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La Boheme, Opera San Jose 2017

"As Mimi’s lover, the poet Rodolfo, resident tenor Kirk Dougherty made his finest company outing to date. Singing with power, focus and elegant musical line, he delivered his Act I aria, “Che gelida manina,” with ardor and generous, ringing tone."
Georgia Rowe, Mercury News

Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera San Jose 2016

“It is arguably harder to find a great Edgardo than a great Lucia, such are the daunting requirements for the leading man.  Luckily, OSJ has a prodigiously gifted tenor its residency: Kirk Dougherty.  This versatile performer has never sounded to better advantage than as the romantically driven, politically volatile Donizetti hero.  Mr. Dougherty's honeyed legato singing ravished the ear, and his ringing dramatic declamations have a thrilling squillo.  Moreover, he is handsome, natural actor who is a master of economy of gesture.” James Sohre, Operatoday.com

“But it was Dougherty, wearing his heart on his sleeve, who brought the house down with closing statements “Fra poco a me ricovero” and “Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali” - a testament to his vocal technique and dependable stamina. Elijah Ho, Mercury News
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Tosca, Opera San Jose 2015

About “Tenor Kirk Dougherty shined as the doomed, hapless painter, Mario Cavaradossi. The unique timbre and expression of his handsome voice, coupled with refined, satisfying phrasing, provided noteworthy, heartfelt performances of "Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle," two of the treasured arias of the repertoire. The four beautiful solo cellos and their suspensions, which prepare the latter, were also well considered, just and emotionally felt.” Elijah Ho, San Jose Mercury News
"Tenor Kirk Dougherty was plaintive and appealing, especially in Act III's "E lucevan le stelle." - Charlise Tiee, San Francisco Classical Voice
Carmen, Anchorage Opera 2015

“She grinds Kirk Dougherty's boyish Don Jose to a pulp, leaving him corrupted and shattered as he transforms into the agent of her doom... The singing of both was quite good. Dougherty, for instance, hit the high "à toi" at the end of "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" in full voice.”  Mike Dunham, Alaska Dispatch News
Madama Butterfly, Anchorage Opera 2014

​"Dougherty was a rare Pinkerton who came across as genuinely remorseful.  His sincerity and Dukach's intensity made the finale convincing and dramatic."- Mike Dunham, Alaska Dispatch News
Die Zauberflöte, Opera San Jose 2015

"Tenor Kirk Dougherty sings an earnest Tamino. His voice has heft and cuts through the instrumentation." - Charlise Tiee, San Francisco Classical Voice
"The vocal soloists inhabited their roles with vitality.  Tenor Kirk Dougherty was a handsome Tamino.” - Georgia Rowe, San Jose Mercury News
"Tenor Kirk Dougherty's singing was clear and strong." - Joshua Kosman, SFGate
Where Angels Fear to Tread, Opera San Jose 2015

“Tenor Kirk Dougherty was credible as Philip, the stuffy, withdrawn Englishman who is transformed by Italy. He managed the pages and pages of text allotted his character with a consistent level of engagement, and his singing in the arias was ardent and direct.” Jeffery S. McMillan, Opera News
"His scenes are superb, with penetrating moments of self-recognition, honest friendship, love, and disappointment. Dougherty sang with lusty, boyish charm." - Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
"Kirk Dougherty played the dilettante brother to the hilt, keeping life at arm's length. He sang in a clean tenor." - Adam Broner, The Piedmont Post
Moses, American Symphony Orchestra 2014
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'Fortunately, the performance was buoyed by a thoroughly commendable and often astonishing vocal trio....The star of that golden calf scene, ironically, is Aaron, here portrayed by the tenor Kirk Dougherty. He brought a fiery, pinging tone to the role, nailing a sustained B-natural later in the work and showing impressive definition far below the usual tenor register. Initially refusing to worship the idol, there was both grief and defiance in his aria “Wie sollt’ ich ein so großes Übel tun,” followed by somber resignation as he finally gave into the apostates’ demands.'  Eric O. Simpson, New York Classical Review
'Tenor Kirk Dougherty made a particularly appealing vocal impression as Aaron; his voice is clear, warm and steady, filling the hall with expressive lyricism. He is able to generate considerable power without forcing and to develop a nice ping to the tone as the music rises higher. His big aria ("I go to the gates of Hell") in the oratorio's third part was the vocal highlight of the evening; as the text turns to pleading with Moses for forgiveness, Mr. Dougherty found a wonderful melancholy colour in his tonal palette, making me think what a very fine Lenski he might be. The aria even has a little 'cabaletta' which the tenor dispatched with élan.' Philip Gardner, OBERON'S GROVE
Lucia di Lammermoor, Anchorage Opera 2013

