The standout of the evening was baritone Michael Chioldi, a last minute replacement for the role of Renato. Chioldi's bold and rich timbre is everything one seeks in a Verdi Baritone, and he performs his character with depth and honesty. He was a joy to watch, both as Riccardo's loyal and loving friend, and even more so as his vengeful enemy. His performance alone was worth attending this particular production.

Baritone Michael Chioldi was brilliant as Riccardo's friend (and eventual assassin) Renato, his penetrating voice easily filling the 2,000 seat hall.

Michael Chioldi, making his Boston debut, stood firmly at the center of the evening as Belfiore, the counterfeit king, possessing a powerful and gorgeously rich baritone voice ideally suited to Verdi.

What can be said about Chioldi's bad guy, the corrupt satyr, Il Baron, but, wow!

His dramatic baritone with that razor edge and raw vibrancy, added a machismo quality to each encounter, whether with Cavaradossi, his own men, or the leading lady. Chioldi ramped up the intensity to the point where some in the student audience cheered softly as he took in Tosca's dagger.

American baritone Michael Chioldi, as Macbeth, and Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross, as Lady Macbeth, were both captivating. Not only did each impress with their vocal abilities but the chemistry between them was palpable. The supremacy they crave unites them, and despite the moments when the ever sensual Lady Macbeth pushes and criticises her husband, they show a lot of love for each other, represented by their physical proximity on stage.

Chioldi's warm, lyrical baritone and stage presence also revealed multiple characters, from intensely ambitious to paranoid and vulnerable. Boross's range and control were superb, especially in the sleepwalking scene, when she tries to wash the blood off her hands, which is notoriously difficult to sing. Their performances were so memorable and admirable they should be invited back for future performances at the ROHM.

Michael Chioldi is a baritone in great demand, appreciated for his warm, rich tone, and deeply communicative phrasing. Following his stunning debut at the Met in 1995, Chioldi has performed in the major opera houses of America as well as abroad, receiving numerous awards. Michael Chioldi has enormous on-stage charisma, commanding the stage with his impressively powerful and versatile voice. His performance at the ROHM was incredibly moving, frequently taking my breath away.

In the role of Macbeth the production has the great fortune to have a superb American baritone in the person of Michael Chioldi, a fast rising star in the opera world.

This passionate night at the opera gained a good deal of its steam from Michael Chioldi in the title role and Francesca Mondanaro as Abigaille. The baritone's hefty, hearty voice filled out the music with considerable vibrancy, and his phrasing consistently hit home. Chioldi's portrayal could have used more animation, but his sterling vocalism more than compensated.

Michael Chioldi, a bigger than life Belfiore, set the tone for what was best in this account with his robust singing and boisterous presence. The rest of the cast rose to his level to varying degrees.

As the title "King for a Day," Michael Chioldi proved himself a force with which to be reckoned. He has a baritone of great size and beauty. Furthermore, he sings with musicality and nuance, and is a wonderfully charismatic stage presence. This is a true "Verdi baritone."

At the center of the action is baritone Michael Chioldi, who cuts an appealing figure as the uncomfortably conflicted Belfiore - although you might be so bowled over by his voice, which is marked by not only deep color but surprising reserves of power, that you don't even notice his acting chops.

As the king of the titular one-day reign, baritone Michael Chioldi was the vocal and dramatic standout of the evening. With such imposing regal bearing, it’s no wonder no one questions his masquerade. Yet at the same time he is entirely sympathetic as a man who’s caught between love and honor. He easily dominates ensembles with his dramatic baritone, but just as easily modulates his instrument down to intimate asides.

As Belfiore, the false king of the title, Michael Chioldi, possessed a strong and rich baritone, and if he acted a little pompously in his absurd cardboard crown and sash that was because the role called for it. Still, he gave me chills at the opera’s conclusion when in full resonant voice he proclaimed himself to be the Cavaliere di Belfiore, not the King of Poland.

Baritone Michael Chioldi was a solid Nabucco, whose elegant singing in the mad scene inspired genuine sympathy.

The title character, King Nabucco of Babylon (Michael Chioldi) is a force to be reckoned with. Often storming the stage, his sturdy baritone sound blasts through soldiers, members of court, even the peasants without fear. Shifting dynamically from a powerful leader, to a stricken madman and once more to his position of king, Chioldi delivers a brilliant rendition of this man. His pompous yet empowering solo “Giù! prostrate! non son piu re, son Dio!” creates a harsh contrast to his desperate plea during “Deh perdona ad un padre che delira!” This song of desperation is filled with vulnerability and yearning; a remarkable transition for Chioldi before once more becoming triumphant, yet forgiving in his final number “Ah, torna Israello alle gioie del patrio suol!” - DCMetro Theater Arts

In the title role, Michael Chioldi offered stellar singing, an exceptionally warm, solid tone, and deeply communicative phrasing that got to the heart of Nabucco’s heaven-defying vanity at the opera’s start, his subsequent madness and spiritual awakening.

From his first entrance, Chioldi’s voice was bronze but youthful, and when it came to his fine reading of the great Act IV aria Pieta, rispetto, amore, that quality made him sound like a vigorous man cut down in his prime rather than a haunted, shaken shell. He sang beautifully throughout the opera, and this is a good role for his voice type and physical stature.

But the star of the show was baritone Michael Chioldi as Joan's father. Chioldi, doubling as a sort of onstage manager, sang with unfailingly glorious sound.