"For my money, the star was Simon O'Neill as Siegmund. His tenor voice was heroic and burnished, and he looked young and virile."  Bloomberg                     "Simon O'Neill is an exemplary Siegmund, terrific of voice, and making the man's noble anguish genuinely palpable" The Guardian               "Simon O'Neill created a sensation. The sheer vocal splendour and amplitude he wielded, with a terrific steely edge to the sound, all but dismantled the Opera House." The Wagner Society                  "This is an exceptional cast all round. The incestuous Siegmund and Sieglinde rival each other for vocal supremacy, Simon O'Neill a towering presence with pure, steely top notes, impassioned and rapturous" The Evening Standard                 "Simon O'Neill, finalmente un Parsifal autentico 'heldentenor' come detta tradizione" Corriere della Sera                    "The Liszt, featuring a splendid New Zealand tenor named Simon ONeill .... Mr. ONeills performance was exceptional." THE NEW YORK TIMES             ""Simon O'Neill's assumption of Florestan is monumental." THE OPERA CRITIC                      "In Simon O'Neill New Zealand has a world class Parsifal. It is hard to believe that he was singing the role for the first time, as his performance is already accomplished. He possesses a true Heldentenor voice, with a rich, warm baritone quality in the lower registers combined with a clarion, ringing top."  THE OPERA CRITIC           "In the New Zealand tenor Simon O'Neill Mackerras has found an ideal Jenk. He will surely be a great Walther von Stolzing in Wagner's Meistersinger one of these days, as he has such a big yet lyrical voice." MusicOMH.com, UK                  "Simon O'Neill is a glamorous Lancelot"  The Guardian, UK         "The best music came from the tenor Simon O'Neill's spendidly sung Sam" The Independent, UK                     "a magnificent new tenor" The Telegraph, UK                  "That's really the way I envisioned the part," Adams said. "This huge voice suddenly soars out of this frail, old body." John Adams, composer Nixon in China                   "Splendid voice of heroic proportions" The Washington Post           "enthralling performance ....vivid, towering voice" The National Business Review            "Simon O'Neill is stunning .... he becomes the role in extraordinary fashion."  The Dominion Post                "Simon O'Neill was outstanding"  Sunday Star Times             "......impressive tenor Simon O'Neill..... voice is big, powerful and commanding"  The Washington Times           "Te Kanawa and O'Neill created the highlight of the evening" The New Zealand Herald