"Unheralded Kirk Dougherty was a pleasant surprise. He delivered a young and dashing Arturo and had a fine vocal presence in his brief solo." Mike Dunham, Anchorage Daily News
La Nave, Teatro Grattacielo 2012
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"...Kirk Dougherty, a local tenor on the rise, made a fine impression taking on no less than four roles, one of them prominent and three of them small...." 
Eric Myers, Opera News
​"Most of the other solo roles are comparatively small, though by no means easy, and were generally very ably filled, Ashraf Sewailam, who sung the part of Orso Faledro, Basiliola’s blinded father, and Kirk Dougherty, taking three of the minor roles, being particularly outstanding."  operatoday.com
The Poisoned Kiss, Bronx Opera 2010

"...Prince Amaryllus was the winning, firm-voiced tenor Kirk Dougherty, who built on the promise he showed last year as Bronx Opera's Fra Diavolo..." Opera Magazine UK
Fra Diavolo, Bronx Opera 2011

​"...Dougherty, who must carry the bulk of Acts 1 and 2 on his shoulders does so with seeming ease and brings his role to life with his colorful tenor and a dash of unapologetic, smarmy charm.  Diavolo, who steals from the rich and gives to himself, is a dark mirror image of such gentleman thieves as Robin Hood – seeing life as one big caper, and, in his narcissistic one-dimensionality, likely steals more for the fun of it than anything else.  No act of self-enrichment is beneath Diavolo – from larceny to fraud to attempted murder – and Dougherty, under Spierman's wise direction, breezes through it all with gusto.  The sheer amorality and ambivalence to his own actions keeps Fra Diavolo, both the character and the opera, bounding along at a light pace through its two-and-a-half hour running time.  This is pure, screwball comedy, and nothing in the happenings – up to and including Diavolo and his two henchmen standing over the sleeping Zerline's bed with knives ready to pounce – is to be overly analyzed or taken seriously."  Scott Katz,  US Townhall
Il Trovatore, Sarasota Opera 2014

'Kirk Dougherty was an impressive Manrico (The Troubadour). His strong tenor had a lovely quality and a good heft that were particularly impressive in his Act 3 aria “Ah si ben mio” and the famed “Di quella pira,” the final high C which he held seemingly forever with the orchestra and chorus in full swing. His duets with his assumed mother, the gypsy Azucena, and the woman he loves, Leonora, were sung with beauty of tone and sweet legato as well as thrilling power and precision....The “Miserere” duet with powerhouse Kirk Dougherty was another highlight.'  Nino Patano, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
'As applied to Il trovatore, DeRenzi’s no-cuts-in-Verdi policy – one I heartily applaud – initially brings to mind the tenor and how he will handle both verses of “Di quella pira.” 
The evening’s Manrico, Kirk Dougherty, rose valiantly to the challenge with a committed and exciting performance. To his credit, he even sang the notes of the coda, which tenors often leave out as they gear up for the (unwritten) high note. His performance crowned a satisfyingly ardent and appealingly muscular performance.' George Loomis, Classical Voice North America
Rigoletto, Opera San Jose 2014

"Dougherty was a smooth actor - so smooth that he almost even dupes the audience at moments as to whether he's fallen for Gilda." Ashley Webb, StarkInsider.com
"His voice has a pleasing foundation and lilt...he stepped up to deliver a ringing rendition of 'La donna e mobile,' the Duke's sexist anthem." Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News
"Kirk Dougherty as the Duke of Mantua, is suitably attractive and charismatic, singing his role with a tenor's panache - soaring and powerful when hitting the high notes, seductive and silky when wooing, and gleeful in the famous demeaning aria "La donna e mobile." Paul Myrvold, myrvoldstheatrenotes.com

