“But the unsung (literally, as she does not sing or even speak) heroine of Diary of One Who Disappeared is the pianist Lada Valešová. Like a background character in a Woody Allen film, she was placed firmly at the piano in some grand Manhattan or European apartment, intended to be invisible but was not only the secret scene-stealer but the pulse of the whole production. She sat at the piano for the entirety of the performance, playing relentlessly but with subtlety and grace much like the persistence of memory; with a haunting quality of longing, infatuation and the spark of inspiration. Her soft pianissimo style carried the text, story and emotions through the black and white keys like dark ink on parchment paper from letters exchanged. Valešová’s fluid, languid interpretation of Leoš Janáček and Annelies Van Parys’ score drifted over the audience continuously like soothing warm waters alternating with crashing waves.”

Cindy Sibilsky, stagebiz.com

“Pianist Lada Valešová was the anchor of the performance. She brought forward Janáček’s adventurous harmonies, his unsurpassed ability to express with economy of means abrupt changes in states of mind. She underlined the sense of sexual longing in Intermezzo erotico. In Dark Alder-grove or The Magpie is Flying, she emphasised the composer’s deep feeling for the marvels of nature, thus foreshadowing the music of The Cunning Little Vixen.”

Edward Sava-Segal, bachtrack.com

“Musical accompaniment was compellingly played on stage by pianist Lada Valesova.”

Steven Pisano, Feastofmusic

“Unsung star of this production, pianist Lada Valešová assails the difficult score with expressive insight and panache.”

Brian Taylor, Cadenza.nyc

“Stage left a piano played by Lada Valesová, who beautifully captures the composer’s spare score.”

Susan Hall, Concertonet.com

“There was subtlety in Lada Valesova’s piano playing.”

Zachary Woolfe, New York Times