What people are saying about Celia Craig

“Wind soloists had their say, none more eloquently than the wonderful cor anglais player Celia Craig. Her sound billowed coolly in heat that made even a St. John ambulance nurse faint…” The London Evening Standard

“Celia Craig had an excellent night….her cor anglais sinuously melodic, and beautifully phrased….” The Times

“Celia Craig returned as soloist in Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto…This was an outstanding performance, with a warm flexible tone and a sensitive shaping of the long, elegant phrases maintaining an elasticity of line that made for a most moving rendition that well deserved the prolonged applause that it received” Yorkshire Evening Press

“Donald Runnicles really…has a marvelous cor anglais player in Celia Craig, her opening lament anticipating really great things…” (Tristan at the Barbican) The Daily Telegraph

“This was a very powerful performance from the BBCSO….the solos from… Michael Cox (flute) and Celia Craig (cor anglais) were excellent. Haitink may have had to work harder with this orchestra than he might have done with the London Symphony Orchestra or the Concertgebouw, but perhaps the results were all the more special because of that…” The Independent on Sunday

“…the plangency of Celia Craig’s sound was as full and eloquent high up in her range as in the sombre low tenor” **** (The World’s Ransoming, cor anglais solo work by James MacMillan) The Guardian

“ …in Bach’s Concerto for oboe and violin... her playing rose to eloquence, matching her partner, the distinguished violinist Kenneth Sillito,..in a searching interpretation...” The Chronicle and Echo, Northampton

“Here we heard by far the finest playing of the evening which came from Celia Craig..” Musicweb.uk.net

“…whose performance of the Britten’s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid was a model of extended instrumental colour and conscious control of pacing and form….” York Evening Press

"The best thing about Celia's lessons is that despite the fact she's a professional oboe and cor anglais player of the highest standing, she's always on a level with you. Whatever your technical or musical difficulties are, she'll always have an anecdote about when the same thing happened to her. She's great at putting you at ease, creating a great atmosphere for learning."

“….This was a powerful reading, shirking nothing, illuminated by some gorgeous woodwind playing, especially from Celia Craig, whose playing of the important cor anglais part was exemplary” Musical Opinion Magazine

“Copland’s evocative Quiet City was given flawless and sensitive solos from Celia Craig’s solemn cor anglais and William Houghton’s sombre trumpet, complimenting each other from opposite ends of the platform..John Adams conducted with an assured line, making the music flow perfectly…”
S and H Prom Review

“The beauty of this work (The World’s Ransoming by James MacMillan) still lingers in this reviewer’s memory, especially Craig’s marvellous handling of the cadenza…..” Seen and Heard International

"I've never had to set one (reed) aside as 'not quite right', yet. She supplies exactly what you ask for and is only too happy to advise if a little tweak needs to be made to make good into perfect."

“I …. attribute my success with the oboe to Celia's fantastic reeds and tutition. I found Celia's approach incredibly thorough, covering all aspects of playing the oboe and found the help with managing nerves under pressure invaluable. Having never taken an exam before embarking on my diploma Celia guided me through all the technical problems and had endless thoughts and advice on interpretation without spoon feeding............. hence achieving a score of 92 out of a possible 100 marks. Celia's reeds are excellent in all registers with a lovely tone and, despite trying many other makes I have never found any comparable”

“… what I always tell my students - No one makes such consistently good reeds as Celia.. “

“We have also benefitted from Celia’s professional expertise …. her presentations to the children were at the right level and well received. Celia has been a champion of the school …. her enthusiasm and energy and, above all, her ‘can do’ attitude.” Jane Moore, Head Teacher, Thameside Primary School

“Celia is very practical and perceptive. Her comments always seem to make a difference in my technique, tone, phrasing or musicality. More important the lessons are always fun.”