"The song is delightfully heightened with the addition of vocals from American opera singer Rebecca Sjöwall. The two voices really complement each other and take this song to another level." - Damian Sullivan, Maximum Volume Music

"Wonderfully poperatic, noted soprano Rebecca Sjöwall with her gold vocal ecstasy is a perfect companion to Russell Mael’s falsetto as Shakespeare's Scottish play is cleverly used as a metaphor for America's First Family." - Chi Ming Lai, The Electricity Club

"It all means that Life With The Macbeths makes for a curiously down-sounding conclusion to Hippopotamus, but it has a power behind it (thanks in no small part to the guest vocals from Rebecca Sjöwall) and of course the lyrics to ease any fears … Some albums just leap out as gold from the off, and this is one of them." - Nick Mellish, We Are Cult

"…and closer 'Life with the Macbeths'—as you’d expect from a Shakespearean song—is an operatic ode whose ever-changing arrangement is as ambitious and alluring as its dramatic central duet. It’s a stunning conclusion." - Jordan Blum, Paste

"Finally, the comedy is balanced with tragedy by the magnificent melodrama of Life With The Macbeths, where Russell – whose voice, at 68, soars as much as ever – duets with opera singer Rebecca Sjöwall, reimagining The Scottish Play as a death-of-the-week TV ratings-grabber ('Is there a deeper story/Or is it only gory?')… Hippopotamus is a big, joyous beast of an album." - Rob Mesure, musicOMH

"American operatic singer Rebecca Sjowall's contribution on closing track 'Life With The MacBeths' aides Sparks scornful outlook on television's greed and need for ratings with a quite unearthly and beguiling reverence." - Stephen Watt, MumbleMusic.net

"'Life With The Macbeths' is akin to the amalgamation of all the emotional Queen songs ever written, with some beautifully tasty operatic stage vocals layered over some kind of Danny Elfman soundtrack and is a perfectly fitting end to a quality album." - Louder Than War

"We are lucky to have a singer with so clear a vocal affinity to new music as Rebecca Sjöwall. Her voice just takes to it so easily, I forget she’s singing. That's not just because of her several patter passages in Glory Denied, but the natural ease in her vocal precision and her voice' richness give a relatable life to the character. She made me feel for Alyce in a way that the set-up of the narrative discourages." - Tracy Monaghan, Schmopera

"For classical music fans in Nashville, the last couple of weeks have represented an embarrassment of riches… the highlight of the month, and perhaps of the season, was the Nashville Opera’s Veteran’s Day production of Glory Denied …John Hoomes’s production was Spartan, allowing the singers (baritone Michael Mayes, [Soprano] Rebecca Sjöwall, tenor Eric Neuville and Soprano Emma Grimsley) to shine and shifting the dramatic conflict and spotlight to the mental and emotional aspects of Cipullo’s beautiful score." - Joseph E. Morgan, Nashville Arts

"The least credible role, Mrs. P, sung in a flurry of high notes and excellent musicianship and drama by soprano Rebecca Sjöwall, is also the most relatable. Ms. Sjöwall gives heartbreaking life to Mrs. P and her reaction to her husband's descent into what must look like madness. When Nashville Opera premiered the work in November, 2013, critics favored Ms. Sjöwall's dramatic screech "Philistine!" in The Paintings in Scene 5. And while it is a big, sparkly high B (I think it's a B), what I find more pleasing is Ms. Sjöwall's treatment of Mrs. P's vulnerable moments, culminating in her tender, theramin-esque vocality of Mrs. P's labored acceptance in the last track of the recording." - Tracy Monaghan, Schmopera

"Though her steely timbre is unlikely to be to everyone's taste, Rebecca Sjöwall, as the patient's wife, manages the high soprano tessitura with apparent ease and convincingly articulates her character's rising distress." - Christopher Ballantine, Opera (May 2017)

