Praise
Fire Shut Up In My Bones: Opera Suite in Concert, Strathmore
“the Turtle Island players […] ushered in the “Fire” suite, beautifully concentrating a tangle of anguished themes before Austin’s striking opening aria, “Tears of Anger and Shame.” It’s not an easy one — Charles comes in hot, and so must the singer. Austin knows how to balance force and frailty in his voice to bold dramatic effect, without ever sacrificing his careful control.” —The Washington Post
Don’t Be Angry, Carnegie Hall
“Austin is gifted with an amber-hued baritone and immaculate musicianship. He is also a very physical singer who worked movement into almost every song. At times, he may simply strike a pose, at others he is stalking the stage or crouching like a tiger ready to pounce. There is often a gleam in Austin’s eyes and a smile on his face which are as disarming as the sentiments he was expressing through his voice. […] The sound of his voice could have melted the iciest of hearts. […] Austin was at his arched, stylistic best as he sang Bienert’s setting of Tucholsky’s instructions on how to spot a Fascist. Given the sentiments of the song, it was a surprise that it found the singer at his most reflective. […] His sole encore was ‘I’m a poor li’l orphan in this worl’’, arranged by Julia Perry. It was beautiful, simple and profound, which are among the qualities that sum up this brave young artist at his best.” —Seen and Heard International
Champion, Lyric Opera of Chicago
“With his firm baritone and athletic physique, Justin Austin inhabited young Emile in a breakout performance of considerable intensity and charisma. The promising young American baritone made Griffith’s pre-fight aria ‘What makes a man?’ The show’s emotional watershed. He and Smith well earned the clamorous ovation they received at their joint curtain call.” —Opera
“Lyric has assembled a strong cast for this production, many of whom are veterans of Lyric’s […] Looking every bit the part with his chiseled upper body, baritone Justin Austin strongly anchors the production as the young Griffith, vividly communicating both the swaggering confidence and deep-seeded doubts of this character.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“The extraordinary cast sang and acted with total conviction, making Saturday’s performance a hugely compelling night in the theater. […] Justin Austin contributed a star-making turn as young Emile. The baritone was a charismatic figure, wholly credible in the ring with his boxer physique, as well as conveying the conflicted Emile’s tentative exploration of New York’s gay milieu. Austin maintained a credible island accent and sang superbly throughout. His prefight aria, “What Makes a Man a Man?” is the pivot-point of the entire show, and Austin delivered the aria with searching rumination, building the emotional intensity to a soaring climax.” —Chicago Classical Review
“A dazzling cast led by Justin Austin as Emile Griffith made a powerful case for repeated revival. […] Baritone, or possibly baritenor, Justin Austin possesses a pleasant, sort of rich sand-colored voice that makes you want to hear him in everything. Last year I saw him carry Damien Sneed’s added acts to Joplin’s “Treemonisha” at OTSL, skillfully adjusting his performance through a month-long run, and in a slightly comic turn at the Met as the motorcycle cop who pulls Sister Helen on her way to Angola Prison in “Dead Man Walking.”” —Operawire
“it is the cast of superb singers — who also happen to be outstanding actors — that brings this tragic opera to vivid life.” —WTTW
“Justin Austin’s portrayal of the young Emile is exuberant and compelling, capturing the essence of a young man on the brink of discovering himself.” —Rolling Out
“The music particularly shines in arias sung by Smith, Austin and Morrison. Before his tragic fight with Benny “Kid” Paret [...], Austin delivers the meditative “What makes a man a man?” This is the heart of the opera—showing Emile’s tough search for identity.” —New City Stage
“The central character of Emile Griffith is portrayed with remarkable depth by three exceptional singers – Reginald Smith, Jr. as Older Emile, Justin Austin as Younger Emile, and Naya James as Little Emile. Their performances capture the essence of Griffith’s journey, and the moments when the various Emiles are singing together are some of the most powerful in the show.” —Splash Magazines
