Valentina Lisitsa : Critical Acclaim

“…Lisitsa impressed with an unerring dynamic sense.  Soft passages were so delicate, you were afraid to breathe, while Rachmaninoff’s chords thundered effortlessly from Lisitsa’s fingers.”
- Chicago Sun Times

“Lisitsa’s great strength is not only her combustible virtuosity, but her ability to spin a long line like an opera singer.”
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“She connected phrases with a singing grace and a limpid sensitivity of touch that were a pleasure to hear, not least in the ravishing recitative at the end of the Adagio movement [Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2].  Her runs rippled, her tone was rounded and clear, and her finale sparkled.” 
- Chicago Tribune

“The Andante [from Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto] purred along, all softness and finesse.  She sped through the frolicsome finale, finding wit amidst the keyboard gymnastics.  Her engaging playing was the highlight…”
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“To put it simply, Lisitsa is a gigantic talent.  She has infallible fingers, imagination and a control of dynamics – from the softest to the loudest sounds – little short of electrifying.”
- Baltimore Sun

“Meanwhile, the Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa showed herself to be a perfect partner of the orchestra rather than a virtuosic egomaniac. Certainly the young musician overcame perfectly the massive pianistic challenges, but she was most at home in the sensitive, sparkling sections, something which she confirmed with the featherlight encore of Chopin’s Minute Waltz after two highly demanding pieces.
- Stuttgarter Zeitung

“The way Lisitsa shapes a phrase, quick-changing from a flowing legato touch to a crisp staccato and back again, gives Mozart’s music an extra, joyful lift.  The technique glitters like cut glass, with never a hint of overpedaling.  Lisitsa’s constant smile as she plays might be suspect in some pianists, but here it mirrored an irresistibly smiling sound.”
- Chicago Tribune

“Valentina has the rare gift…of generating enormous volumes of sound without ever sounding like she’s pounding the keyboard; her tone is always beautiful.”
- Fi Magazine

“Such electrifying pianism doesn’t come around often.  Lisitsa is a powerhouse pianist in the tradition of Martha Argerich – the highest possible praise.  Like Argerich, she does not settle for mere technical display, but makes genuine music…”
- Sun Sentinel

“…Lisitsa proved herself a remarkable pianist in her own right.  Her performance produced a universe of emotions and a catalog of distinctive piano tones within the confines of good classical-era style.”
- Fort Worth Star

“Pianist Valentina Lisitsa brought the house down with her performance of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.  Her blend of power and grace in performing this piece was astonishing.”                                                         - The Daily, (Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival)

“The best was saved for last as Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa joined the [Battle Creek Symphony] orchestra for Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C minor…and Lisitsa certainly did it justice and more.  Her flawless execution was breathtaking…"
- Battle Creek Enquirer

 

WOMEN IN MUSIC SERIES:
Valentina Lisitsa is a part of our new Women in Music Series. Get 3 concerts starting at $51. Click here for more information!