Menotti’s score—solidly contemporary, but poignantly lyrical—was handled skillfully by conductor Ace Edewards and his fourteen member instrumental ensemble. Sonic balance and musical texture are everything in this work—particularly in a resonant environment such as St. John’s—something for which Edewards and ensemble deserved their applause.
Alan Sherrod
Review: ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’, Marble City Opera
Menotti's music, conducted by Ace Edewards, is light and, at moments, has the sparkle of shining stars. Under Edewards' baton, the orchestra of 14 musicians never overwhelms the singers, although the sanctuary glows with sound.
Harold Duckett
Review: ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’, Marble City Opera
"La Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora fue conducida con discreción y justeza por Ace Edewards, demostrando que cuando la orquestación es inteligente y mesurada, es perfectamente posible realizar una ópera sin amplificación (unplugged, como se dice en nuestro tiempo) y lograr buenos resultados en el balance y en la proyección vocal."
(The Philharmonic Orchestra of Sonora was conducted with discretion and fairness by Ace Edewards, showing that when the orchestration is intelligent and measured, it is perfectly possible to make an opera without amplification (unplugged, as stated in our time) and achieve good results in the balance and vocal projection.)
Juan Arturo Brennan
Review: 'Illegal Alien' by Alfonso Molina, Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado
"Ace Edewards, conducting the 15 piece instrumental ensemble, certainly deserved his applause for the masterly job of keeping the performance pace necessarily tight, the ensemble and voices carefully balanced, and for sculpting a lot of musical character from the textural details of Menotti’s score."
Alan Sherrod
Review: ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’, Marble City Opera
