Title role in Mozart Don Giovanni
Northern Ireland Opera / cond. Nicholas Chalmers / dir. Oliver Mears
"Henk Neven’ blonde, coolly fashionable seducer is a deeply flawed character, exploitative, ruthless, misogynistic, predatory."
The StageNovember 2016
"Henk Neven impressed as Don Giovanni with a warm baritone and was utterly convincing as a slimy womaniser. [...] Neven’s dramatic variation came to the fore in his serenade, where Neven’s beautiful phrasing – accompanied sensitively by the Ulster Orchestra – imbued his role with a surprising sense of sincerity"
BacktrackNovember 2016
"Henk Neven impressed as Don Giovanni with a warm baritone and was utterly convincing as a slimy womaniser. [...] Neven’s dramatic variation came to the fore in his serenade, where Neven’s beautiful phrasing – accompanied sensitively by the Ulster Orchestra – imbued his role with a surprising sense of sincerity"
The Irish NewsNovember 2016
"Henk Neven is superb as the rakish, womanising Don Giovanni. [...] Neven incarnates the lustful, amoral yet charismatic Don Giovanni with equal measures of élan and nonchalant swagger."
The Thin AirNovember 2016
CD Rêves d’Espagne
Accompanist Hans Eijsackers (Onyx Classics)
"Neven and Eijsackers form a fascinating combination. They are both kindred spirits and opposites. While Henk Nevenhas a velvety tone to his voice, the notes of Eijsackers rattle off the piano - like vicious pounding heels of a dancer with rhythmic precision drilling into the wood of a floor. Sometimes the sounds that arise are hard and can even be called ugly, but you are listening to the raw and frankly, primal, Spanish passion."
De VolkskrantMarch 2016
Conte Almaviva in Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
Concertgebouw De Vereeniging / cond. Kenneth Montgomery / dir. Jeroen Lopes Cardozo
“Henk Neven as the womanizing Count Almaviva: a restrained stiff rake with authoritarian characteristics and matching fiery persona.”
De TelegraafOctober 2015
“The surprisingly natural comic talent of Henk Neven stands out in his performance as Count Almaviva, whose character lends himself to it in his exuberant, stately manner, lack of modesty, and sexuality.”
NRCOctober 2015
"Henk Neven was an imposing baritone, both a stately and erotically charged Count Almaviva"
Opus KlassiekOctober 2015
Title role in Mozart Don Giovanni
Bergen National Opera / cond. Rinaldo Alessandrini / dir. Oliver Mears
"Henk Neven's attractive tone... carried Don Giovanni's lines confidently and stylishly."
OperaJuly 2015
Concert with Robert Holl
De Doelen
"...stage bass Robert Holl and baritone Henk Neven... you are talking about the best song singers that the Netherlands can offer"
Place de l'OperaOctober 2014
Recital with Hans Eijsackers
Wigmore Hall
"... it's obvious that his supple, finely coloured voice is a natural asset rather than an imposed style... these exquisite miniatures were ideal for Neven's poetic, introspective singing."
Music OMHOctober 2014
Castor et Pollux
Opéra de Dijon
“Dutch bass-baritone Henk Neven embodies all the nobility and elegance that suit Pollux”
BachtrackOctober 2014
“Henk Neven gives Pollux a nobility and greatness of soul crucial to this immortal work”
Les EchosSeptember 2014
Recital with Hans Eijsackers
Muziekgebouw Amsterdam
“Neven, infusing his rich tone with dark colour, struck just the right note of grandeur and mystery. He sang the short “Chanson du Duc” with stirring fervour, his wealth of vocal colours brought into play apparently effortlessly.”
BachtrackMay 2014
Aeneas Dido and Aeneas
l’Opéra de Rouen / cond. Vincent Dumestre / dir. Cecile Roussat
"...Henk Neven, for the elegance of his seductive Aeneas as much vocally as physically..."
Forum OperaMay 2014
Recital with Hans Eijsackers
Wigmore Hall
“The rapid rise of Dutch baritone Henk Neven is easy to explain. He is blessed with instant charm and the voice, still attractively youthful in his late 30s, emerges full-toned from his slight frame with a faint, fast vibrato that lends it a distinctive tang.”
Arts DeskMay 2014
Henri Duparc recital with Sarah Connolly and Malcolm Martineau
Wigmore Hall
“They could have been singing only for each other. At times, listening felt intrusive. Yet, every word drew us in deeper, every note clamoured for attention. It was like eating in a fine restaurant – all aromas, taste and colours designed to complement one another.”
Financial TimesApril 2014
“Neven was more detailed and expressionistic, with each of his songs swerving towards a dramatic monologue.”
GuardianApril 2014
“He’s an engaging presence on the podium, with a firm, resonant baritone.”
TimesApril 2014
Armide
Amsterdam
“…often with very attractive results, as in the duet between Melissa and ineffable Ubaldo, a convincing Henk Neven…”
Forum OperaOctober 2013
Prom 47: Schumann Symphony No.4 and Brahms German Requiem
OAE / cond. Marin Alsop
“Soloists Henk Neven and Rachel Harnisch both gave stellar performances…”
One Stop ArtsAugust 2013
“Baritone Henk Neven… brought extra weight to the text… I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Daily ExpressAugust 2013
“Baritone Henk Neven intoned the opening words of the third movement with composure tinged withanxiety…Neven wonderfully conveyed both the fears and hopes which define human mortality...”
Opera TodayAugust 2013
“There were striking contributions, too, from the baritone soloist Henk Neven, intimately sung and marvellously clear with the text...”
GuardianAugust 2013
The Sea: Songs by Fauré, Schubert & Debussy
acc. Hans Eijsackers / Onyx 4102
“His lyrical timbre comes into its own in magnificent songs of Debussy and Fauré."
De Telegraaf, January 2013
"A delightful recital... Neven’s melodies are every bit as persuasive as his lieder, finding great poetry in well-chosen songs by Fauré and Debussy. The many facets of Schurbert’s fascination with the aquatic come off equally well, and throughout Eijsackers proves an insightful and gifted collaborator.”
Classical Music MagazineNovember 2012