The musical elements were well served. The production’s  strengths began in the orchestra pit. Christine Brandes, herself once a stellar Mozart and Baroque soprano, conducted an astutely paced reading from a rapid, lively Overture to the final joyous chorus, here sung offstage as the characters return from their game adventure. Both the sparkle of the comedic episodes and the nobility of the Masonic arias and choruses were fully captured under Brandes’ direction. She elicited tight ensemble playing and precise articulation from the excellent orchestra.
South Florida Classical Review, Lawrence Budmen

Christine Brandes conducted the Wolf Trap Opera Orchestra with focus and intensity, finding particular clarity when it counted most, during complex stretches of ensemble singing. (Shout-out to the acoustic embrace of the actual Barn itself for making such pristine balance possible at all.) Musically, it was a night characterized by marvelous tangles of woodwinds, crisp statements of strings, and sturdy stage-side continuo furnished by Lori Barnet on cello and William Woodard on fortepiano.
The Washington Post, Michael Andor Brodeur

What a triumph: Seattle Opera conclusively proved that it can handle Handel, with a superb new staging of the composer’s 1735 opera “Alcina,”… Rarely do operagoers get to savor this combination of history, novelty, imagination and musical expertise in one production. Nor do we often get the chance to hear a baroque-era opera conducted with the authority of Christine Brandes, herself a former singer who has sung the role of Morgana in this opera and knows the score down to the last tiny nuance.
The Seattle Times, Melinda Bargreen

Making her Seattle Opera conducting debut, Christine Brandes (who formerly has sung the role of Morgana) performed a major miracle in achieving the sound of so-called “authentic” performance practice from modern instruments. She maintained perfect balance in the small but well-chosen ensemble, always attuned to the vocal needs of the singers, never covering them, and allowing them to navigate their multifaceted challenges successfully.
Broadway World, Erica Miner

Christine Brandes led the orchestra to extreme heights of performance; keeping intricate baroque ornamentation and athletic runs perfectly together is no easy feat. Throughout the performance, Brandes joined orchestra and vocalists together in mesmerizing unity.
Backtrack, Rosy Rogers 

Conductor Christine Brandes is a magnetic presence onstage. She asserts her authority effortlessly, resulting in a graceful yet solid performance born out of a profound knowledge of the score. A delight to work with on and off the podium, her insights were incredibly valuable and brought the best out of the music and the musicians. It was truly gratifying to have her lead the world premiere of “Loud” so successfully, as evidenced by audience’s rapturous reception.
Jimmy López Bellido

Newport Classical’s Saturday Night festival concert brought the San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra to the Breakers Mansion in a delightful HIP of Handel, Biber, and a newly commissioned East Coast Premiere of American composer Mason Bates Appalachian Ayre. With only a three-day notice, guest conductor Christine Brandes adroitly filled in on the podium for Music Director Richard Egarr, skillfully pulling and stretching those notes that gave structure and direction to the musical lines, all the while keeping an energetic pace without losing sight of the tactus (basic pulse) which remained steady throughout the many changes of time and tempo. She telegraphed a palpable connection, and the 19 players responded accordingly.
The Boston Musical Intelligencer, Stephen Martorella

Perhaps the afternoon’s most delightful surprise was the professional conducting debut of Christine Brandes, best known until now as a soprano of agility and intelligence. Those qualities have apparently carried over into her new career; she led the performance alertly and with a keen sense of dramatic nuance.
San Francisco Chronicle, Joshua Kosman

Brandes supported and reinforced her musical command with a supple, compelling demeanor. Her face bloomed open with hope and touching self-deception, hardened in fury and even captured the ticking processes of thought and self-scrutiny. It was a marvelous thing to behold. The string accompaniment wasn’t always as tightly controlled, but Brandes seemed to raise the Esterházy’s game to a higher, keener level than they had brought to the opening quartet.
San Francisco Classical Voice, Steven Winn

Christine Brandes, garbed in either persona of her trouser role shows not only acting range and comic control, but lustrous singing… Although her voice’s richness is less the point in the production than her characterization, its intrinsic beauty of round tones, claret-like depth, and flexibility are more than moving. Clearly, whether comic or poignant, she has the whole crew in hand, even as she gets into the lascivious play singing with shine and conviction at the same time. A fine performance.
Opera Wire, Lois Silverstein

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