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  25 Mar 19 Messiaen Turangalîla-Symphonie Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
  Auckland Town Hall

  Cynthia Millar’s virtuosic ondes Martenot playing was full of different sounds and textures. From its entry with the piano in the first movement this exotic instrument added an ethereal edge to the music. […] when merged with the circling and shimmering harmonies of the 6th movement, Jardin du sommeil d’amour, it produced the sense of timelessness and transcendence that the work is about.

  Peter Hoar, Radio NZ, 25 Mar 19

  “Messiaen’s high-voltage first movement featured MacGregor’s coruscating keyboard, sci-fi whoops from Millar’s electronic instrument and a hulking brass theme that might have strayed from Mussorgsky’s art gallery.”

  William Dart, NZ Herald, 25 Mar 19

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  18 Jan 19 Messiaen Turangalîla-Symphonie LA Philharmonic
  Walt Disney Concert Hall

  “Cynthia Millar’s ondes martenot helped come as close to sonic pornography as the composer clearly desired.”

  Mark Swed, LA Times, 21 Jan 19

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  18 Jul 18 Messiaen Turangalîla-Symphonie BBC Symphony Orchestra
  Royal Albert Hall, BBC Proms

  “Cynthia Millar, unchallenged sovereign of the ondes martenot, provided whooping, sensuous caresses.”

  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, July 22 2018

  “The Ondes Martenot alone, handled with exquisite care by Cynthia Millar, adds its own mysterious, ethereal, almost alien ambience.”

  Olivia Bell, bachtrack, July 20 2018 

  “…the Ondes Martenot, played with expert finesse by Cynthia Millar.”

  Geoff Brown, The Times, July 20 2018

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  31 Jul 17 Adès The Exterminating Angel
  Royal Opera House

  “Cynthia Millar’s Ondes Martenot insinuates its way into every aspect of this colourful score, perhaps playing the part of the exterminating angel itself.”

  Opera Magazine, July 2017

  “A new sound for Adès is that of the ondes martenot, played by no less than Cynthia Millar, its pure-toned electronic swoops adding a B-movie sci-fi feel […]”

  Guardian, April 2017

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  24 May 17 Messiaen Turangalîla Symphonie BBC Symphony Orchestra
  Barbican Hall, London

  “No doubting the fabulous playing of Steven Osborne… and the mastery of the Ondes by Cynthia Millar”

  Colin Anderson, Classical Source, May 24 2017

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  06 Jan 17 Messiaen Trois petites liturgies de la Présence Divine Seattle Symphony
  Benaroya Hall

  “Adding a sense of giddy joy to the texture were the swoops and whistles from the Ondes Martenot, played by Cynthia Millar, a renowned virtuosa”

  Thomas May, Seattle Times, 6 January 2017

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  31 Aug 16 Adès The Exterminating Angel
  Salzburg Festival

  “Cynthia Millar’s playing of the ondes was so acutely expressive that she might have taken a bow with the singers.”

  The New Yorker, August 2016

  “[…] the odd sound of the ondes martenot (Cynthia Millar, another welcome star “vocalist”) suggest the invisible angel of the alluring title”

  The Arts Desk, August 2016

  “Hovering above all, making ghostly, whooping and poetic interjections, is that electronic wonder instrument beloved of Messian, the ondes martenot, played by the world’s leading player, Cynthia Millar.”

  The Observer, July 2016

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  18 Jan 16 Messiaen Turangalîla Symphonie Simón Bolivar Orchestra
  Royal Festival Hall

  “It is a tribute to Cynthia Millar’s skill as a performer on her idiosyncratic electronic ondes martenot instrument that the sounds emanating from it made a telling effect in the ensemble without dominating it to the unwanted degree heard in some other performances. She also made a notable contribution to the overall success of the performance, of which there were so many and consistent highlights that any specific references are unnecessary.”

  Seen and Heard International, January 2016

  “Also featured front-of-stage was Messiaen’s signature instrument, the ondes martenot, which was played with delicious engagement by Cynthia Millar.”

  Musicomh.com, January 2016

  “A chamber-like passage opened the third movement too, with a charming but eerie duet between clarinet and Cynthia Millar on ondes martenot. The ondes martenot is a curious addition by Messiaen, and Millar’s playing brought a fascinating other element to the orchestral sound. Its electronic sound was otherworldly, yet it blended seamlessly in with the strings, giving the section an unfamiliar edge.”

  Classical Discourse, January 2016