OperaWire, March 2020"Baritone Blake Denson... was the most promising of the quintet of winners."..."He began with Rodrigue’s aria “Ah, je meurs, l‘âme joyeuse” from Verdi’s “Don Carlos, captivating the audience with his dramatic interpretation and striking upper register, which boomed to the back of the house. His second choice, “Oh, Lawd Jesus, hear my prayer” from Gruenberg’s seldom-seen “The Emperor Jones” was just as exciting. If Denson plays his cards right, he could be en route to a successful career."