As Stankar in Stiffelio:

“The star of this opera evening was neither on the stage nor in the orchestra pit. The revival of Verdi’s “Stiffelio” became, at the state opera, the unexpected triumph for a singer, that did not act the role in this evening at all: Mark Rucker was at the edge of stage and sang Stankar from a music stand …The big aria of Stankar at the beginning of the third act was one of those moments, which constitutes the wonder of opera. Owing to the strength of the music, the magic of the moment and vocal intensity, Mark Rucker was able to construct excitement. Cheers of jubilation.” - Wiener Zeitung, 11 February 2009

"The scheduled singer) proclaimed himself unfit to sing the prima, and management was again sent flipping through its Rolodex. Luckily, American baritone Mark Rucker was in Graz, starring in a new Nabucco, and agreed to sing the role on February 7, planted downstage right, reading from a score, as Michaels-Moore lip-synched. (Rucker sang his next Nabucco at a matinée the following afternoon.) Had Rucker had more time, he could easily have learned the blocking of this one-dimensional character, who broods and eavesdrops and commits murder offstage. Nonetheless, he more than deserved the huge ovation showered upon him by a genuinely moved and appreciative audience: Rucker's is a sturdy, dark, true Verdian sound, stylistically comfortable with the series of set pieces and the traditional showstopper with cabaletta." - OperaNews

“The strongest and most consistent singer in the cast was Mark Rucker, a baritone, as Stankar.” - The New York Times

“The best singing of the evening comes from Mark Rucker, who retains the rich sound and forthright vocal style that impressed in OCP's Un Ballo in Maschera three seasons ago. He fashioned an imposing performance of Stankar, the count who plays his daughter's paramour.” - Camden Courier-Post