PRESS
"radiant...the demanding soprano part [in Nordheim's Wirklicher Wald with the Bergen Philharmonic] was masterfully performed by Cyndia Sieden..."
Annnabel Gualta, Bergens Tidende, October 2014
"[Cyndia] Sieden was equally as thrilling, performing with a silky, sweet tone that reinforced the delicacy of Orff's writing for the soprano; ultimately she added poignant counterpoint to the more dramatic performers that balance out Orff's work as a whole, keeping it from sliding into the melodramatic [in the Fort Worth Symphony's production of Carmina Burana]."
John Norine Jr., TheatreJones.com, May 2013
"Soprano soloist Cyndia Sieden emerged as the star of the evening, clad in a rustling red skirt (beautifully apropos to the aria 'Stetit Puella' ) and delivering her role [as soprano soloist in the Fort Worth Symphony's production of Carmina Burana] with breathtaking emotional insight and vocal clarity."
Wayne Lee Gay, Front Row (Dallas), May 2013
"Boasting a voice of equal parts etched glass and antique lace, soprano Cyndia Sieden proved more than equal to the rigorous demands of the solo soprano role [in the Kansas City Symphony's performances of Carmina Burana], offering an "In trutina" that was somehow both coy and unapologetic."
Erin Hales, The Kansas City Independent {Insider}, December 2012
"The New World Symphony devoted a concert Saturday in Miami Beach to the two giants of the period, Haydn and Mozart, aided by the gorgeous, silvery singing of the American soprano Cyndia Sieden...
"As impressive as McGegan's Haydn was, the highlight of the concert was Sieden's performances of vocal works by Mozart, aided by a hall that's more flattering to the human voice than the orchestra's previous Lincoln Theatre home. The fresh, youthful quality of Sieden's voice perfectly matched the music of Mozart's early "Exsultate Jubilate." She sang the quick melodic lines with a tightly focused voice, effortless virtuosity and joyous buoyancy that recalled the early Mozart instrumental concertos with which this work is often compared. In the rapid notes of her coloratura singing, there was neither icy precision nor the virtuoso intensity of someone desperate to get through the notes, just confident mastery and pleasure in the music.
"In the concert aria "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!" Sieden produced smoothly ornamented melodies and melting pianissimo melodies at the top of her register. In "No, no che non sei capace," she gave a performance of fiery virtuosity in the passionate, rapid-fire coloratura."
David Fleshler, South Florida Classical Review, 28 October 2012
"Cyndia Sieden sang the cruelly high music of Ariadne and the first nymph [in Rihm's Dionysos at the Holland Festival] with secure, laser-like tone and slithered around seductively..."
Bachtrack.com, 22 June 2011
"As Ariadne [in Rihm's Dionysos in Amsterdam], the American high soprano Cyndia Sieden was brilliant."
Udo Pacolt, Der Neue Merker, Wien 9 June 2011
"In particular, Cyndia Sieden, who also sings the role of Ariadne...absolutely brilliant..."
Francois van den Anker, Place de l'Opera, 9 June 2011
"The second line of the Neither libretto — "from impenetrable self to impenetrable unself by way of neither" — conveys the mix of what seems to be acute observation and complete uncertainty in Beckett's phrases. Yet Feldman savors every word of this text in his elemental and obsessively repetitive music. The soprano must deliver the words in syllabic utterances, often on high sustained notes that hover above the staff, making it almost impossible for the text to be clear. The soprano Cyndia Sieden was dazzling here, singing with uncanny focus, impressive stamina and ethereal beauty...Ms. Sieden was a wonder."
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, 27 March 2011
"And kudos to the soprano Cyndia Sieden for an outstanding performance of a challenging piece. Singing beautifully is one thing...But Sieden went the next step into artistry by imbuing every phrase with significance — not self-consciously, but with genuine urgency."
Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 27 March 2011
"The quality of impenetrable "unself" is one that fits well into Feldman's quest for "indeterminate music." Words are set in such a way that they are barely intelligible, mostly chopped up into isolated syllables sung in monotonous, drawn-out notes high in the soprano's register. Cyndia Sieden delivered them with an exquisite, pure sound that seemed to come out of nowhere as it floated above the orchestra. As exposed as the part is, it requires an immense control of pitch and evenness of expression — or rather, lack thereof. Sieden managed to maintain an Apollonian level of detachment even while negotiating dozens of mirrored cubes that dangled from the ceiling and, as they rotated, refracted painful shards of light into the eyes of the audience."
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The Classical Review, 27 March 2011
"Ms. Sieden "and pianist Judith Cohen were in exceptional form and precision in the intimate Hidden Valley Theater... [Sieden] is especially known for her ability to negotiate the stratospheric heights of the "Queen of the Night" aria, and, most recently, The Tempest by Thomas Ades...Sieden's voice is as clear and clean and accurate a soprano as you will ever hear...Sieden was born to sing Strauss."
Hugh Jardin, Peninsula Reviews, 4 November 2011
"Cyndia Sieden was remarkable..."
Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene.net, 18 May 2011
"Cyndia Sieden's voice sailed above the orchestra, intoning the text in a near monotone that never left the highest extremes of the soprano range."
Jean Andrews, OperaToday.com, 4 April 2011
"Cyndia Sieden carried off the Feldman work with charismatic presence and considerable vocal allure."
Mike Silverman, Associated Press, 28 March 2011
"Cyndia Sieden, pressed to the top of her range at all times, deftly managed the difficult feat of landing the notes without showing any strain, despite having to sustain slow, highly controlled movement."
Bruce Hodges, Seen and Heard International, 21 April 2011
"Cyndia Sieden...tonight turned the fiendish vocal writing of [Feldman's Neither] into a personal tour de force...In this dreamlike space the tuxedoed choristers move with stylized gestures as Ms. Sieden, in a striking black gown with train, takes on the aspect of a priestess...Ms. Sieden proved not only a mistress of the heights but also produced tone of unusual beauty, almost sweetness, with some lovely taperings of dynamic."
Oberon's Grove blog, 29 March 2011
"Not so when Cyndia Sieden took the stage [in Queen of the Night at the Melbourne Recital Centre]. Dressed in a marvelous Linda Britten gown of two tone taffeta in orange and red (and looking dangerously young, perhaps a teenager even), from the opening notes of Der Holle Rache she had the entire audience on the edges of our seats with excitement. She filled the space with a deliciously beautiful sound that soared, swooped and staccatoed. The applause was astronomical and we were rewarded for our enthusiasm with an encore of the same aria.
"Now, to have an aria repeated in a live performance is such a treat, because you can compare the differences. The first take was spectacular, but somehow Sieden took it even further the second time round and made it sound like it was nothing more than a practice run. There was added drama and tension and not only was the audience gripped by her performance, but also now in terror; her gestures were strong and bold and her eyes cast upon us with wicked fervour, tempting us to commit bloody murder."
Dan Vo, The Fool and the Opera blog, 12 February 2009
"Somehow, the brilliant American soprano Cyndia Sieden subdued this homicidal part [of Ariel in Thomas Adès' Tempest at Covent Garden], and had the audience laughing in amazement...Covent Garden assembled a tremendous cast for the occasion."
Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise blog, April 2004