"The surreal difficulties endured by Mrs. P are brought into sharp focus by the singing of soprano Rebecca Sjöwall, her voice taking on a steely edge as her vocal lines climb. The mounting vexation of ‘Traffic,’ ‘The Shoe,’ and ‘The Slides’ ripples through the music, and the singers and Nashville Opera musicians channel this vehemence into their performances. In both voices and instruments, the tenderness that alters the atmosphere in ‘The River’ and ‘The Dressing Ritual’ prompts an outpouring of expressivity that thrusts the hearts of the characters and of the opera itself to the surface… In these more than in any other scenes in the opera, MacPherson, Treviño, and Sjöwall interact with the intuitive collaboration of chamber musicians. Theirs is the kind of give-and-take coexistence that every operatic ensemble deserves but so few receive." - Joseph Newsmen, Voix des Arts

"The secret to POP's success is the faith it puts in singers … there was plenty of characterful, winning singing from Rebecca Sjöwall (Alice Ford) and Jessica Mirshak (Meg), who merrily fend off Falstaff's swaggering advances." - Mark Swed, LA Times

"Sjöwall’s vocals shimmer throughout with a shiny purity." - Falling James, LA Weekly

"Rebecca Sjowall (Alice Ford), Sharmay Musacchio (Mistress Quickly), and Jessica Mirshak (Meg Page) were lovely, quick-witted, and robust as the Merry Wives." - Courtney Blackburn, Pasadena Independent

"Intimacy also meant inescapable walls of vocal power. The spooking of soprano Rebecca Sjöwall's Governess was especially ripe in these claustrophobic surroundings." - Mark Swed, LA Times

"Rebecca Sjöwall gave an apt, bipolar performance as the Governess, striking all the right mad notes. She was a joy to watch – statuesque, a near imposing figure that yet dissolved into sloughs of hysteria. The calibrated acting that subtly and convincingly played over her face perfectly matched a clarion voice, that in the intimate space, was the next best thing to throwing a living room salon. From the Governess' initial cheery smile, fittingly fastened a notch too tightly, to her mask of dread as the story descends into darker worlds, Sjöwall inhabited the character completely. Her voice easily mastered all the tonal complexity and dissonance Britten threw at it. - RD Foster, Examiner.com

"Without soprano Sjowall's impressive performance, Turn of the Screw would have been a much less compelling production. Her dramatic expression and stunning voice exhibit great beauty and power." - Barnaby Hughes, Stage and Cinema

"From her first entrance, the Governess, played by Rebecca Sjöwall, took command of the stage with her bright and well-sculpted soprano. Her amazingly clear sound and diction gave real life to Myfanwy Piper‘s libretto. One of the musical highlights of the evening was the duet between the Governess and Mrs. Grose, played by Jennifer Wallace. Their perfect intonation and musicality were an absolute delight." - Natalie Mann, Singerpreneur

"Half of the singing cast were new to POP, beginning with the rich soprano of Rebecca Sjöwall, who adroitly captured the Governess’ helplessness before the specters of the netherworld." - Ted Ayala, Crescenta Valley Weekly

"Rebecca Sjöwall (the governess) has a versatile voice and a striking presence." - David Maurer, Culture Spot LA

"Sjöwall was impressive in 'Difficulty' last year and is completely entrancing this time as well. Her voice is a bright light beckoning us forward; her total immersion in character takes us through Mrs. P’s denial, anger and finally tearful acceptance of the cruel disorder that has befallen her beloved. Her climactic singing scream of “Philistine!” at Dr. S is one of the most electrifying moments I’ve experienced in more than 40 years of attending live opera and theater performances. I hope Hoomes casts this brilliant artist in Nashville Opera presentations every time he has the chance." - Evans Donnell, ArtsNash

"Los Angeles-based soprano Rebecca Sjowall, who also appeared at Nashville Opera in The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, played the long-suffering wife from whom the title takes part of its name, and was particularly astonishing in this sphere. At times playful, but mostly heartsick, she was the character the audience empathized with the most. Neither the opera's main character nor its narrator, Sjowall's Mrs. P sang the word “philistine” with such heartbreaking anger-fear that I felt the need to make up a new word to describe it just now. At the performance, all I felt were goosebumps." - Laura Hutson, Nashville Scene

