Täglicher Anzeiger, Holzminden, october 14, 2008
“ Soloist Esther Walker struck exactly the right note for Mozart: brilliance combined with sensibility, strength and tenderness.”
Göttinger Tageblatt, october 13, 2008
“…She is a pianist who pursues a simple and transparent ideal of sound. Mozart’s extremely quick and demanding passages presented no technical difficulties for the soloist whatsoever. She played the concerto magnificently, showing lyrical sensitivity in the slow movement while displaying virtuoso fervour and musical temperament in the first and final movement.”
Frankfurter Neue Presse, september 20, 2007
"... the Zurich native Esther Walker mastered the high technical demand of the solo part with a seemingly playful ease. The way she played the octave trills, with just a movement of the wrist, is absolutely remarkable. The harmonious music-making from Ms. Walker and the orchestra in the first movement was outstanding, and the Adagio was sublime perfection. Mr. Mueller conducted the orchestra attentively, and reacted to the powerfully intimate way of her playing. How she brought out the voicing of the counterpoint was simply phenomenal. This created such a suspense, which was then resolved in the last movement. The soloist Walker and the orchestra played with abandon, and finished in splendor..."
Rhein-Lahn-Zeitung, september 20, 2007
“Soloist Esther Walker presented herself as an extraordinary interpreter of Brahms. After the extensive introduction by the orchestra she took charge of the keyboard, literally embracing the motives and tunes, her very musical playing marked by both intimacy and a feeling for the dramatic.”
Al – Ahram weekly, april 20, 2006
“…She was at once powerful and heroic, witty and mirthful, subdued and meditative, and her dialogue with the orchestra was extraordinary.” (Beethoven concerto no 4)
Zürichseezeitung
"The Scherzo No.3 by Chopin, in a interpretation rarely heard in such an intensive-powerful as well as tenderly flowing interpretation, was the fabulous start to an impressive concert evevning. (…) For the festive end of the evening Esther Walker played the Legend No.2 by Liszt, agitated and deeply moving, and in absolutely perfect manner."
Neue Zuger Zeitung
"…The pianist mastered the truly difficult work and transformed the grand piano into an orchestra. Symbols and images emerged; fiery, ecstatic and mystical ones. Skrjabin was presented the way he was: superhuman. maybe even divin…"
Der Landbote
"…In her interpretation, the work composed in 1822 appeared modern and vigorous and proved her incredible virtuosity once again."
24 Heures, august 24, 2004
"Native of Zurich and trained in Lausanne under Brigitte Meyer, Esther Walker is an atypical pianist by her progression and her particularity. She started playing the violin and the alto, as well enough to play in the youth's orchestras. But the piano has tuned out to be essential, rather late for a professional musician: "At the age that everyone was pursuing competitions, I was playing chamber music.", she says today.
It took some time for her career to take off outside of the habitual itinerary as she is regardless of commercialization: "I do not worry about distinguishing myself with extra musical factors," However, engagements for recitals and concertos have multiplied; she played in Salzbourg, she will perform a concerto from Mozart in Cairo, and she has participated in a Hindemith concert with Abbado in Lucern this summer.
Fiercely independent, she has never played with fixed group – "the marriage in music does not suit me", but her encounters and discoveries have doubled, The risk of instability does not frighten her. On the contrary, she is asking for it. And we are not surprised at all that Gilles Cachemaille, who flees the plague-like routine, has chosen her for accompanying his recital."