Jonathan Veira has played many roles during his career and has received enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

Below are reviews from the wide variety of performances Jonathan has given.

If you see a review that you feel we could add to this page, please send an e-mail to the webmaster who would be delighted to add it here.

• Audience with...
• Claggert in 'Billy Budd'
• Falstaff
• Judge Turpin in 'Sweeney Todd'
• Italian Girl from Algiers

• The Makropulos Case
• Vanessa
• Cosi Fan Tutti
• Various other roles
• Classical CDs

Praise as opera singer jacks up his act.
Performers who attempt the difficult crossover from classical to popular music can run the risk of alienating both sets of fans, who then often cite financial, rather than artistic motives for such a switch. And when it's an otherwise well-established and successful opera singer presenting his one man show, not surprisingly there will be even more raised eyebrows!

Of course, this is not to reckon with the immense and varied talents of Jonathan Veira, singer and pianist, who kept a packed audience absolutely spellbound for over 2 hours with a fascinating mix of humour, anecdote and, of course, superb music. There was Gershwin, A Donizetti aria, a Billy Joel number, gospel, country & western, blues, standards like 'Mona Lisa', 'My Funny Valentine' and much more besides, a veritable pot pourri which, on paper, would have seemed totally ill-suited in juxtaposition. However, whilst Jonathan is a true Jack-of-all-trades, he is an unsurpassed master of them all, subtly changing his delivery rom one genre to the next, allowing the programme to unfold seamlessly, yet still maintaining an almost impromptu feel to the whole show.

Jonathan Veira is not only blessed with a quite superb voice and keyboard skills to die for, but it is with his endearing sincerity and demeanour that he is consumately able to win over everyone who is fortunate enough to have been granted an audience with such an eminently likeable, amusing and thoroughly entertaining artist.

Politiken 21st October 2002/ Jan Jacoby:
Veira is also masterly with his icy and heavy authority. After a lot of excellent comedy roles it is very exciting meeting his great musical and dramatic talent in Claggert's demonic figure, who's imposing danger only Billy Budd can overlook. From his first imposing entrée up the stairs from below deck with a lurking glance he has the stage in his power, and treating the text sharp as a snake he stretches his beautiful voice to powerful dominant heights.

Børsen (Stock Exchange Paper) 21st October 2002/Ulrik Cold:
Veira is the poison personified, as the, disturbed & envious Claggert. He has to destroy happiness and joy.

B.T. 21.10.02 /Randi K. Petersen:
…and Veira sings the Master of Arms Claggert gloriously and has a formidable stage presence in his strong hatred to the Navy's upper-class officers.

Skånska Dagbladet (Scania Daily Mail) Ingemar Olander:
Impressing is Jonathan Veira as the villain Claggert. Dark and devilishly-slow walking across the stage he spots and corners his victim merciless.

Jyllands-Posten 21.10.02/ John Christiansen:
Billy Budd's evil opponent Claggert was played to the line, but never crossing it by the harmonious singing of Jonathan Veira. Britten has given him a credo of evil similar to Jago in Othello, adding to the figure an extra edge of psychological mystery.

Berlingske 21.10.02 / Søren Kassebeer:
Veira's Claggert is ironic and demon like and there are many fine moments. A fine detail is the way Veira portrays Claggert, touching deeply and underlining that there is still a little part left of humanity underneath the rock hard surface.

Ekstra Bladet 21.10.02 ****** Gregers Dirkinck-Holmfeld:
…and now to the Devil himself. 'Can't you get love yourself then destroy others' - black and evil as Shakespeare's Jago, Jonathan Veira sings and acts so we are all thrilled (or is sending icy thrills down the spine?)

Dagen 21.10.02 (The Day, totally new news-paper) Jakob Levinsen:
It is though the English veteran Jonathan Veira as Claggert, who steals big parts of the performance, is able to show how the evil hurts the monster as well.

