Reviews 2010 'None of the concert's five other Steffani arias could match it for quality: Handel never stole dross. But each vocal item was socked out with equal commitment by the gifted young soprano Ruby Hughes, winner of last year's London Handel Festival Singing Competition. No shrinking voilet, this. She squeezed expression from every word. Torment transfigured her face, particularly as Handel's heroine Agripppina...she's made for the opera stage because she sings with such ringing belief.'Geoff Brown The Times. April 2010. Wigmore debut with the London Handel Orchestra.
Arias and scenes by Handel and Steffani. 
2009 Ruby was the first prize and audience prize winner of the 2009 London Handel Singing competition held in Saint George's Hanover Square.
Sue Loder from Opera today writes'In recent years, the standard of singing has risen consistently with some outstanding young artists emerging to confirm burgeoning careers: Andrew Kennedy, Iestyn Davies and Lucy Crowe to name just three. The winner of both the Adair (First) Prize and the Audience Prize (for once there was no difference of opinion) was clearly not a difficult choice for the jury: young Ruby Hughes, soprano, showed a professionalism and vocal finish in her programme which stood out head and shoulders above her rivals. Her larger instrument, with a warm, bright tone that was even through the range, enabled an expressive delivery that drew every bit of drama from her choices from Theodora, Giulio Cesare, Jephtha and Samson' The Jury for this years competition was John Mark Ainsley, Christian Curnyn, Catherine Denley, Gillian Fisher,
Michael George and, as Chairman, Ian Partridge.
Robert Thicknesse writes in Opera now July 2009 for Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera/RCM production;'The dependably excelllent Ruby Hughes was the travesti Ramiro, quite equal to the coloratura, right in character as the tormented seria lover, and given the one moment ('Dolce d'amour compagna') where that Mozartian thing happens and a kind of ideal voice speaks through a flawed human vehicle'.
Ruby is featured in the November December 2008 edition of Opera Now magazines 'Who's Hot' .
Robert Thicknesse writes;
'As usual it was the RCM singers who impressed me the most. Ruby Hughes , a poised singer with a lovely soulful tone and great legato who I've seen in a couple of Handel productions and a Purcell....she has great stage presence too.'
'The Chantry Singers and The Bath Philharmonic had a very well matched group of soloists, headed by Ruby Hughes, a resplendent, totally fearless coloratura soprano, filling the abbey with effortless power'
Haydn Nelson Mass. Bath Abbey/Peter Lloyd Williams. Bath Chronicle April 2009
'…Ruby Hughes as Lucinda stood out with her beautifully inflected, well produced voice…'
Lucinda: Don Chischiotte in Sierra Morena / Musikwerkstatt Wien / Kultur 2009
2008
'But the real jewel in the crown was young soprano, Ruby Hughes, whose agile and well-pointed voice was the ideal vehicle for the many coloratura passages, while possessing the necessary tone and sufficient weight for moments where dramatic expression was required. Arias for voice with oboe obbligato proved especially effective, with both singer and player creating an excellent ensemble through shared dynamics and well-considered breathing.'
The Plymouth Herald. 2008 Philip Buttall
‘Ruby Hughes brings Atalanta to palpitating life. She invests her coloratura arias with ravishing beauty and,
under Laurence Cummings's baton, the period band plays its heart out’
The Independent. 2008 Michael Church
‘The singing is of a high standard, with a vocally brilliant and suitably athletic looking Atalanta, sung by Ruby Hughes
The Stage. 2008 Edward Bhesania
‘Ruby Hughes made a fine foil as Atalanta. When required to, Hughes herself had a mean way with Handel's passage work,
but she also proved intensely moving in Atalanta's slower numbers.’
Music and Vision. 2008 Robert Hugill.
‘Ruby Hughes's flutey, radiant Atalanta and Madeleine Pierard's incisive Meleagro had hit persuasive form’
The Times. 2008 Richard Morrison
'…there is a host of good performances. Ruby Hughes as Rose Maurrant hits exactly the right note of thwarted longing.’
The Guardian. July 2008 Michael Billington
'A company that sings and dances with such extraordinary versatility is an added feature of its amazing scope.
Ruby Hughes as Rose projects a vocal purity and a broken heart with such sincerity'
London Theatre reviews.com. July 2008
'The Young Vic always delivers a cast of exceptional quality and Street Scene is no different.
Ruby Hughes, beautiful as Rose charms and delights with a magnificent voice.'
Reviews gate.com. July 2008 ‘Ruby Hughes and Adrian Dwyer, by contrast, are touchingly earnest as the childhood-friends-turned-sweethearts.’
The Financial Times. July 2008 Sarah Hemming.
2007
'Promesses tenues aussi pour les solistes de l'Académie européeenne de musique, Eurydice en tête (gracieuse Ruby Hughes)'
Le Monde. for the Aix-en' Provence Festival August 2007
‘The focus of both men’s attention as Queen Cleofide was Ruby Hughes, a young soprano with considerable gifts.
She has a warm, expressive and easy soprano that gave promise of some weight and power to come,
and of all the singers perhaps gave the most finished performance.
Articulation, intonation, colour and dynamic were all there and she has an attractive stage presence.’
Opera Today. 2007 S.Loder
“But this moving, sexy show was a company effort, and the 10 ensemble singers, most of them German, were its motor, vocally and physically, with Ruby Hughes and Matthias Viewig the pick.”She: King Arthur / Der Lautten Compagney, Berlin / Opera Now 2007
‘Hughes’s powerful, well-rounded soprano shows huge promise.Handel Poro. London Handel Festival The Times. 2007 N. Fisher
‘She brought the character to abundant life, and can sing with an affecting inwardness which almost every major Handelian character needs, but so often has to make do with arch cooing instead.’The Spectator. 2007 Handel Poro, re dell’Indie
‘…but Ruby Hughes excels as Cleofide, with spring-loaded consonants and finely shaped vowels.’ The Stage. 23 March 07.
‘Lovers of this music will find it rich enough…there are some fine duets for Poro and his lover Cleofide… Of the young cast it’s the expressive soprano Ruby Hughes, as Cleofide, who makes the biggest, brightest impression.’The Guardian. Poro, re dell’Indie 2007 Erica Jeal
‘Soprano Ruby Hughes brings a melting warmth of tone to her arias’Metro 2007. W.Thomson
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