Press

"Handel: Heaven and Harmony" with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (2015)

"Look Down Harmonious Saint", a cantata for solo tenor, gave us our first hearing of tenor Fernando Guimarães, whose smoulderingly communicative performance was matched by a velvet tone and sonorous upper register. Guimarães’ judicious use of vibrato gave a bell-like clarity to the more sotto voce passages that gave way to a buoyant agility through Handel’s characterically florid melismas. (...)
…Guimarães displayed control in spades during Handel’s English settings (…) ...providing the perfect foil for Guimarães’ rich and creamy tenor. | Maxim Boon - Limelight Magazine

Handel’s devotional cantata for solo tenor, "Look down, harmonious saint", introduced us to Guimarães’ superbly controlled, warm, mellow timbre, the quality of which doesn’t inhibit quantity, as required. (…) This often makes for very tricky passages, placing very great demands on the vocalist. That’s certainly the case with this compact work, but Guimarães didn’t miss a single melismatic mark. (...) Thereby [in the Ode to St. Cecilia’s Day], we were privileged to hear another spirited rendition by Guimarães. | Syke on Stage

Guimarães led the vocal proceedings with a stunning Look Down Harmonious Saint with “Musick’s force” on display in his upper register and with his very emotive face. | Jacqui Smith - Classik On

Guimaraes' velvety, flexible tenor and confident declamation were a good fit for his solo cantata Look down, harmonious saint. | Martin Duffy - The Sydney Morning Herald

Look Down, Harmonious Saint, a cantata for solo tenor, got off to a more measured start with clarion tones from Guimarães, who has a fine, ringing upper register. (…) Guimarães handled the florid melismatic passages with style. | Joel Meares - The Sydney Morning Herald

Guimarães has a clear, focused sound which is well suited to Handel. He pointed the text dramatically and his coloratura was clean. | Larry Turner - Sounds Like Sydney

…portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães made a very impressive debut. (...) …the wonderful Cantata "Look Down Harmonious Saint", a rarely heard showcase for very handsome guest artist Guimarães in a thrilling performance. (…) …more vibrant string passages followed and then the hypnotic tenor aria Sharp violins proclaim - marvelously sung by Guimarães. | Lynne Lancaster - Sydney Arts Guide

Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães impressed with his clear, unadorned tone and excellent diction. (…) Both soloists possess a strong sense of line and executed their fast coloratura and intricate ornamentations with flair and sensitivity. | Murray Black - The Australian

L'Orontea by Antonio Cesti at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival (August 2014)

Fernando Guimarães sings Orontea's heartbreaker Alidoro - who also confuses all the other women's hearts - with a naturally virile tenor voice. He plays the erotic sun king (the supposed tramp turns out to be an aristocrat) with charming self-irony. | Dieter David Scholz

The painter Alidoro - a foundling who is identified at the end as Floridano, brother of the Phoenician queen Arnea - introduced the Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães. The fact that this dashing young man was sought after not only by the Queen Orontea, but also by other ladies of the court was credible. Vocally he convinced with his pleasant timbre. | Udo Pacolt - Der Neue Merker

The portuguese Fernando Guimarães plays the charming painter Alidoro - a good-looking and flighty young man who will eventually be crowned King of Egypt - with a beautiful sense of stage. | Luc Roger - Munich & Co.

Fernando Guimarães gives his Alidoro much strength and mellowness during the quite long way to the final party. | Jörn Florian Fuchs - Deutschlandfunk

Fernando Guimarães plays and sings through the favours and mistreats of all the women as in a parody of the Sun King, with tenoral freshness and delicious self-irony. | Ursula Strohal - Tiroler Tageszeitung

L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi at the Festival d'Ambronay (October 2013)

...le ténor portugais est devenu un interprète aguerri, d'une belle présence, pourvu d'un timbre plus clair que solaire. Il exprime la détresse ou l'amour avec un détachement mélancolique; le recitar cantando, ici, est davantage porteur de lyrisme que de drame, comme si le voyage d'Orfeo aux Enfers était, d'abord, une descente à l'intérieur de lui-même. | Christian Wasselin – Opéra Magazine (FR)
Fernando Guimarães officiates as Orfeo. A mature and complete singer, he performs his role with perfect mastery. His acting is equally controlled. The different melismas and runs of his role are correct and expressive. The text is clear, very good italian pronunciation. | Ayrton Desimpelaere – Crescendo (BE)

