“Mats, a great composer”
Groucho Marx , 1976

“Mats is one of the most exciting cellists of his generation. His technique is superb, and he is fanatically interested in quality.”
E-P Salonen

“It is always a joy to hear Mats play. He is a very imaginative musician
and his artistry very special indeed.”
Lynn Harrell

“The passion and imagination of Mats’ playing, the phrasing and seemingly endless array of tone colour, gives me the greatest pleasure. He is an inspiring colleague.”
Anne Sofie von Otter

“Mats Lidström is the most creative and unique musician I have ever known. Throughout many years, he has been a constant source of inspiration to me.”
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg

“Mats is a superb cellist and an unusual, captivating musician.”
Vladimir Ashkenazy

“Mats Lidström is more than an excellent cellist, he’s a wonderful musician. His immaculate technique and wonderful instincts make him a pleasure to hear and work with.”
André Previn

“Mats is a wonderful musician, full of fanaticism and love for music, and a great master of his instrument. He is also an extrordinary personality with much energy, and it is always a pleasure to have him as a soloist.”
Neeme Järvi

“Mats Lidström is not just a wonderful cellist, he has a searching and curious mind that informs his music-making. The care and generosity of his personality come through clearly to the listener.”
Yo-Yo Ma

“When Lidstrom turns on the heat,the excitement comes from the musicality of interpretation as from his impressive dexterity and astonishing dynamic range.”
Washington Post

“The cello: a toy, sounding like magic. The interpreter: a “Teufel Cellist”, displaying all the facets of the music, with linguistic instinct.”
Berliner Zeitung

“This is wonderful. Performed with compelling advocacy and stunning bravura, let me repeat that this is the release of highest distinction and significance, faultlessly played and atmospherically recorded.”
Fanfare, USA, on Hyperion CD Godard/Boëllmann

“The Strauss was a literal performance with a cello solo that had to be experienced to be believed. By the end, one knew that this was programme telling at it’s most faithful, a singular, if somewhat controversial accomplishment.”
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

“Mats Lidström is that rare thing, an original musician. The sheer mercurial energy which drives his performances can be both engaging and disturbing, but there is always a searching intelligence at work.”
BBC Music Magazine