“Austin does a great job in the role of Emile in the prime of his career and portraying his evolving sexuality. [...] Austin has the physique and moves of a boxer and is also a […] good dancer keeping up with the choreography by Camile Brown.” —Third Coast Review
Marian Anderson Vocal Award Recital, Washington National Opera
“baritone Justin Austin […] offered not just stellar singing and keen song selection but also a reminder of the expressive capability of a well-wrought recital program. […] There was a lot of audible love in the room for Austin on Tuesday evening. […] his recital at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater put Austin where he belongs, center stage […] It also found Austin dominating the stage, leaning against the walls, lowering himself to the floor, standing at its edge, palms out and up. He is a natural performer — a star awaiting a galaxy to form around him. […] But the program […] proved Austin more than an exciting singer — with a burly, burnished tone capable of striking nuance and color. He’s an equally intriguing thinker. Tuesday’s performance had the casual self-portraiture of a cabaret, the variety and depth of a solid DJ set and the unabashed anti-fascist spirit of a punk show. […] elastic theatricality […] Austin sank to the floor and found stunning softness and subtlety in [“Call From the Grave/Death Message” from “Threepenny Opera”] andante. […] His voice hovered like a vapor over Ricky Ian Gordon’s setting of Langston Hughes’s “Song for a Dark Girl,” and I loved the detail and drama he brought to Gordon’s “Marvin Gaye Songs” […] [Austin and pianist Howard Watkins] made something sublime of Robert Owens’s “Mortal Storm,” […] one could easily imagine Austin performing an entire night of Hughes settings, so naturally suited are the contours of his voice with the shadings of Hughes’s poetry. […] It was a performance and a program that balanced ease and urgency, the political and the personal — using the recital hall as a stage and the stage as a platform.” —Washington Post
“accomplished singer […] Austin carried that tradition forward in his own special way as he too lifted his generation of singers by his sterling example. What was truly unique was the innovative way in which he curated his own story through the music. […] Full of vocal resonance and emotional pathos, it was almost hard for the audience to contain itself. […] Maurice Ravel’s song cycle “Don Quichotte a Dulcinee” presented Austin the opportunity to convey a wide range of emotions: the joy of love, gentlemanly nobility and the joviality of liquid spirits. Using the entire stage, with every gesture of his body, the voice took on a distinct characteristic in the three song set. […] In “Song for a Dark Girl” by Ricky Ian Gordon, Austin languished in each note. Ranging from a well-placed portamento to the crescendo of each phrase […] If there was any doubt of Austin’s ability to communicate as an artist, these songs put any notion to rest. […] Austin offered an evening of song that expressed the full range of his instrument. We eagerly await the journey ahead.” —Patrick D. McCoy
Romeo and Juliet, Washington National Opera
“baritone Justin Austin, who gives his Marian Anderson Vocal Award recital Dec. 12, offered a fiery Mercutio.” —Washington Post
“Justin Austin a striking Mercutio (who sang ‘Mab, la reine des mensonges’ with presence and character)” —Opera
“The baritone of Justin Austin’s Mercutio was a delight of the evening” —Broadway World
“Supporting the strong leads is an exceptional cast, especially in the anchoring roles. Baritone Justin Austin is a memorable Mercutio, singing with power and bringing a convincing conviction to his hatred of the Capulets.” —Metro Weekly
Dead Man Walking, The Metropolitan Opera
“The principals were all boosted by an equally strong supporting cast. Baritone Justin Austin — who comes to Washington in December for his Marian Anderson Vocal Award recital — brought crackling character to his brief appearance as the motorcycle cop who pulls over a speeding Prejean’s tiny Datsun.” —Washington Post
“a brief but memorable turn from Justin Austin, as a police officer” —The Observer
“star-on-the-rise Justin Austin excelled in [a] cameo role” —Gay City News
Treemonisha, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
“Justin Austin, as Joplin and Remus, hit his vocal stride from the very beginning, his singing characterized by the inherent appeal of his high-lying lyric baritone. He was a charismatic figure on stage, his very presence proclaiming first Joplin’s impassioned musical brilliance, then Remus’s sterling qualities as Treemonisha’s helpmeet.” —Opera News