...Fernando Guimarães, a very experienced tenor, showed once again his vocal and dramatic qualities... | Jaime Estapá i Argemí – Webthea (FR)

…the young Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães sang Orfeo, an overwhelming part which he assured with style, mastery and musicality… | Martine Mergeay – La Libre (BE)

Style, virtuosity, youth: he has everything (...) to play the demigod and he shows more than once to be touched by grace. | Bernard Schreuders – Forum Opéra (FR)

... the Portuguese tenor imposes himself by his virtuosity and, in an inverse phenomenon, gains in vocal assurance as Orfeo, struck by misfortune, loses its luster, its initial tuxedo gradually shredding. | Laurent Bury – Forum Opéra (FR)

His timbre is soft and sensible, his projection nuanced. There's no doubt that as each new production allows him to meet this role, he will become Orfeo, this melancholic demigod, a role he's made for. | Monique Parmentier – ODB-Opera (FR)

Tenor Fernando Guimarães gives the title role the fair scope of the character, between the freshness of loving transport of Act I and the long and poignant monodic lament in Act II, until his final revolt against the irrecoverable loss of his loved one. | Roland Duclos – Forum Opera (FR)

[Fernando Guimarães] reveals himself a very convincing Orfeo. | Alfred Caron – L’Avant-Scène Opéra (FR)

Nabucco by Michelangelo Falvetti, with Cappella Mediterranea (September 2012)

Fernando Guimarães' Nabucco does seem more royal, more vivid, more compelling. The voice is beautiful and homogeneous, the timbre is clear and rich, the speech clear and wonderfully phrased. | Loïc Chahine - Muse Baroque (FR)

Tenor Fernando Guimarães' Nabucco saves the day. His "Per vivere non infelice" is a privileged moment ... that we will meet again with pleasure on the recording.| Gérard Corneloup – Anaclase (FR)

Le ténor Fernando Guimarães campe un roi des Chaldéens plein de noblesse avec une grande homogénéité vocale, au sein d’un plateau de belle tenue. | Alain Cochard – ConcertClassic.com (FR)

Le souple Guimarães (notre chanteur de l'année 2011) n'éprouve pas de difficultés à moirer d'épanchements lyriques son emploi de dictateur velléitaire. Il livre, à partir de son "Vendette non v'armate", harangue militaire à l'accompagnato de basse haletant, une richissime scène de folie entrecoupée de quolibets, lui permettant d'exploiter avec bonheur des arêtes hallucinées de son talent, que nous ne lui connaissions pas encore. | Jacques Duffourg – Appoggiature (FR)

Le ténor Fernando Guimarães propose une interprétation convaincante du roi de Babel et traduit par sa gestuelle la démesure de son orgueil autant que la limitation de son intelligence, tout en lui prêtant sa facilité d’émission et la belle couleur de son timbre. | Fabrice Malkani – Forum Opéra (FR)

Du côté des hommes, se sont particulièrement distingués Fernando Guimarães, solaire et conquérant, qui a campé un Nabucco parfaitement crédible dans son rôle de despote ivre de lui-même (…) | Jean-Christophe Pucek – Passée des Arts (FR)

Nabucco orgueilleux et aussi humain par ses troubles et ses failles à peine masqués, délectable Fernando Guimaraes: le ténor retrouve la justesse stylistique qui a fait l'intérêt de son Noé dans Il Diluvio; | Alexandre Pham – ClassiqueNews.com (FR)

Il Martirio di Santa Teodosia by Alessandro Scarlatti, with Al Ayre Español (November 2012)

...and the tenor Fernando Guimarães was the disappointed young admirer in all shades between desire and horror. | Hamburger Abendblatt (DE)

Der lyrisch schmelzende Tenor des Fernando Guimarães als Prinz Arsenio kann daran ebenso wenig ändern wie der anschmiegsame Countertenor des Carlos Mena, der seine Stimme dem Präfekten Decio leiht. | Axel Springer - Die Welt (DE)

