NRC Handelsblad (The Netherlands):
“Petkova gave a recital in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and indeed, a miracle took place. In a Rachmaninov programme she surpassed all barriers which can exist between score, musician and piano. [..] Petkova melted together with the piano and Rachmaninov’s notes, opened herself and penetrated effortlessly into the deepest essence. As if it were secret diaries, in his Etudes Tableaux and Preludes Petkova ‘read’ all the emotions and thoughts which obsessed Rachmaninov when composing them. Effortlessly Petkova found again that deep, dark and melancholic touch, for which the piano virtuoso Rachmaninov was so famous himself. With that, she created plastic sound features of an unimaginable emotional expressiveness. Petkova proved to be not only an ideal medium, she also manifested herself as a brilliant architect of all materials from which Rachmaninov’s music has been built up. This composer is rarely interpreted with such unique feeling for timing and building up of tension, with such clarity of melodic lines, and with such enchanting richness of colours. [..] Petkova is a divinely inspired natural talent.”
De Telegraaf (The Netherlands):
“PETKOVA GRANDIOSE. [..] Fascinating is her natural way of phrasing, with which she seems to approach the music rather vocally than pianistically.”
Die Rheinpfalz (Germany):
“A world-class pianist. [..] Bach, Liszt, Beethoven, Chopin: Marietta Petkova sucks their music in, transforms it internally and breathes it out over the keyboard again. She doesn’t play the notes of the composers, but their inner states of mind, their consciousness of the inevitability of all things [..]. She goes through the states of soul of the great composers as if they were her travelling-companions, and she never looks at her hands on the keys – not even once -, but merely at the interior world of the composers, with which she has made herself completely familiar.”
Stuttgarter Nachrichten (Germany):
“She has a wonderfully melodious tone.”
TZ (Germany):
“Simply unsurpassable.”
Le Monde (France):
“How refreshing, after Pollini in Luzern [..], to hear a young woman explore the riches of this Schumann Concerto, with its respiring and suspiring phrasing, jumping of joy, revealing a story, meeting a beloved one!”
Messager (France):
“Petkova doesn’t play, she is music.”
Journal de Musique Espérance (France):
“A memorable concert: Marietta Petkova’s recital in Salle Pleyel in Paris. This young Bulgarian artist, winner of many international competitions, enchants from the first moment on, both by the beauty of her totally mastered playing and by the importance of her choices as interpreter. [..] Who would not dwell on her interpretations of the Etudes Tableaux by Rachmaninov. In these pieces Marietta Petkova carries all aspects of her talents to the highest degree: her sense for the broad outline, her sonorous beauty and that marvellous ease with which she makes these texts transparent, making us forget the terrible instrumental complexities and thus leaving us to the mere enchantement of the music.”
Journal de Genève (Switzerland):
“ALL GAMMAS OF THE PIANO. One can have won an impressive amount of international competitions and not play like a ‘competition beast’. It’s the case of Marietta Petkova.” “Perfect mastery.”
Berner Zeitung (Switzerland):
“Petkova, György Sebök’s masterpupil, proved that the spirit of her tutor lives on.”
Helsingør Dagblad (Denmark):
“Where do you find such feeling for tone and phrasing!?”
Journal de Nord-Vaudois (Switzerland):
“The playing of this young Bulgarian pianist has nothing banal, it exceeds that of an artist who simply interprets pieces, thanks to his instrument. A veritable dialogue is set going between her piano and herself; the instrument becomes personage, becomes consciousness. And thus, the compositions are the means to render this intimate conversation palpable for the audience, a conversation during which the piano seems to yield up its states of soul.”
HP/De Tijd (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“Whether it is Brahms, Rachmaninov, Bach, or Liszt: Petkova is phenomenal.”
L’Est-Vaudois (Switzerland):
“The Bulgarian pianist Marietta Petkova put a real spell over the audience in the Schumann Concerto. Through her joy of playing, her generosity, the warmth of her tone and her incredible versatility, she moved us to tears… And her virtuosity was truly dazzling! [..] Standing ovations, bringing her back several times; Marietta Petkova: a true artist!”
Le Monde de la Musique (France):
“Her interpretation of Rachmaninov’s Etudes Tableaux places her on the level of the very best: Hélène Grimaud (Denon), Nicolas Angelich (Harmonia Mundi), Nikolai Luganski (Vanguard), J-Ph. Collard (EMI) [..]”
Diapason (France):
“Her interpretation of Rachmaninov’s complete Etudes Tableaux is worth a detour.”
Musica ***** (Italy):
“Her live recording of Rachmaninov’s complete Preludes is a true milestone.”
Luister 10 (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“It is still possible to be completely bowled over by a CD. After hearing this recording, it is no longer possible to listen to Rachmaninov’s Preludes and remain unmoved. Forget Lugansky, Rubinstein, Richter and all those other pianists who once made a brave attempt, here is the long-awaited reference recording that will undoubtedly be a winner.”
Hohenloher Zeitung (Germany):
“The hall was filled with boundless admiration and astonishment.”
Klassieke Zaken (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“Petkova’s playing is full of miracles.”
Gooi & Eemlander (The Netherlands):
“Quite natural for a phenomenon like Marietta Petkova, the concert was sold-out. [..] Magnificent, not only how she plays, but also to see her play. Now and then, she throws an intense smile into the audience, thus involving each listener.”
La Presse (Switzerland):
“Marietta Petkova, passionate, sincere, tempestuous, but also sensitive, tender and poignant, lets you go through all emotions.”
Diário Populár (Portugal):
“Marietta Petkova rewarded my hope: the highly talented Bulgarian pianist lead us into another world.”
Appenzeller Zeitung (Switzerland):
“A blissful evening.”
Pianowereld (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“She has obtained the status of the master pianists.”
Brabants Dagblad (The Netherlands):
“Her versatility is renowned.”
Dagblad van het Noorden (The Netherlands):
“Marietta Petkova has not only revealed Rachmaninov to us. When she plays Mozart, one also gets that feeling of ‘Yes, this is it’. “
NRC Handelsblad (The Netherlands):
“Spiritual Mozart playing. [..] Petkova opens herself completely for Mozart’s soul of genius. In subtle dialogues with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Petkova commucicates the essence of Mozart.”
Pianowereld (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“Unmistakable: Marietta Petkova is a true Mozart pianist.”
Haagsche Courant (The Netherlands):
“Marietta Petkova is a pianist, who goes her own way in the international musical world and who has built up her own public, which is sensitive for the highly individual and expressive character of her playing.”
BN/DeStem (The Netherlands):
“A true phenomenon. [..] Not only because of her stupendous technique, but also because of her extraordinary musical gifts. [..] Her astounding artistic maturity matches the art of the greatest pianists.”
Journal de Genève (Switzerland):
“This was unquestionably the summit of the Clara Haskil Competition.”
Pianowereld (The Netherlands/Belgium):
“Marietta Petkova has the rare gift to move her audience deeply”
Nederlands Dagblad (The Netherlands):
“This lady plays right through me!”
Journal de Genève (Switzerland):
“Dazzling virtuosity, [..] incandescent poetry, [..] limitless imagination”
Junpo Ongaku (Japan):
“She took the listeners into the depth of the composition.”