References
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2022: CARA Award 2019 (USA) in the categorie Best Classical / Traditional Album (Origins)
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2019: CARA Award 2019 (USA) in the categorie Best Folk/World Album (Meridiane NORD)
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2015: 1st Prize, ‘HypoVereinsbank Jugend kulturell’
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2015: 1st Prize, ‘Tampereen Sävel - Contest for Vocal Ensembles’ in Tampere, Finland (Category: Unamplified Ensemble)
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2014: 1st place at the International Acapellafestival in Leipzig
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2010: 1st place, Ward Swingle Award, International Acappella Competition in Graz (Classical Category)
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2010: 1st place at the GermanAcappellaBundescontest
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2009: 3rd place at the International Acappellafestival in Leipzig
Canberra City News 07/2025 (AUS)
“Each of these six women has a voice of soloist’s quality, with the humility and sensitivity needed for effective ensemble work. There’s a physicality about their performances, also, going beyond mere choreography, with dynamics built in part around where and how each member positions herself on the stage. The group is almost as fascinating to watch as it is glorious to hear.”
07/2025 classikON, Sydney (AUS)
“What we heard this afternoon wasn’t just music, but the sound of long-held trust, shared humour and deep musical curiosity from a group of terribly talented vocalists.”
The Sydney Morning Herald 07/2025 (AUS)
“what audience members are most likely to remember is the ethereal, almost tactile resonance of their gently glowing sound as it settles into the bones of one’s head. With polished musicality and discreet, sometimes arch, humour this became the vehicle for a program drawn from 400 years of music.”
Neue Südtiroler Tageszeitung 02/2025 (IT)
“Demanding yet at the same time soaring, light, and joyful. That is how it sounds in the performance by the vocal ensemble Sjaella.”
“Whether they sing Baroque, contemporary choral music, or folk music, Sjaella always stays close to the sound and its sensory richness. This makes their singing, which spans eras and styles, exceptionally accessible.”
New York Times 01/2025 (USA)
„The Met Cloisters were alive with the sound of music on a frigid January afternoon. Six nuns (Sjaella) in white surrounded a seventh dressed in black, and all were singing. The scene was beautifully formal but it also felt organic, as if the women had been there for centuries.“
Schwetzingen Zeitung 11/2024 (DE)
“The accolades for Sjaella sound as hymn-like as they are warranted […] Their singing is crafted with virtuosity and touches hidden layers of the soul.”
Ritmo 10/2024 (ES)
“The vocal and musical performance was consistently exceptional, and the expressive power of each individual singer was impressive. The audience was completely enthralled, a concert moment that will surely count among the most unforgettable in the recent history of the Fundación Juan March.”
The Advertiser 07/2023 (AUS)
„magic was definitely in the air, but the real magic came from Sjaella […] whose beautifully blended voices and engaging manner held the audience spellbound throughout the concert.“
Hannov. Allgemeine Zeitung 05/2023 (DE)
“The six voices […] led with wonderful lightness and a slender focus, blend in perfect harmony. The intonation is flawless, even in the closing piece, where a collectively produced overtone hovers in the room for minutes. The balance is spot-on at every dynamic level, and the singers radiate sheer grace even when singing of the apocalypse.”