A pleasant surprise was Fernando Guimaraes, a lyric tenor of beautiful timbre and broad and homogeneous voice, who phrased with great delicacy.| Andrés Moreno – Diario de Sevilla (ES)

The Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães gave the lovesick prince a beautiful velvety timbre and elegant phrasing. | Juan José Roldán – El Correo de Andalucía (ES)

Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (CD - Linn Records)

The singing cast is excellent, too. Fernando Guimarães is magnificent as Ulisse himself. His voice is passionate, ardent and fully committed, a delight in this role which he makes sound totally human. His mannerisms are technically very impressive too. He knows and loves the style of the period, which makes him a first-rate travelling companion for Pearlman's vision. | Simon Thompson - MusicWeb International

Singing the title rôle, Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães is a revelation. Compared with several of the singers who have recorded Ulisse, especially the baritones, Guimarães's voice is light for the music, but the dividends paid by his artistic investment enrich the performance considerably. (…) Ulisse has fared well on recordings, amassing fine performances from burly ‘modern' voices as well as Early Music specialists, but Guimarães sets new standards of technical achievement and the simple but impalpable art of bel canto. | Joseph A. Newsome - Voix des Arts

Not the least of its virtues is the singing of Fernando Guimarães in the title role. His performance as Euriloco in Zamponi’s Ulisse all’Isola di Circe and as Teseo in Cavalli’s Elena had already marked him out as someone destined for a major role and he fits this one excellently. (...) Guimarães manages to convey both the noble and the worldly-wise aspects of the role. | Brian Wilson - MusicWeb International

The opera's distribution is excellent. Portuguese tenor and baroque specialist Fernando Guimarães is a wonderful Ulisse. | Rémy Franck - Pizzicato

Fernando Guimarães as a multi-dimensional Ulisse exploits his rich middle register. | David Vickers - Gramophone

Fernando Guimarães sings Ulisse with feeling, intelligence, and an appealing light baritenor. | Robert Levine - Classics Today

A splendid Boston Baroque recording of Martin Pearlman's own new edition of the opera, released by Linn Records, shows this work to be richly textured and - thanks to fine performances by tenor Fernando Guimarães as Ulisse and mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera as Penelope - emotionally trenchant. (…) ...the youthful cast here is particularly fine, with Guimarães tremendously moving in the recognition scene with Telemachus. | InfoDad

Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria by Claudio Monteverdi with Boston Baroque (April 2014)

Making his US debut, Fernando Guimarães showed complete stylistic mastery and the right baritenor range for the part of Ulisse, and he's a clever, engaging actor. | David Shengold – Opera Magazine

The singing itself rose to an even higher sphere. (...) the leads were nothing less than superb. (...) As the title hero, Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães was likewise remarkable; his intelligently reserved presence, facility with period convention, and warmly flexible timbre made for an all but ideal Ulisse. | Thomas Garvey – The Hub Review

Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães is here making his U.S. debut as Ulysses, and gave a smoldering and passionate interpretation of a fairly uninspiring role. None of the cleverness, hubris, or fatigue of Homer’s original is manifest in Monteverdi’s version, but Guimarães–aided by an expressive tenor capable of both ringing declamation and tender wisps of sound–was nonetheless magnetic. | Angelo Mao – Boston Classical Review

The show's star, Fernando Guimarães in the role of Ulisse, excelled at bringing a melodic, yet conversational quality to the abundance of recitatives. | Melanie O'Neill – Examiner.com

The large cast of opera veterans and relative tyros, of international stars and local stalwarts, was superb. (...) As Ulysses, Fernando Guimarães sang with fluency and total understanding of Baroque style. | David Bonetti – Berkshire Fine Arts

As Ulisse, tenor Fernando Guimarães was equally accomplished vocally, with a rhythmic and tonal clarity that remained distinct even in his lowest range. | Virginia Newes – The Boston Musical Intelligencer

A performance on April 25 in the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall byBoston Baroque (...) marked two significant debuts: the first appearance in the U.S. of the impressive Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães in the title role, and that of Pearlman’s new performance edition of Claudio Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria. It proved to be the most accurate, authentic, and convincing revival of an early Italian opera I have ever witnessed. | Marvin J. Ward – Classical Voice North America

"Queens, Heroes & Ladykillers – French exchange", with Sarah Connolly & the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (November 2012)

“The suite from Les Paladins was played with exuberance and humour, concluding with a virtuoso coloratura display by Guimarães in Lance, Lance amour he displayed incredible breath control and a flawless upper register, bringing a sense of excitement that made this evening feel like it was closing with a firework display.”

