Bulgarian-born Classical Piano Virtuoso Kristina Marinova made her triumphant return to Carnegie Hall’s Weill Stage on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Kristina last appeared at Carnegie Hall in 2021, where she presented her “4 Rhapsodies”, a Classical treatment of Rhapsodies by Liszt, Gershwin and others. In Fall of 2025, however, Ms. Marinova, a Novaro Recording Artist, just took a bold leap from strictly Classical fare into the Long, Strange Trip of Psychedelic/Americana Troubadours, the Grateful Dead. Her current Album and Tour are named “The Bus Came By, And I Got On.” The Live performance repertoire was largely steeped in the album’s material, ranging from Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia compositions like the lighthearted ‘Ramble On Rose’, to a starkly somber and beautiful ‘Stella Blue’, to Bob Weir/John Perry Barlow’s signature ‘Black Throated Wind’ as well as Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan’s Blues romps and rave ups like It Hurts Me Too and an amazing medley that included ‘Good Lovin’ > Lovelight > Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad’.

Kristina Marinova’s All-Instrumental Solo Grand Piano Carnegie performance was sure to challenge and invigorate the senses of any audience members, some of whom might be only be accustomed to either the Classical or Psychedelic genres separately. Ms. Marinova effectively broke down any barriers between the varying styles and genres. The Recital was warmly received by the audience, who had to know they were in for a musical adventure when the Show opened with a deftly treated, Phil Lesh-inspired Neo-Classical/Psychedelic medley of ‘The Eleven’ into ‘That’s It For The Other One’ into ‘The Other One’ with a ‘That’s It…’ reprise.

For this writer, all evening long, with the Program running just under 2 hours, Kristina’s very focused and passionate performance evoked the lyrical content and wisdom, whimsy and perspectives of the songs’ authors, from the aforementioned Hunter, Barlow , as well as Marty Robbins (‘El Paso’) and Bonnie Dobson (Morning Dew’). The songwriters’ vibes and storylines exuded into the musical atmosphere in the opulent and acoustically perfect setting of Weill Hall. Kristina’s treatment of Ms. Dobson’s quiet and haunting folk ballad, ‘Morning Dew’ was played with exquisite tenderness, with an appropriate climactic build-up that stirred emotions as strikingly as Jerry Garcia’s powerful vocal deliveries did in his time.

China Cat > I Know You Rider had the playful psychedelic transition between songs that Grateful Dead fans have always loved. This writer could swear he heard playful Boogie-Woogie Riffs emanating out of choruses during Jack Straw, and scintillating McCoy Tyner-style chord phrasings during the complex ‘Black Throated Wind’, and ‘Uncle John’s Band’. The ‘Uncle John’s Band’ arrangement was influenced by Women’s Choirs of Kristina’s homeland Bulgaria, with respect to the Rhythms and Time-signature changes. This according to Kristina’s accounting of Jerry Garcia’s stated influences. Such a seemingly unlikely source of influence for Mr. Garcia seems to bring the whole Long, Strange Trip full-circle back Home for Kristina, who’s passion for both Classical Piano virtuosity meets with the myriad-genre influenced music of the Good Ol’ Grateful Dead. Kristina has stated that the current Repertoire of “The Bus Came By, And I Got On” is focused on songs included in the new album, consisting of 1966 – 1972 era Grateful Dead material, and that her next adventure will be to arrange, record and perform the 1973 ~ 1977 Grateful Dead era.

Overall, Kristina Marinova’s Friday performance at Carnegie Hall was at times delicate, intense, lyrical, folksy, evocative, and ultimately uplifting and magical.

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Robert E. O’Donnell is a Radio Producer at 2 different Affiliations. He Hosts and Produces ‘The Morning Dew’ Radio Show at WFDU-FM (HD2), along with the venerable ‘Morning Dew Crew’ ~ You can hear Robert’s Interview with Kristina Marinova here.

Robert also Hosts and Produces a 3 Hour Program called ‘Signpost To New Space’ on HomegrownRadioNJ.org.