“His is an impressively stalwart—even heroic—voice, showing remarkable uniformity over his entire range. He gives such a sense of vocal ease. ” —Broadway World
“Baritone Justin Austin adds delightful chemistry to the primary pair as the inspired, then crestfallen, Joplin as well as Remus, steadfast in his love for Treemonisha. ” —Ladue News
“Justin Austin, as Joplin and Remus, and Brandie Inez Sutton, as Freddie and Treemonisha, are enthralling and a pure delight to listen to — together and individually. Austin’s rich, round baritone fills the theater with warmth and resonance, rather than volume or force. He’s tender and affectionate, whether effectively deferring to Sutton’s Treemonisha or collapsing in loneliness and despair at the loss of Freddie. […] As importantly, Austin and Sutton create effective emotional chemistry. ” —Riverfront Times
O HOW GOOD, MasterVoices
“the sumptuous voice of Justin Austin. ” —Broadway World
COTTON, Lyric Fest (World Premiere)
“The rising baritone Justin Austin shared in the vocal duties, bringing a rich, pointed expressiveness to the cycle’s opening selection” —Parterre
“Graves and Austin are both excellently emotive in their operatic presentations” —Broad Street Review
“Throughout the song cycle, Graves and baritone Justin Austin have stunning moments […] Austin similarly steals my breath in the very next song, “When the Ancestors Speak.” […] Austin goes into a swaying, liquid falsetto that glides through the stillness of holding one’s breath, but without the panic of needing air. […] the performances of Graves and Austin reach into the depths of each poem” —I Care If You Listen
Our Song, Our Story, Tuesday Musical
“Austin made a big impression from his first appearance. In Oh Freedom, arranged by Shawn Okpebholo, Austin’s velvety-dark baritone was instantly captivating, the emotional commitment to his performance chill-inducing. The physicality of his acting played a big part in his stage presence, whether it was portraying an ecstatic Scott Joplin in “It Is Done” from Sneed’s upcoming opera Treemonisha (about Joplin’s opera of the same name) or a tormented Charles Blow in “There Was A Storm” from Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones.” —Cleveland Classical
Peter Grimes, The Metropolitan Opera
“emerging from the crowd were other standouts: Justin Austin’s lively Ned Keene” —The New York Times
“As Ned Keene, baritone Justin Austin was a standout. His character appears sympathetic to Grimes early on, but as the work develops, he shifts in his position. Austin reflected this shift through his more delicate and lighter vocal texture early on in the opera, delivering the opening “Old Joe’s has gone fishing” with suavity. But by the end of the opera, his interjections had a roughness to them as he joined in on the lust of vengeance against Grimes.” —Operawire
American Apollo, Des Moines Metro Opera (World Premiere)
“The show consisted of a trio of fantastic performances that excited me to see how these roles may be expanded for the future production of "American Apollo." The first of those actors was Justin Austin in the role of Thomas McKeller. He had a beautiful aria in scene 2 that showcased his baritone voice that let us into his character's head as he questioned the effect of posing for these paintings of other people, asking what it means to be art.” —Broadway World
Recital, Park Avenue Armory
“baritone Justin Austin showed off a mighty lyric voice with dramatic flair […] Austin’s tone is deep and earthy, with a firmly stitched timbre that withstands some high-octane singing. At the Armory, he found operatic climaxes in most songs — his high notes were strong, shattering, indefatigable. […] He rode a path to glory in the punishing conclusion of “Harlem Night Song,” with its ecstatic series of high notes.” —The New York Times
“one of the highlights of this season's recital outings […] the precision and expression of his vocalism […] In this small venue, he deployed smooth, expressive bouche fermée effects audible to all. At all dynamic levels, he maintained remarkably precise pitch. […] keen attention to phrasing […] The crowd's fervent applause won a stop-time encore in the Methodist Spiritual "I want Jesus to walk with me,” transcendently done.” —Opera News
The Threepenny Opera, City Lyric Opera
“Vocally impressive, verbally elegant, and duly seductive” —Opera News
Hänsel und Gretel, Manual Cinema and Opera Saratoga
“mellifluous baritone” —The Wall Street Journal