Any orchestral score conducted by Maria Sensi Sellner is a thing of joy… the confidence of a conductor who knows how to rehearse and inspire a group to give of its best is a very specific skill endowed on few, and not always so generously as in last night’s pillar of reliability.
— G. Parous, onStage Pittsburgh

THIS LOVE BETWEEN US

“Ms. Sellner has evinced, often, a masterful hand and oneness with the music she directs. There is a whole-souled devotion to the scores she has chosen, and she communicates with the orchestra using a refreshingly unaffected style'“

“Something especially notable about this smaller orchestra with the big sound is its ability to allow the auditor listening options in a more intimate manner than is normally the case. Sellner balances the instrumentalists so that one may hear the full orchestral sound, or focus the ear on a particular section – or both at the same time. It’s even possible to close the eyes and listen to an individual player; a specific cello rings out as boldly or softly as a particular flute, or a trumpet as a violin. The same time and attention has been given to everyone during rehearsals, and it shows. The acoustic qualities of the cathedral may have made it especially noticeable last night, but it’s Ms. Sellner’s and her orchestra’s norm.”

- OnStage Pittsburgh


Bach’s Mass in B Minor

“…again, the ensemble proved that if remarkable is required, that’s what it will deliver.”

“The Resonance Chamber Orchestra, under Maria Sensi Sellner’s guiding hand, can always be counted on for a sterling performance, and last night’s was no exception to the happy rule. Ms. Sellner, resplendent as usual and in fine form, calmly led the orchestra through the remarkable score.”

- OnStage Pittsburgh


I AM A DREAMER WHO NO LONGER DREAMS

Maria Sensi Sellner, when she conducts, is a guarantee that the music will be presented with keen insight and an in depth knowledge of, and sympathy with, the score. She demonstrated that gift again last night. The music is an eclectic mix of styles and sounds, coming closest to the “grand opera idiom” in the final bars. Ms. Sellner and her chamber orchestra of excellent musicians played the difficult score in a manner that has come to be expected of them – artistically, with apparent ease, and balanced at all times in favor of the singers on the stage.

- G. Parous, onStage Pittsburgh


RIGOLETTO

“Maria Sensi Sellner and the instrumentalists in the orchestra turned in a sterling performance. It was a well rehearsed reading of a difficult and unrelenting score. From the foreboding overture to the crashing finale, all sections played as one singular, sonic wave on which the singers surfed. The score includes some of Verdi’s most effective orchestration, and no delicate nuance, no thrilling crescendo, was missed by the conductor and her players. Only in a spot or two was the volume too loud for one or two of the singers, but overall it easily ranked among the very best orchestral performances of the year. The acoustic properties of the Carnegie Music Hall, Carnegie, proved ideal for the tone of the orchestra, and a most thunderous ovation greeted them at the final curtain.”

— G. Parous, onStage Pittsburgh


I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams - world premiere

“Conductor Maria Sensi Sellner navigated the frequent meter changes and sudden interruptions of rhythm with skill and subtly, supporting the constantly evolving dramatic conversations.” - L. Pritchard, The Boston Musical Intelligencer

"White Snake Projects’ immigration opera is a timely tale haunted by American dreams. Jacobs’s collaboration with Mexican-born composer Jorge Sosa might be White Snake’s least logistically complex affair to date. It’s also the best." - The Boston Globe

“With such fiercely personal performances, one would be hard-pressed to attend I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams and not feel something new for marginalized populations trying to make a better life for themselves in the United States." - I Care If You Listen


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St. John Passion

“Prepare to be moved by Bach’s St. John Passion… This concert represents how Sellner so expertly crafts programs showcasing such masterworks. Sellner’s artists are talented, established and rising stars; they are expressive actors, committed to the audience as well as their art… Oratorios of this scope are tackled only by choirs and organizations that can truly deliver the solo, orchestral, and chorale goods, and Resonance Works fits that bill.” - Y. Hudson, Pittsburgh in the Round


A Joyous Sound

“Effervescent, nostalgic, fresh and full of light, A Joyous Sound from Resonance Works Pittsburgh is all that a delightful holiday gift should be.” - Y. Hudson, Pittsburgh in the Round

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Hart Institute for Women Conductors at the Dallas Opera

“hardly glancing at the singers, Maria Sensi Sellner just seemed to know what they were going to do, and to provide just the right support. The American conductor also smartly managed the contrasting moods of Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa Overture”
— Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News


ON THE TOWN in concert

“The maestro is Resonance Works Founder and Artistic Director Maria Sensi Sellner, plying her precision and passion to this rare portion of Bernstein’s catalog. Sellner’s vision has again brought audiences a performance to treasure to kick off this ‘On the Shoulder of Giants’ season.” — Yvonne Hudson, Pittsburgh in the Round

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Dvorak’s RUSALKA

“Sensi Sellner displayed keen insight into the music that tells the tale of human and supernatural worlds on a multi-layered collision course of emotions.”
— George Parous, Pittsburgh in the Round


Lang’s LITTLE MATCH GIRL PASSION

“a stunning site-specific experience born of a well-conceived partnership with Homewood Cemetery”

“In the warmth of the restored chapel Artistic Director and Founder Maria Sensi Sellner then conducted an artistic and emotional journey indeed pointed “towards eternity,” … The resulting 90 musical minutes were indeed evocative of life and death with voices and instruments that alternately dwelt in the possibilities throughout diverse works.”

