"...particularly outstanding"
Corinna da Fonseca-Willheim, The New York Times, April 21st 2013
"In the role of Ersinda, the second daughter of Segeste, we had Ms Renard, perhaps better known on these shores for her wonderful vocal clarity and mischievous boyish bravado in trouser roles. Ms Renard is a truly exceptional Baroque singer who brings a special energy to her performances, whether in trousers or a skirt. As Ersinda her coloratura was exceptional and seemingly effortless. Playing a woman, she was required to be coquettish in her interaction with her Roman lover, Cecina (played by Hagen Matzeit.) The physical interplay between these two characters was for me one of the highlights of this production"
— Miranda Jackson, Opera Britannia, 23rd November 2015
"The highlight of the second half was Emilie Renard’s portrayal of Purcell’s Dido. If the poignancy of the famous lament has been reduced by over-familiarity, Renard returned it to the pure musical expression of a heart breaking"
— Alfred Hickling, The Guardian, 8th July 2015
"As Marzia’s would-be lover Arbace, Emilie Renard constantly impressed, always seeming on top of her music. A stylish, engaging singer with a flawless sense of attack, Renard acted well throughout the evening, bringing a boyish flair to her trouser role"
— Charlotte Valori, Bachtrack, 18th March 2015
"Emilie Renard surprises, as well: making her ON debut, she first appears as Amore (or Cupid) with a wildly grinning face under a peaked cap, but comes into her own later on when she gets the opportunity to let flow lyrically. She is one to look out for in future productions. Her big grins, and the way she voyeuristically lounges about to witness how rampant evil gets its way, tell us something significant about Busenello’s cynicism and how an audience should take this apparently amoral drama"
— Richard Wilcocks, Bachtrack, 5th October 2014
"a remarkably convincing teenage boy"
— Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill, 1st November 2014
"a flint-eyed teenage boy in high-tops and snapback hat (the brilliant Emilie Renard)"
— Anna Picard, The Spectator 18th October 2014
"Mezzo-soprano Emilie Renard's light touch is perfect, as she weighs the merits of brilliant, tragic or chromatic styles (all illustrated captivatingly), sings the audience to sleep, then abruptly awakens them before skipping off with a final allegro"
— Judith Malafronte, Opera News, July 2014
"...That number is tenderly sung here by the accomplished young Anglo-French mezzo Emilie Renard, who also impresses in a real rarity, Grandval’s satirical cantata Rien du tout, in which a disaffected diva, having rejected all the clichés of contemporary French opera (as exemplified by extracts from Campra and others), finally decides she’d rather sing ‘nothing at all’"
— Mark Pappenheim, Sinfini Music, 20th May 2014
"Standouts from the excellent cast include [...] the lively mezzo-soprano Emilie Renard as the tempestuous Junon"
— Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, 6th April 2014
"...la Junon-Chanel d’Emilie Renard est une prometteuse découverte"
— Laurent Bury, Forum Opéra, 20th March 2014
"L’autre mezzo du jour, la Britannique Emilie Renard, affiche une tout autre maturité. Fort clair, svelte, délié, l’instrument se plie à merveille aux intentions de l’interprète qui aborde, en particulier, la cantate de Grandval Rien du tout (réduite de moitié, mais toujours substantielle !) avec un chic fou. D’une aisance scénique remarquable, elle ne tombe jamais dans l’histrionisme et fait mouche à chaque coup, tour à tour délicieusement nigaude, mutine ou courroucée"
— Bernard Schreuders, Forum Opéra, 28th March 2013
“The young mezzo Emilie Renard sparkled as the Little Arab”
— Fiona Maddocks, The Observer New Review, 23rd September 2012
“Emilie Renard was quite memorable as the Little Arab: her voice rang out unexpectedly and was strong, clear, and precise”
— Mike Migliore, Musical Criticism, 24th September 2012
“I was particularly taken, as was my companion, with Emilie Renard’s Cherubino, in many respects offering as complete an assumption of the role as one would expect on a ‘major’ stage. The tricky business of convincingly behaving – not just dressing – for a trouser role, still more so when it involves the character dressing as a girl, was navigated with aplomb, the requisite slight but winning awkwardness surely indicative of future success as an Octavian”
— Mark Berry, Seen and Heard International, 2nd July 2012
“Cherubino received a ferrety, lascivious performance from Emilie Renard, breathlessly tumescent in a tremblingly poised ‘Non so più’”
— Peter Reed, Classical Source, 1st July 2012
“For me the stand out in the cast was Emilie Renard as Cherubino. I first saw her in a concert performance of La Clemenza Di Tito and thought she was superb vocally there, so it's very satisfying to see that she is so good on stage too. She was the only person who presented a fully rounded and believable character, with subtle emotions, charming points of characterisation, never over or under acted in this often misjudged role. Her first aria, Non so piu..., was exquisitely sung, with a beautiful tone and affecting ardency. She clearly enjoys the singing, but is never given to show boating - just really great to watch and hear”
— Capriccio Music, 3rd July 2012