".... you are a great artiste and a great pianist, and you understand Schubert .........there are probably 3 pianists on the face of the earth who can do this (Schubert's "Sonata in B flat major") - you're one of them.    ..... a great artiste and a great musician (putting herself) at the service of the music - 100%.    ...this was a great encounter - because you're a tremendous musician; and a great spirit; I mean huge, - and you have everything.  Thank you for being available"

Benjamin Zander
Conductor - Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

"....Ms Seferinova has a grand technique and plays brilliantly."

Carl Bauman - American Record Guide
May/June 2003 issue Vol.66 No.3

"Valentina Seferinova takes on a difficult task, ......  She is a fluent pianist, and does a fine job..."

Paul Turok - Turok's Choice
N.Y.,USA Issue No. 147, September 2003

“Stunning accuracy marks piano recital from Miss Seferinova ...."

Hampshire Chronicle

2nd March 2001

".....I understand that Miss Seferinova was one of the leading pianists in her native Bulgaria  .........  She has an impressively fluent technique.  Their loss is our gain."

Peter Davies -
Newbury Weekly News
27th November 2001

SEFERINOVA RECITAL TRIUMPH  
"....gave a stunning all-Raff recital...."
"...- stunning accuracy, a real feel for the architecture of each piece and an understanding of the contrasting elements of Raff's style, integrating the warmly lyrical with the contrapuntal and fugal. ..... an emotional intensity expressed by ....... She seems a pianist of rare talents - whilst the delicacy might be expected from her small frame, the sheer power is more of a surprise.   .......her total dedication to what she was playing. .... .On this showing she is a fine artist indeed and richly deserves success in the wider repertoire on the national and international stage."

Mark Thomas of The Joachim Raff Society
reviewing a live recital on 7th. December 2002

"I write to say a very big 'thank-you' for visiting Winchester the other Tuesday and presenting such an outstandingly virtuoso performance.  The appreciation expressed by members of the audience afterwards was considerable."

Winchester Cathedral
Sept. '04

"You played beautifully". Natalie Wanamaker-Javier - Great-Granddaughter of Sergei Rachmaninov

"The capacity audience at Chichester Cathedral for Valentina Seferinova's piano recital was held spellbound by (her) virtuosic range .... Swiss-born romantic composer Joachim Raff sounding like Liszt, and like Liszt demanding the finest technique.  This technique Valentina has, ...    "

Maureen Wright -  reproduced by permission of the Chichester Observer 26th May 2005
"…..   In Jadassohn’s Piano Concerto we are treated to a stormy attack. Heroic shrapnel flies every which way in repeated evocations of the Liszt and Schumann piano concertos. Valentina Seferinova is fully in charge and attacks the solo part with great romantic flourish. Her stonily commanding tone is unmistakable.  ….."

Rob Barnett  Music Web International

Valentina Seferinova was a most persuasive soloist in Howell’s Concerto ..”

Bob Briggs  musicweb-international.com  11-11-2010

“ ……….  As a live performer she definitely ranks, in my opinion, alongside or above some of the most popular international pianists.”

Ian Digsby

Blog.

7th October 2012

“Just been to watch Valya (Valentina) play. omg. Amazing. i actually cried during her first piece. she has more talent in her little finger than i have in my whole body. That was an awesome performance. here’s to the next one. X”

Facebook post

6th October 2012

“Hi Valya (Valentina), just a note to say Thankyou for last night, we all had a lovely evening (even Mark, Mike! :). Your talent is truly amazing, you can see that you feel every note that you play, and how your hands work so fast is unbelievable! The encore piece was beautiful; I had pictures of lovers dancing around in my mind... Thanks again. Xx”

Facebook post

7th October 2012

“……… is a ….. charismatic pianist who is totally absorbed in the piano music she plays.  ……….  The audience cannot fail but be mesmerised by her presence and playing.  Last Saturday evening (at) Petersfield Festival Hall she held their attention throughout a long, demanding programme of Romantic and Russian music.   ………..  Her recital offered a variety of works, all played with a strong sense of drama and detail, as well as excellent finger work.   ………….   Chopin’s Fantasy in F minor Op. 49 was given a truly magnificent performance.  It had great tenderness and freshness with powerfully etched contours, ……….   Two of Rachmaninov’s Morceaux de Fantasie Opus 3 displayed the pianist’s innate feeling for this repertoire.  There was wonderful authority and immaculate technical control, especially in Polichinelle, which had tremendous electricity.  They were truly romantic, imaginative and colourful and were given compelling performances.  Their intensity was well caught ……..  …………”

Reviewer: Ann Pinhey.
Published in Petersfield Herald
Friday 12th October 2012.
Full Review.
Also repeated in Petersfield Post
Wednesday 17th October 2012.