“Sellner’s setting this piece and the entire program in such a perfectly evocative and reverent place demonstrates the intuitive creativity at the heart of the Resonance mission.” — Yvonne Hudson, Pittsburgh in the Round

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L’ELISIR D’AMORE

"I can’t remember ever having so much fun at an opera...Conductor Maria Sensi Sellner, who also served as Artistic Advisor, is inspired and astonishingly versatile, and her orchestra was nothing short of sensational." — Roseann Cane, Berkshire on Stage

Hubbard Hall finds right formula for 'Elixir of Love'

"Not only is Hubbard Hall Opera Company’s production of the “The Elixir of Love” a wonderful professional offering of a delightful comic opera, it is probably one of the most charming entertainment experiences you can have this season." — Bob Goepfort, The Troy Record


As Acting Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Production of Bach's 'St. John Passion' rich, bold

"The Mendelssohn Choir was divided to serve double duty. The smaller group was mid-stage on the left side, and had superb dramatic thrust. The larger group was spread across the back of the stage and was magnificent in Bach's chorales." — Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Tribune Review​

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Pittsburgh Symphony's 'Messiah' culminates in majestic splendor

"The Mendelssohn Choir ... was very well prepared by its acting music director, Maria Sensi Sellner, and sang with admirable clarity, balance and tone. Each section, the sopranos, altos, tenors and basses, was fully articulate. From the alto entrance in the first chorus, “And the glory of the Lord,” and through other beloved sections, such as “For unto us a child is born” and “All we like sheep have gone astray,” straight through to the lengthy final “Amen,” the choir was superb in projecting the words with clear rich textures." — Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Tribune Review


the public domain

Weekend Edition Sunday, August 14, 2016 — NPR's Jeff Lunden reports on his experience as a singer in Maria's Orange group for the world premiere of David Lang’s "the public domain" at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival


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L’ELISIR D’AMORE

"the most fun at an opera you will ever have!" The Pittsburgh Tatler

Resonance Works Elixir of Love: Immerse Yourself in Comic Delight!

"They take an ecumenical approach to the classical repertoire, taking on opera, choral, orchestral works and more. They are showing how to achieve great things with modest forces, in a way that doesn’t feel like anything is missing. I’m excited to see what they do next!" — Miss Music Nerd


IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

Rossini Opera an Unqualified Success

“The crisp, polished overture prepared us for a special evening of opera. The 17 pieces played as an absolute unit under the complete control of conductor Maria Sensi Sellner. The tempi were brisk throughout, and Sellner supported the singers with a sure hand, drawing incisive resonant playing in excellent balance with the singers.” — C. Buchanan, Berkshire Fine Arts

Gorgeous Singing, Fun Staging of “The Barber of Seville” from Hubbard Hall Opera in Cambridge, NY

"It was easy to fall in love with the orchestra ... the quality of the sound that conductor Maria Sensi Sellner was able to yield from her musicians was nothing short of incredible." — L. Murray, Berkshire on Stage


LA FINTA GIARDINIERA

"Maria Sensi Sellner led with authority, using a clean beat, choosing excellent tempi and showing admirable sensitivity to the singers." — Mark Kanny, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Conductor Maria Sensi Sellner held the small chamber orchestra together clearly and with elegant poise, delivering a performance both accurate and rife with musicality" — C. Kriegeskotte, Operapulse


LA TRAVIATA

Solon Center's intimate "Traviata" seizes eyes and ears

"the orchestra, seated onstage behind the singers, gave a lucid account of Verdi’s score in a reduced version led with flexible assurance by Maria Sensi Sellner.”  — Donald Rosenberg, The Cleveland Plain Dealer


ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

‘Orpheus’ operetta gets down and dirty at the Strand

“... it’s hard not to love a production in which Orpheus’s girlfriend, Maquilla (Erika Mitchell), shoots Eurydice and then ditches the murder weapon with the conductor (Maria Sensi Sellner). Or in which the men form a kick line to do the cancan... The orchestra, under Sellner, is sterling, and so is the chorus of Olympian deities singing “To arms” (with allusions to the “Marseillaise”) and demanding the right to go to hell. The Devil, it seems, really does have all the best tunes.”J. Gantz, The Boston Globe