Amelia in “Un Ballo in Maschera”  
  “New casting for the Met’s Un Ballo in Maschera on February 1 brought the company debut of Elena Zelenskaya as Amelia and the first Gustavo of Francisco Casanova. Both achieved qualified successes. The Russian soprano has a dark voice of good size, and she seems to know what Verdi needs from her in this role. She sang Act III’s “Morte, ma prima in grazia,” in particular, with musical and dramatic sensitivity.”  
 

Leighton Kerner, Opera News, June 2001

 
 

Aida

 
  "The performance, however saw still another fine soprano in the person of Yelena Zelenskaya, whose dark-hued tones had a genuine Verdian heft."  
 
George Loomis, Opera, London July, 1998, p.844
 
  Leonora in “La Forza del Destino”  
  “This opening characterized a slick, low-key production, a matt background against which the dark jewel of Yelena Zelenskaya’s voice shone the more brightly… Zelenskaya’s gorgeous, covered sound never failed her. Unlike Alvaro, she matures; her embrace of her father, and then her lover, was that of a young girl clinging to anyone offering comfort. By the time she sang ‘Pace, pace’ she had gained poise and profundity.”  
     
Helen Wallace, Opera,London November, 1998 p.1318
  
  “Leonora, Mme Zelenskaya, is an exquisite Verdi soprano. Her voice is lyrical and yet dramatic, with its dramatic qualities dominant.”  
     
Helsingin Sanomat 13.07.98
  
  “Zelenskaya performs Leonora very well indeed: She displays a sensual temperament and moves naturally on stage. Her voice is very large without unpleasant vibrato. Her reactions are clear and always well-founded and interpretation does full justice to our idea of a young Spanish woman in distress. Apart from powerful and strong forte she also produces exquisite piano.”  
     
Aamulehti 13.07.98
  
  “Yelena Zelenskaya made an impression as a singer who managed to use her voice softly and roundly even at moments where others might have had to scream in order to be heard. The last aria, “Pace,pace mio dio” became a confession of rare depth and feeling.”  
     
Kaleva 15.07.99
  
  “Zelenskaya’s interpretation developed as the story progressed: She seemed to find a totally new register in her voice towards the tragic end of the opera. She seems to husband her voice in the beginning in order to keep its real power in reserve for the end. The last scene’s pain was expressed with depth and feeling.”  
     
Ita Savo 13.07.99
  
  “The young soprano, Yelena Zelenskaya from Baku, is a great promise. Her interpretation gave us a Leanora which may well not have been fully realized yet reached great power in the final aria ‘Pace, pace: which she sang with blinding beauty. She possesses a large and well-rounded, sonorous voice which would become sensational with only minor adjustments.”  
     
Hufvudstasbladet 13.07.2000
  
      Lady Macbeth  
  “In der hochkaratigen Besetzung dominieren …, Yelena Zelenskaya (die gestisch und mimisch raumgreifende und gesanglich virtuose Lady)…  
     
Martin Etter, Opern Welt Mai 1998
  
  “Die Entdeckung des Abends war die russische Sopranistin Yelena Zelenskaya: Mit ihrem machtig flammenden, auch bei grosster Verausgabung stets kontrollierten Organ und der hinterhaltig schleichenden Buhnenerdcheinung entsprach sie in hohem Masse den Anspruchen Verdis an eine realistische Darstellung der machtgierigen Frau. Dabei ist ihr Sopran so gut fokussiert, dass sie auch die Koloraturen – etwa im Brindisi des Banketts – prazis und gestochen scharf meisterte.”  
     
Fritz Schaub, Neue Zurcher Zeitung 30.03.98
  
  “Phenomenal Russian soprano Elena Zelenskaya creates a rather complicated Lady Macbeth, not just a beast of prey, a manipulative, ambitious woman who destroys everything on her way to power, but a worldly woman who is no stranger to life‘s pleasures and coquetry.
Zelenskaya‘s vocal instrument is perfect: beautiful, emotional, flexible, with a clear upper register and unusual warm tinge, yet sort of closed, reminding you of a fine piano whose keys are a little bit too tight. Last but not least, Zelenskaya emerges as a wonderful singing actress, who lives the music and translates it into stage movement.“		  
     
Maxim Reider, Jerusalem Post 12.12.2000
  
      Stephana in Giordano’s Siberia  
  Elena Zlenskaya, sang the role with some distinction: sumptuous, plushy, secure soprano tone and phrasing as imaginative as the music would allow. … (Dario Volonte) He and Zelenskaya stopped the show with their big, loud, musically vacuous duet in the second act.  
     
Rodney Milnes, Opera, London, January 2000, p.42
  
  The vocal performances of soprano Elena Zelenskaya as the tragic heroine Stephana and tenor Dario Volonte as her doomed lover Vassili are particularly outstanding.  
     
The Examiner, 22 October 1999
  
  A first-rate clutch of vocal leads – the plot is classic verismo love triangle – was completed by Elena Zelenskaya (Stefana).  
     
Roderic Dunnett, The Independent, 22 October 1999
  
     
Gorislava in Glinka’s “Russlan and Liudmila"
  
  “Yelena Zelenskaya’s somewhat darker, more rounded and almost mezzo-like soprano was heard to good effect in Gorislava’s music.”  
     
Allan Kozinn, New York Times May 11, 1994
  
      Contessa in “Le nozze di Figaro”  
  Elena Zelenskaja ist eine dunkel getonte Grafin. Elena Zelenskaya und David Pitman-Jennings sind ein verlasslichesgrafliches Paar.”  
     
Albert Seitlinger, Kurier 07.07.94 Wien
  
      «lisabetta in Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda”  
  “The female leads - … Elena Zelenskaya as Elizabeth – sing outstandingly, mastering the Italian belcanto style which remains largely alien to the Russian voice.”  
     
Moscow, Guardian March 12, 1993
  
  “Moins seduisante et plus froide, sa voix correspondait bien a la noirceur d’ame de la mechante reine.”  
     
Jacques Doucelin, Le Figaro 29.04.1996
 
      Mimi in “ La Boheme”  
  … y una Mimi (Elene Zelenskaia) de excelente fraseo y con algunas habilidades lirica notorias que le permiten concluir la opera con fuerza y buena linea de canto…  
     
La Vanguardia , 20.10.2001