Der Nordschleswiger, Germany 21.10.02 / Fritz Schultz:
The baritone Jonathan Veira sings and acts the dark and unpleasant Claggert or outstandingly.
(Der Bariton JV singt und spielt hervoragend den unbehaglichen und bösartigen Claggert.)

The Independent:
'Falstaff... debauched and avuncular with a glint in the eye and taken by Jonathan Veira with a fine line in mellow lyricism as well as the bark that is worse than the bite, and a presence that easily dominates' .... vocally plausible, visually glorious...

Opera Magazine:
'Jonathan Veira's outsize stage personality is well suited to the title role... his over-weening self-confidence and ebullience were ideal.'

The Sunday Telegraph:
'Jonathan Veira's Falstaff... strongly sung was free from caricature that makes the Fat Knight merely ridiculous. One could believe this Sir John had once been page to the Duke of Norfolk.'

Evening Standard:
'Jonathan Veira's... delivery and timing were immaculate from start to finish, and he managed to display every aspect of Falstaff's sophisticated, contradictory make-up with a lustful honesty that was quite delightful. His humour, his temper, his pride and humility all fine-tuned to comic perfection.'

The Times :
'Jonathan Veira sustains a clear, lithe line throughout.'

What's On & Where To Go:
Mr Veira both looks and sounds the part, doesn't over do the comic acting.... finds both humour and pathos.... a first rate performance.'

Opera Now:
'Worthy of special mention is Jonathan Veira's hilarious Falstaff. Every comic moment... is mined and exploited, his absurd caperings, mock-heroics and moves of self-satisfaction perfectly embody the spirit of the self-deluded Sir John.'

Sunday Express:
'...especially strong work from Jonathan Veira as the wicked Judge Turpin.'

What's On? :
'Jonathan Veira gives us a truly ghastly Judge Turpin.'

The Stage :
' Jonathan Veira a menacing Judge Turpin.'

Sunday Telegraph:
'Role call of distinguished British singers filled the other roles.... Jonathan Veira as the self-flagellating judge.'

Birmingham Post:
'Jonathan Veira is a sinister Judge Turpin.'

Daily Telegraph :
'Jonathan Veira a chillingly cadaverous lecher of a Judge Turpin.'

The Independant :
'Jonathan Vera is a bluff Dickensian cameo to treasure.'

Time Out :
'Casting is uniformly strong with experienced bass Jonathan Veira singing Mustafa with the right amount of menace and stupidity.'

The Times:
'Jonathan Veira is a fine comic and sang Mustafa's recitatives with clarity, imagination and - a shining beacon in a dark evening - a modicum of wit.'

Sunday Telegraph:
'Jonathan Veira as Mustafa sang excellently.'

Evening Standard:
'Jonathan Veira's impressively amiable, well-sung Mustafa...'

The Times:
'Unstinting praise for... Jonathan Veira's virtuoso performance as the lawyer Kolenatý.'

Sunday Telegraph:
'Jonathan Veira explosive as Dr Kolenatý.'

Guardian:
'Jonathan Veira's Kolenatý projects well, especially as he is pattering through the details of the lawsuit.'

Danish Observer:
'Jonathan Veira is pure luxury as Don Alfonso ... overwhelming with an unpretentious energy ... warm and authoritative. One look, one gesture and he has the whole scene in his hand.'

'Jonathan Veira with sonorous baritone offered a wonderful character study.'

'The Old Doctor, played by Jonathan Veira, was the most beautiful surprise ... a feeling baritone and a still more highly-gifted actor ... who meets exactly the tone between embarrasment and comic.'

'Jonathan Veira brings a relief which makes his character particularly attractive.'

Gramaphone: 'Of Fire and Dew' (Somm CD)
'Several of the songs are dramatic in style, well matched by Veira's power and depth....'

Gramaphone: 'A Century of English Song, vol.3' (Somm CD)
'...Jonathan's contributions are welcome.'