From the Vatican, September 3, 2001
Dear Dianne,
The Holy Father was pleased to receive the kind letter that you wrote to him following your participation at the Memorare Prayer Service at the House of Mary in Ephesus. He is most appreciative of your devoted sentiments and he thanks you for sharing your poetry and short story with him.
His Holiness wishes me to assure you of a remembrance in his prayers. He cordially invokes upon you God’s blessings of joy and peace.
Sincerely yours,
Monsignor Pedro Lopez Quintara
Assessor
For many years, Dianne and I have had occasion to perform together. I believe Dianne has a very special ear for tones that exist between song and recitation. She achieves an incantory mood and atmosphere that is unique in my experience of ancient music. Listening to her is an uplifting and enchanting experience that I would recommend to anyone interested in ancient poetry and music.
Nanos Valaoritis
Winner of the National Greek Poetry Prize
The greatness of Greece and its literature is always her dedication and passion. She serves this passion with excellence and beauty to the delight of all who are fortunate enough to hear and see her…
Evelyn M. Draper, Professor Emeritus
Drama Department, Stanford University
"We thank Dianne de Laet for her ravishingly beautiful Sappho presentation last night. She reminded us what a mesmerizing treasure we still have in Sappho thanks in part to what the Hellenistic world preserved at Alexandria for a millennium – despite what huge majority was lost seemingly forever. Dianne made us feel as if Sappho herself appeared before us last night."
Professor Patrick Hunt, Stanford University
March 15, 2011
"It is no easy task to command the undivided attention of 250 curious but suspicious Stanford freshmen with a recitation (partly in English, partly in Greek) of ancient epic and lyric poetry while accompanying yourself on the harp, but Ms. de Laet’s presence is so engaging and sincere and her voice and playing so mellifluous that the students were thoroughly captivated. Since that initial “engagement” Ms. de Laet has appeared regularly in this particular large course, always with equally felicitous results, even on October 17, 1989, when, just second after she finished a performance in Stanford’s Memorial Church, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit….I am delighted to recommend her to any education institution or cultural organization that is seeking an attractive and skillful performance that evokes the haunting poetic themes and rhythms of ancient cultures."
Marsh H. McCall, Jr., Chairman
Department of Classics, Stanford University
“Dianne’s performance has been consistently one of the most valued components of the autumn quarter course, a course in which we teach a number of Greek writers, including Homer, Sappho, and Euripides, whose work she has recreated with sensitivity and understanding. I am impressed by Dianne’s knowledge of the literature and her ability to preserve those aspects of it that she has so well researched both here and in Greece. The result is that her performances stem from a deep personal response, but at the same time from a knowledge of and respect for her texts. Dianne is also an accomplished poet and musical artist. Every fact of her performance is outstanding, a view I share with all of the faculty….In fact, the students repeatedly comment that her performance gives an immediacy to the written texts and inspires them to further study. Certainly in this multi-media age, we are fortunate to have an artist who can represent these written works in an authentic and accessible way. I there recommend Dianne with utmost respect and enthusiasm. She is and artist and scholar par excellence.”
Helen B. Brooks, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator, Stanford University
"For the past three years, we in Structured Liberal Education, faculty and students alike, have been fortunate to end the Fall Quarter with her superb performance of the poetry of the 5th century Greek poetry, Sappho….Dianne’s artful and sensitive performance on the harp, allows her audience to experience first hand the lyrical beauty of this poetry. As we also read the Song of Songs, Dianne is currently working on incorporating this text into her performance. I eagerly anticipate this enriched and expanded program. We in SLE are privileged to count Dianne as a rare resource….She enlivens these ancient texts with a talent which is intelligent as well as moving."
Suzanne Greenburg, Stanford University
Lecturer and Coordinator for Structured Liberal Education
It is a great pleasure to recommend to you the performance artist Dianne de Laet….A high point in the year has been the opportunity for students to go beyond the printed page and actually hear the songs of the 6th century poet Sappho come alive with the exquisite artistry of Dianne de Laet….Dianne is an inspired and inspiring performer, at ease before the widest variety of groups. I have also organized large programs as part of the Continuing Education program of the Stanford Alumni Association…. Dianne de Laet’s performances of ancient music and poetry have had an electrifying effect upon this group as well. I vividly recall an evening in which her rendering of the songs of Sappho left the audience in dazed silence. When they had recovered, they burst into sustained applause.
Barry M. Katz
Senior Lecturer, Stanford University