De reacties van de pers over Elise Caluwaerts' optreden in Pascal Dusapins Passion tijdens het Sydney Festival zijn lovend.
Limelight Magazine prijst Elise om haar warme en aantrekkelijke stem: "Such a warm, attractive voice as Belgian coloratura soprano Elise Caluwaerts isn’t always the norm in tricky contemporary music, and while may not have to tackle too many roulades, she copes assuredly with the taxing tessitura."
The Australian treedt deze mening bij: "Belgian coloratura soprano Elise Caluwaerts impressed with her supple sense of line and strength, displaying a soaring, pure-toned top register and richly coloured lower register."
Stagenoise vindt dan weer dat Elise en haar tegenspeler Wiard Witholt als engelen zingen: "The hypnotic effect of the intensely precise and restrained music is heightened by the similarly stylised and mesmeric movements of Caluwaerts and Witholt. Both are striking stage presences at any time: she being conventionally gorgeous and of the much-featured long blonde hair and he more handsomely tall than any man deserves to be. They also sing like angels and engage with the production with obvious empathy and intelligence."
En ook de Sydney Morning Herald heeft enkel lovende woorden voor Elise's performance: "soprano Caluwaerts had penetrating tonal beauty and steadiness throughout a wide range in this exposed and demanding part."
