for Baltimore Sun

“Jarrod Lee made an imposing Loudspeaker Voice, seated in the back row of the orchestra and joining in the elegiac final choral number, which was one of the highlights.” from  The Emperor of Atlantis – reviewed by Charles T. Downey of The Washington Post

…” as simple as baritone Jarrod Lee’s Grandfather Clock, his arms askew to suggest the broken face, and as humorous as mezzo-soprano Zaray Rodriguez’s Cat (and Lee as an accomplice cat) rubbing up against Spano to annoy the conductor.” from L’enfant et les sortilèges – reviewed by Harvey Steiman of Aspen Times

”When he cuts loose, his acting and singing are all the more impressive for his earlier staged ineptness.” from Naughty Marietta – reviewed by Jane C. Elkin of Bay Weekly

“Jarrod Lee has a brief but memorable appearance as the Bonze, projecting power and rage in ‘Cio-Cio-San.’ It is a truly shocking assault that breaks up the celebration.” from Madama Butterly – reviewed by Charles Green of D.C. Metro Theater Arts

“Jarrod Lee and Aaron Reeder, two of the fine ensemble, are two strong musical talents, and I predict we shall be hearing much more of them for their beautiful voices.” from Lost in the Stars – reviewed by Susan Galbraith of D.C. Theater Scene

“Jarrod Lee had a seemingly effortless bass baritone”… from Love potion # 1 “ reviewed by Ceclia Porter of The Washinton Post 

…“the Postal Museum hosted concert pianist Dana Kristina-Joi Morgan and bass-baritone Jarrod Lee, both of the Washington National Opera. Morgan and Lee riveted the audience with their  performance of In the Smoke of the Sting, which shares the stories of three Champion boxers – Joe Louis, Emile Griffith and Muhammad Ali – through music, poetry, and the boxers’ own words.” from In the Smoke of the Sting.  Reviewed by Jessie Aucoin of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum 

“Outstanding performances were delivered by the entire cast, in particular Jarrod Lee and Duane A. Moody as old and young Joe Louis, respectively, and Adrienne Webster as Louis’s wife, Marva Trotter.” from Shadowboxer: an opera based on the life of Joe Louis – reviewed by Charles T. Downey of Ionarts