Moses, American Symphony Orchestra 2014

'As Aaron, Kirk Dougherty was a clean, forceful Manrico-type tenor – an association that comes to mind because he sang that role a few weeks ago at Sarasota Opera. His approach matched the operatic style of these solos. He and Moses, the capable Sidney Outlaw in the title role, made a vocally convincing pair.' Leslie Kandell, Classical Voice North America
'DeLuna and Manrico, brilliantly captured by tenor Kirk Dougherty, drive the action from peaceful gardens to battlefields. Heroic action, not love, gives Dougherty his best moments as he rises in pitch and fever over a distant blazing pyre and a suspended high note at the end of Part III.' Herald Tribune
Otello, Castleton Festival 2013

"Kirk Dougherty as Cassio, Humberto Rivera as Roderigo, and the rest of the supporting cast all managed to create vivid individual vocal personalities for their roles." Joan Reinthaler, The Washington Post
The Poisoned Kiss, Bronx Opera 2012

"Kirk Dougherty, as Amaryllus, was the vocal standout. Affable and boyish, he unleashed a laser-focused tenor of ringing clarity and smooth beauty that hints at a promising future." Joanne Sydney Lessner, Opera News
Die Zauberflöte, Tri-Cities Opera 2012

​"Kirk Dougherty as Tamino has grown even more impressive: his rich tenor strong and secure, his aria and ensembles spot-on. The tone is supple and warm with evenness between registers.'' Tony Villecco, Broome Arts Mirror
Lucia di Lammermoor, Tri-Cities Opera 2012 

Powerfully voiced tenor Kirk Dougherty (a returning Resident Artist) is every inch the passionate lover, Edgardo."  Broome Arts Mirror
Madama Butterfly, Tri-Cities Opera 2011

The entire supporting cast was superb, especially lyrical tenor Kirk Dougherty as B.F. Pinkerton and mezzo-soprano Cabiria Jacobsen as Suzuki...By bringing back some of the best performers from past years, the company is on its way to a rosy future."  Lee Shepherd, Broome Arts Mirror
Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Tri-Cities Opera 2011

"I did not believe tenor Kirk Dougherty could get any better, but, as Hoffmann, he has. The voice has developed a lovely enveloping bloom and a riveting top, and he had no trouble with the role’s consistently high tessitura. He embodied the brooding, tormented poet who loses his loves, offering  fine acting and facial expressions that were crucial in the character development. One can only wait with anticipation his first 'Faust' or 'Werther.'” Tony Villecco, Broome Arts Mirror
La Traviata, Tri-Cities Opera 2010

​"Tenor Kirk Dougherty looked like a Greek God as her naïve lover, Alfredo Germont. His tone has become even richer and warmer than in previous hearings.  His second-act aria,”De miei bollenti spiriti,” was striking and he even sang the difficult cabaletta, “O mio rimorso,” which tenors often omit." Tony Villecco, Broome Arts Mirror
Gianni Schicchi, Tri-Cities Opera 2010

"Tenor Kirk Dougherty as Rinuccio has one of the loveliest and ringing tenor voices heard recently in the group of young performers. Surely one to watch, he managed to build a character deftly alive in love, even distancing his role from the other grasping relatives of the recently deceased Buoso Donati. His short but impassioned aria rang out with clarion beauty and focus of tone...."
Broome Arts Mirror
​The Three Pintos, Bronx Opera 2010

"Every season, The Bronx Opera dares to be different and present a rare or unique opera to start its year. This time, they present one that is rare AND unique.... Eapen Leubner as Gaston was a great foil to Kirk Dougherty’s Gomez who – macho in voice and presence – found all the fun in the role." Lenny Stowe, Outerstage.com
"Tenor Kirk Dougherty sang sweetly in the lovely strophic piece, with commentary from Gaston and his servant Ambrosio, in which Don Gomez expounds on his love for Clarissa and wins them to his cause...."  George Loomis, MusicalAmerica.com
L'Elisir d'Amore, Tri-Cities Opera 2010

"The first time I saw Donizetti’s comic opera “The Elixir of Love” was in the ’80s, and Richard Leech sang Nemorino, the romantic tenor lead. He then went on to both national and international acclaim. I predict the same will happen with Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Kirk Dougherty. Make no mistake — Dougherty has the goods, and then some. Not only is he in possession of an exceptionally beautiful tenor, but he projects well, is a very capable actor and has stage presence to boot. The opera’s most famous aria, “Una furtiva lagrima,” was delivered beautifully...."  Broome Arts Mirror