As Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana w/ Sarasota Opera

"Kara Shay Thomson was a clarion and strong voiced Santuzza. Ms. Thomson possesses a rich, powerful and flexible dramatic soprano with a soaring top and burnished bottom and was able to negotiate the passions of Voi lo sapete with stunning impact. Whether in passionate and heated duet with the annoyed former lover Turiddu or the furious vengeful wronged husband Alfio, her voice flooded the theatre with torrents of evenly produced and dramatically flawless sound."

The Italian Tribune

"Kara Shay Thomson, playing the outcast Santuzza in Cav, really soared as the woman spurned by Turiddu. From her arioso of betrayal, Voi lo sapete, to the rage of her duet with the cuckold Alfio, Thomson was spellbinding, her body quivering with passion."

tampabay.com

As Floria Tosca in Tosca w/ Sarasota Opera

"Vissi d'arte began as a plaintive, quiet act of desperation and grew to an ardent, fervent plea that was both luminous and luxurious in sound. In fact, there wasn't a moment in the evening when Thomson came even close to over-singing or pushing. Her enormous voice resonated throughout the house, yet she never abused her abilities and, by passionate restraint, was able to build a character who was, in every sense, a Great Woman."

The Longboat Observer

"Kara Shay Thomson, whose rich voice captured the conflicting aspects of her character. When sparring and resisting the evil Baron Scarpia, masterfully created by baritone Grant Youngblood, she was at her best. Praying in anguish, Tosca sings Vissi d'arte seeking guidance to save Cavaradossi by succumbing to Scarpia's lust. It was breathtaking. We could feel the heart breaking as she sank to her knees while perfectly controlling a tender decrescendo. The tension and chemistry between the two as Scarpio manipulated her was remarkably captivating."

Sarasota Herald Tribune

As Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro w/ Utah Festival Opera

"And speaking of love, patrons will absolutely love Kara Shay Thomson, playing the Countess. Thomson reaches the audience on her first note and never wavers on her grip. Even her softest notes - usually mournful longings for past love - carry easily to every anxious ear in the theater. Directors could have turned off the supertitles and just let the Countess carry the audience away.

The enthusiastic response given to Thomson, making her UFO debut, reinforces that she was the diamond-like find of the night."

The Utah Statesman

"The strong female voice here belongs to Thomson, whose countess' arias are breathtaking. She shows great sadness and frustration one moment, then cunning the next. As the plot becomes more complicated, the countess becomes even more enjoyable to watch and to hear."

The Herald Journal

"Kara Shay Thomson, who sang the part of Countess Almaviva, deserves special note for her standout singing..."

Deseret Morning News

As Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro w/ Toledo Opera

"Thomas Barrett was a powerful Almaviva, and rich-voiced Kara Shay Thomson seemed to have found more than her share of her husband's psychological harshness"

The Toledo Blade

"Kara Shay Thomson (Countess) promisingly fielded darkly pretty looks and a plush lyric soprano."

Opera, London UK

As Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw w/ Chicago Opera Theater

"Thomson was an unsettling presence, moving with a gentle woman's stately grace but using her rich soprano like a lance, slashing the air as she slowly stalked her prey. In the furious confrontation of all four adults late in the opera, the voices blended in a lustrous glow that perfectly evoked the opera's central theme, the tragic loss of beauty corrupted."

Chicago Sun-Times

"The director welds the six performers into a tight dramatic ensemble, while the musical performance is uniformly strong. Thomson complemented Quint as a darkly insinuating Miss Jessel."

Chicago Tribune

As Adina in L'Elisir D'Amore w/ Dicapo Opera Theatre

"Among the cast, soprano Kara Shay Thomson was outstanding. Beautiful, tall and willowy, Thomson portrayed the somewhat aloof and elusive Adina with an appealing naturalness that immediately won the audience. She is instinctively a fine actress, but an even better singer. Vocally, Thomson delivered her often floridly embroidered arias with flawless precision, bright tonal color and impressive sense of style and musical phrasing."

Cape Cod Times

"Kara Shay Thomson sang confidently and strongly as Adina. It was a pleasure to hear her relatively full and dark sound, solidly produced from top to bottom, in a part often entrusted to light soubrette voices.

This capable soprano could give some recent Lincoln Center Musettas and Rosalindes a run for their money."

Gay City News

As Violetta in La Traviata w/ The Sioux City Symphony

"La Traviata isn't exactly a one-woman show. But try telling that to Kara Shay Thomson, the soprano who brought life to the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra's concert staging Saturday night.

Commanding the Orpheum Theatre stage throughout the brisk performance, she provided the show's heart and soul, hitting notes that filled every corner of the building and revealing emotions that eluded almost everyone around her.

As Violetta, the brazen party girl who falls for a robust man with a penchant for following his heart, Thomson was practically perfect. Her phrasing made Violetta a full-bodied character, her gestures suggested the scenery that wasn't there.

Naturally, the third act was filled with a great dying scene ("La Traviata," after all, is based on "Camille") and a reunion designed to bring tears. Thomson worked it well.

...

While Verdi may have left a few plot holes in story, he didn't cheat his singers a bit. Just ask Thomson. "La Traviata" was an excellent workout and an even better showcase.

Sioux City Journal

As Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia w/ Chicago Opera Theater

"Much of the heavy lifting is done by the Male and Female Chorus, Canadian tenor Michael Colvin and soprano Kara Shay Thomson, each superb."

Chicago Sun Times

"As the chorus, tenor Michael Colvin and soprano Kara Shay Thomson acquit themselves admirably, bringing not only powerful vocalization to their roles, but a subtle confidence that works."

Windy City Times

"These husband and wife figures furnish the narration, comment on each twist of the tragedy, enter the minds of the protagonists and even, at times, share their words. Although distanced from the drama, they are deeply affected by the events. They are splendidly taken by tenor Michael Colvin and soprano Kara Shay Thomson, two strong singing actors who bring compelling authority to their roles."

Chicago Tribune

As Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia w/ Chicago Opera Theater

"...some of the musical performances were remarkable. Colvin's tenor and Thomson's soprano were light and agile enough to convey the moral subtleties and ambiguities of the Male and Female Chorus intelligently, though both could turn on the power for occasional moments of outrage and anguish."

Opera News Online

As Musetta in La Bohème w/ Glimmerglass Opera

"Thomson put an indelible mark on the saucy character, pouring out sumptuous tone over the full ensemble."

Albany Times Union

"All the singers sang their hearts out. But by far, the twosome of Marcello and Thomson were superior both in their acting and singing. Thomson matched him with a soaring voice and with a bite to her acting."

The Glens Falls Post-Star

"Musetta beautifully sung and acted by Thomson was saucier than usual. The singing and acting of all principals were nearly flawless... an enormously compelling and seamless theatrical and musical experience."

Ithaca Journal

"The cast was up to the kind of gala, opening-night level singing one would hope for to kick off a 25th anniversary season. Thomson played Musetta like a headstrong 1920s movie starlet, making her grand entrance in an open car."

The Schenectady Sunday Gazette

"The quality of the singing was outstanding, particularly Thomson. The pageantry and color, the orchestra's playing, the principals' singing, the chorus was all most successful."

Vox/in Camera

"The cast scores in terms of vocal freshness, deft acting skills, and willing spirit."

New York Magazine