The most impressive of the male voices during the evening, was baritone Michael Chioldi in the role of the Baron Scarpia. Even from his first stage entrance, his booming baritone told you that he meant business. What Chioldi excelled at the most was the way he brought out the character. He made you love to hate him, which is exactly how you should feel towards Scarpia. Whether he was perfectly reveling in his sinister plot in Va Tosca! by honing in on a darker sound, or bringing down the house in the incredibly powerful and moving Te Deum to close out the first act, he embodied the roll of the sanctimonious political zealot. But even though the Te Deum might have been the best moment of the evening, Chioldi’s best performance came during his Ha più forte sapore aria. He beautifully played off of the orchestra to bring out the feeling of inner rage within his character, but it was within that show of anger that Chioldi’s voice was allowed to boom out like we heard in his opening lines in the first act, all of which underlined the sickening lines of conquest he was singing, and made you more than ready for him to receive that “kiss” from Tosca.

Leading the cast is Michael Chioldi. Chioldi's strong baritone fit the virile nature of the roguish Count, and he played his frequent frustration at being outwitted at nearly every turn with laugh-out-loud seriousness.

His was a shining example of how important good, focused theatrical skill (not the hammy stuff of the less experienced) is to selling a character.

Two of the supporting voices were exceptionally fine, beginning with baritone Michael Chioldi as Sharpless. Here was a consul who made an impact in every one of the acts, and this is the first time I can remember thinking I wish Puccini had written some more for Sharpless to do. Chioldi has a big, rich voice that stood equal in his exchanges with Borsi and Valenti, his singing gave the character real presence, and that did a lot to help fill out the drama.

Baritone Michael Chioldi sang Sharpless, the American consul, about as well as it can be sung, with a rich, powerful voice that filled out the back story for this secondary figure (and audience approval was clear at curtain).

As Sharpless, the baritone Michael Chioldi handled the role in an assured, confident manner, conveying moral decency and concern for Pinkerton's victims, all with a subtlety and realism that allowed him to show disapproval for Pinkerton with a glance or gesture. His grave voice worked well with Valenti's brighter instrument, radiating compassion in Io so che alle sue pene and at the end of the opera.

The cast of Lyric Opera of Kansas City's Turandot included a fine trio with Ping sung by Michael Chioldi, (the evening's loveliest voice).

Michael Chioldi was a memorable Enrico, summoning a warm, hearty sound and putting a darkly communicative spin on every phrase. He made the most of the chilling attributes added here to the character; in addition to the doll business, this Enrico stumbled into the Wolf Crag's scene carrying an obviously well-sampled flask, and, as the final curtain fell, coolly twisted the neck of a wounded, pleading Edgardo.

Michael Chioldi also delivers as Enrico. It has been quite a while since I've heard a baritone who can produce as rich a sound and so much vividly communicative phrasing into Enrico's Act 1 aria. Throughout, Chioldi uses his vocal and dramatic resources in rewarding fashion.

Baritone Michael Chioldi portrays Enrico as a cold, twisted psychopath. Mr. Chioldi's Enrico exhibits further signs of depravity early in the opera's second half. He's quite the villain in this production, and underlines his character's inner motivations with an effective, menacing vocal delivery. His scenes with Edgardo, Saimir Pirgu crackled with tension.

As dominating brother Enrico, baritone Michael Chioldi walks a fine line. It's not easy being a repugnant character, especially with Alden's interest in suggesting, at worst, the incestuous, and at best, a thorough unpleasantness, but Chioldi keeps Enrico as compelling as he is awful. Chioldi sings with a rich, beautifully flexible tone, serving Donizetti's somber score well.

[In Glory Denied] Chioldi gave us the climactic song, "Welcome Home", and what a knock out that was. Structured as a list of newspaper headlines and topical phrases, Chioldi shaped every image with a mounting sense from bewilderment to embittered outrage. He gave us the whole experience of bombardment from culture shock in one nugget of a song.

Baritone Michael Chioldi is magnificent as Hamlet, a young man who is less mad than full of rage. Chioldi sings a wide range of music throughout the opera, most notably a melancholy recitative lamenting his situation, a moving love duet with Ophelie in the first act, a rousing drinking song, as well as the beautiful aria "To Be or Not to Be." Chioldi handles this variety easily, exhibiting great strength, sensitivity and nuance.

Michael Chioldi was appropriately somber and pensive as Hamlet, with a rich, almost Russian voice that centered the production all evening. Thomas' Hamlet is a huge role, obviously taxing to the soloist. But Mr. Chioldi never faltered in his performance.

Michael Chioldi is a forceful presence as Hamlet. He walks the razor's edge of madness for the entire evening, singing with a firm, round tone and meeting all of the role's considerable physical and vocal requirements. His best scene is in the second act, where he dominates the staging of the play-within-a-play, narrating The Murder of Gonzago like a '40s crooner. His "Être ou ne pas être" was completely introverted and thoughtfully sung.

Baritone Michael Chioldi produced a superb Nixon, comic but sympathetic as well, crisp of diction, firm of phrase and tone.

Michael Chioldi is a strong-voiced, virile, and surprisingly sympathetic Nixon. His brash mannerisms and self-absorbed pomposity perfectly capture the spirit of the president, while his sturdy lustrous tones sends his phrases soaring.

Michael Chioldi (Count Almaviva) wooed, blustered and raged, as strong vocally as physically, using his dark baritone to great effect.

The baritone, Michael Chioldi, was an impressive John Sorel as he made his debut with Glimmerglass Opera in their new production of Menotti's The Consul.

Chioldi's interpretation of the Dutchman was really exceptional. He was engaged as a guest artist at Pforzheim, and his sonorous, yet never obtrusive or exaggerated singing, together with his sensitive expression of desperation, set a precedent for the company.