Some quotes from Amazon purchasers of my Raff CD (studio recorded 2002);(not me who is/was selling them !! But are available from myself at a lesser price : contact me if interested)
"Sadly, there's not a word about the very fine pianist in the CD booklet. Valentina Seferinova is playing all this difficult piano music."
"On this disc we hear Bulgarian pianist Valentina Seferinova playing two sonatas together with the Three Morceaux, Opus 2. ....... Performance of these works is confidently undertaken by our soloist in recordings apparently dating from 2002 and go far to underline the importance of Raff's contribution ....."
"Charming pieces all beautifully played by Valentina Seferinova with excellent piano sound. Highly recommended."
"Valentina Seferinova is unknown to me but on this CD she is a consummate artiste of considerable talent."
Raff - Valentina Seferinova
Gala Concert Comment

FaceBook post by someone who attended a Gala Charity Concert that I participated in.

September 2019

"Amazing concert tonight xx."
" ... congratulations to the nights' spectacular soloist Valentina Seferinova. Dad and I sat in awe of your playing ..."
"Valentina Seferinova was amazing."
"I still want to know how Valentina can keep all of these works and piano concertos in her head from memory. Mind blown xx."
"Wnderful playing last night by Valentina Seferinova 👏😁"
" ... xxxxxx and I and my husband are all stunned by your playing. "
" .. big congratulations to your last night’s wonderful and successful performance ! ! 💐💐💐"
" Huge congratulation for ur Ravel concerto!!!!!!! I enjoyed it very much."
"Brilliant playing, a fabulous concert."
"........, Valentina, you were fantastic!!! 😅"
"What a fantastic concert, Valentina you bring Ravel to life!"
".... fabulous performance from you and the SSO orchestra, it was a hurricane of joyful rhapsody, amazing !"

Comments and messages received after my performance of Ravel's 'Piano Concerto in G Major' with the Solent Symphony Orchestra.

28th Sept. 2019

Extract from a review of Ravel's 'Piano Concerto in G major' with the Solent Symphony Orchesta.

"The orchestra then provided the perfect accompaniment for Valentina Seferinova’s sensational performance of Ravel’s “Piano Concerto in G Major”. Her interpretation was in equal measures dramatic, energetic, serene and inspirational.

The opening iconic whip crack heralded an outstanding performance. The first movement fizzed along with stand out solos from the piccolo, trumpet, horn, harp, and a triumphant bassoon section but the breathtaking piano cadenza was the highlight. Many in the audience couldn’t help themselves in acknowledging the excitement of this movement with a spontaneous round of applause as it came to a ferocious full stop.

The sublime opening of the slow movement perfectly reflected the ethereal setting and Ms. Seferinova’s control of the tranquil and serene piano solo brought about an atmosphere of celestial beauty. The peace and calm were symbiotically supported by the sensitivity of the solo flute entry and the haunting cor anglais melody. With the exquisite final pianissimo piano trill, Valentina brought this movement to a poignant and emotionally-charged close.

The last movement once more gives the full orchestra the chance to shine and the atmospheric, jazz-like episodes, shared between piano and ensemble, promote the enjoyment for which this piece is so well known. Valentina’s perfectly presented virtuosic passages brought the first half to a vibrant and celebratory culmination."

Full Review here :-

Music in Portsmouth

2nd October 2019

Flattered to receive this YouTube comment for one of my Debussy performances :-

"Beautiful, Artistic, Expressive and Musical! Deserves more views and likes. Strange to see other mediocre performance of 'Clair de Lune' are more popular than this video. Performances from Classically trained musicians and teachers like Valentina deserves more appreciation and popularity. Thank you for posting this video."

'Clair de Lune'