On Sunday morning, September 14, Bozar became the setting for a breathtaking concert that will linger long in the audience's memory. In an intimate setting, with listeners gathered around the musicians on stage, violinist Maya Levy and pianist Marina Saiki created an atmosphere where every note was experienced directly and intensely. What made this morning so special was the combination of virtuoso mastery and unbridled passion, which both artists exuded with effortless naturalness.
Even before the first piece sounded, there was reason to celebrate. Maya Levy officially received the 2023 Caecilia Prize from the Association of the Belgian Music Press, a recognition that affirms her place as one of the most important Belgian musicians of her generation. The fact that she received this honor at a moment when she had gathered the audience so closely around her gave the opening of the concert a particularly festive and moving character.
The opening with Sōmei Satō's Birds in Warped Time II was an immediate bull's-eye. Marina Saiki constructed a soundscape of repetitive arpeggios, like a mechanical yet inspired timepiece that never stops, while Maya Levy drew melodies above it that sounded simultaneously ethereal and charged. The interplay between Japanese subtlety and European refinement became palpable here and held the audience in rapt attention.
In Karol Szymanowski's Sonata in D, op. 9, both musicians demonstrated their ability to unite youthful brilliance with mature eloquence. Marina Saiki let the generously spread piano passages sing with a palette of colors ranging from shimmering power to velvety softness, while Maya Levy shaped the violin line with an intensity that testified to her deep affinity for this repertoire. Especially in the slow movement, a touching dialogue resonated, in which the contrasts between pizzicato and lyrical bowing were elevated to intimate expression.
With Ravel's virtuosic Tzigane, the morning reached its climax. This piece, notorious for its technical difficulties, was performed by Maya Levy with a bravura that transported the audience. Her 1702 Guarneri violin sounded in her hands like an instrument that held no more secrets, and every glissando, double stop, and flashing pizzicato flowed with enchanting effortlessness from her playing. Marina Saiki supported this fireworks display with a rich, pulsating sound that kept pushing the energy forward until the overwhelming finale.
Both artists boast impressive credentials. Maya Levy, laureate of the Karol Szymanowski Competition and Supernova, and recently crowned with the prestigious Caecilia Prize, once again confirmed her place in the international top tier. Marina Saiki, trained at the CNSMD in Paris and supported by among others the Meyer Foundation, demonstrated why she is acclaimed worldwide for her refined touch and her ability to convey light and humanity through music.
What made this recital so exceptional was not only the impeccable technique or the carefully chosen program, but above all the passion with which both musicians knew how to carry their audience along. Their playing was not merely a demonstration of mastery, but a shared experience in which passion and control melted together into pure poetry. The audience gathered around them on stage became not just spectators, but participants in a musical journey that left a deep impression.