“His voice showed an exceptional clarity in its upper register an attribute much cherished in Baroque music making. (...) his delivery of the aria from Dioclesian was warm and convincing.”

“Guimarães acquitted himself admirably well opposite this fiery Phèdre and contributed his own bitter-sweet monologue delivered with great delicacy and poise.” | Opera Creep (UK)

The tenor soloist was Fernando Guimarães, whose super-sweet vocal delivery conjured images of puffed wigs at the French court. | Andrew Clark – Financial Times (UK)

The Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães brought animated declamation and bright tone to numbers from Purcell’s Dioclesian and Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie and Les Paladins. | Barry Milington – London Evening Standard (UK)

Monteverdi Vespers, with Cappella Mediterranea (September 2013)

Le plus éclatant de tous a, sans grande surprise, été Fernando Guimarães, ténor dont la solidité des moyens vocaux et l'abattage sont toujours aussi impressionnants et qui a imposé son autorité naturelle dans chacune de ses interventions, notamment dans un Nigra sum à la charge érotique presque impérieuse. | Jean-Christophe Pucek – Passée des Arts (FR)

Fernando Guimaraes, ténor, nous offre un Nigra sum d’une intensité et d’un joyeux lyrisme. (...) Le duo Seraphim (en réalité les deux ténors - Fernando Guimaraes et Zachary Wilder - et Victor Torrès, baryton) est éblouissant de couleurs et de brillance. | Pierre Tricou – ODB Opéra (FR)

Il Diluvio Universale by Michelangelo Falvetti, with Cappella Mediterranea (September 2010)

Nouvel Adam, le ténor Fernando Guimaraes s'impose par son chant habité, par un héroïsme tendre; duos et récitatifs (très courts) sont modelés avec finesse et style: comme Orfeo, aux portes de l'Enfer, Noé trouve ici les mots et les intonations justes pour convaincre Dieu de réviser ses plans... | Alexandre Pham – ClassiqueNews.com (FR)

Quant à Noé, interprété par le ténor Fernando Guimaraes, sobre, digne et brillant, il habillait à merveille son héros. | Yvette Canal – On-TopAudio.fr (FR)

Les voix étaient toutes superbes et harmonieuses. Si Mariana Flores (Rad, la femme de Noé), d’une clarté et d’une force lumineuse, s’est imposée comme voix principale, cela n’a pas empêché Fernando Guimarães de briller par la sensibilité émouvante de son Noé. Leur capacité à rendre leur amour convaincant apportait un contrepoint important à la fureur des entités célestes. | Jérémie Lumbroso – Qobuz.com (FR)

Pour cette re-création mondiale, Leonardo García Alarcón s'est entouré de ses fidèles, la soprano Mariana Flores (Rad) et le ténor Fernando Guimaraes (Noé), irréprochables de style et d'engagement. | Antonio Mafra – Le Progrès (FR)

Avec eux, il distille l’inventivité (…) de pages d’une émotion fervente, tels les duos entre Noé (le ténor Fernando Guimaraes, tendre et élégant) et son épouse. | Emmanuelle Giuliani – La Croix (FR)

Johannes-Passion by J.S. Bach, with Collegium 1704 (April 2012)

Last night's success for Collegium was, however, mainly due to the Evangelist of Portuguese tenor Fernando Guimarães, who has a rich experience in early music interpretation. Guimarães' touchingly intimate, introverted story was of almost magical attraction, with numerous expressive phrases mastered with amazingly sophisticated dynamics and plasticity of expression in a relaxed, beautifully resonant tone. Indeed, his very face during the long final chorus - even though he'd already had his last intervention - showed how deeply he was submerged in the interpretation.| Vít Dvořák – Opera Plus (CZ)