"Rebecca Sjöwall lends her powerful soprano to the role of Mrs. P, navigating her character’s journey through concern, denial, sorrow and acceptance. Her final aria is particularly poignant." - Amy Stumpfl, The Tennessean

"Soprano Rebecca Sjöwall, as Williamson’s daughter, performed with a bright tone. Her impressive technique allowed her to shift rapidly from head to chest voice without the slightest hint of stripping gears." - John Pitcher, ArtsNash

"Soprano Rebecca Sjowall in the role of Amore was perhaps the unsung hero. In her final big role as a Marion Roose Pullin Resident Artist, she proved she is ready to throw her hat in the competitive opera arena. She showcased a beautifully crisp, lyric soprano that exuded warmth, playfulness and compassion." - Cathalena E. Burch, Arizona Daily Star

"The finest vocalism and the most persuasive performance of all came from Rebecca Sjowall as the slave girl Liu, who sacrifices herself to save her beloved Calaf. Her 'Tanto amore segreto' aria, building up to the suicidal plunge of the knife into her breast, was delivered with great pathos and bell-like clarity." - Sue Gilmore, Contra Costa Times

"Soprano Rebecca Sjöwall sang a lovely and limpid Liù, making her opening plea to Calaf ('Signore, ascolta!') beautifully modulated and her closing suicide before Turandot ('Tanto amore segreto') deeply affecting." - James Keolker, San Francisco Classical Voice

"Singing the part of Liu, the peasant whose hopeless love for Calaf leads to her downfall, is Rebecca Sjöwall, and her warm soprano and soft penetrating notes brought the house down." - Piedmont Post

"Rebecca Sjöwall is engaging in her portrayal of the woman who has secretly loved her master's son since the one day he cast a smile her way...Sjöwall's tender-yet-mature voice is well suited to the character." - Martinez Gazette

"The three principal characters are particularly solid, discharging their signature scenes with flair (Rigoletto and Gilda's father-daughter duet at the end of Act II is especially affecting)...León as the Duke is all careless, oily charm, singing of woman's fickleness even while the smitten Gilda plots to save his life by sacrificing hers. Sjöwall brings a powerhouse voice to that role, nicely embodying both naiveté and passion." - Emily Hilligoss, SF Weekly

"Having sat through plenty of mediocre performances at regional opera companies in cities like Norfolk, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Miami, I was deeply impressed with the musicianship and artistry that was evident throughout this production... While impressive contributions came from basso Sergey Zadvorney (doubling as Monterone and Sparafucile), and Kindra Scharich as Maddalena, it was Rebecca Sjowall, whose solid technique delivered a memorable Gilda." - George Heymont, My Cultural Landscape

"...an exceedingly lovely 'Je dis, que rien ne m'épouvante' (I said that nothing can frighten me). Standing alone at center stage, she lit up the proceedings with glowing, sweet tone and a radiant persona, which rightfully reaped some of the longest applause of the evening." - Jason Victor Serinus, San Francisco Classical Voice

"West Bay Opera has come up with one of the best productions I have reviewed in many a year...high points: The luscious and soaring soprano voice of Rebecca Sjowall as the village maid Micaela." - Keith Kreitman, The Daily Journal (San Mateo)

"Rebecca Sjöwall, å andra sidan, är mer åt det lyriska hållet men har nog så mycket bett, när det behövs, vilket märktes i Rosalindes Czardas ur Die Fledermaus. Vilket härligt utspel! Strauss' Zueignung (ovanligt raskt tempo, men varför inte...) och Die Nacht var mer än njutbara liksom nämnda Dickinson Songs. Som sagt, det är hög standard på stipendiaterna i år." - Eskilstuna-Kuriren