With their first collaborative single, Maya Levi and Marina Saiki leave no doubt that this duo didn't come together by chance. by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the by Maurice Ravel is a work that demands uncompromising precision from performers, both technically and musically. It requires effortless command of the instrument, a keen ear for tone color, and above all, intense ensemble playing where there is no room for half-measures. That's precisely where the strength of this recording lies: from the opening bars, you hear a duo that understands each other, challenges one another, and supports each other.
Maya Levi establishes herself here as a violinist with an impressive combination of technical authority and expressive freedom. The long opening solo, in which the violin carries the entire musical discourse alone, demands not only virtuosity but also courage and imagination. Levi builds that arc of tension with natural conviction, her playing simultaneously fierce, lyrical, and controlled. Her virtuosity is unmistakably present, but never becomes an end in itself; it serves entirely in the service of Ravel's sonic world.
Marina Saiki is much more than an accompanist in this work. The piano part of by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the is exceptionally demanding and requires a pianist who can effortlessly shift between power, precision, and refined color nuances. Saiki commands that spectrum with great ease. Her playing is clear and rhythmically sharp where needed, yet can be equally transparent and almost song-like. Together with the violin, she creates a sound texture that sometimes gives the impression of a much larger ensemble, without ever losing its clarity.
Ravel composed by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the in 1924, during a period when he fully indulged his fascination with virtuosity, timbre, and sonic experimentation. The work was originally written for violin and piano with luthéal, a rare instrument that expands the piano's tonal palette and adds an almost exotic resonance. Ravel sought no folkloric illustration but rather an extremely concentrated sonic fantasy in which violin and piano together conjure up their own visionary world. That intention comes through with particular clarity in this recording.
Visually too, that world is convincingly supported. The imagery accompanying the single evokes the spirit of the 1920s: stylish, lightly mysterious, and infused with artistic refinement. Music and image together form a coherent whole and reinforce the impression that this release is more than just a standalone recording but the beginning of a thoughtful and ambitious trajectory.
In conversation with two brilliant artists
Following the release of this first single, we spoke with Maya Levi and Marina Saiki about their choice for by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the, their collaboration, and their plans for the future.
For Maya, recording was not an obvious choice for a long time. That changed the moment she was invited to perform this piece as part of a tour with the original instrument for which Ravel had written it: the luthéal. This exceptional opportunity made an immediate impression. The realization that she could approach Ravel's original sound world with this rare instrument led her to decide to capture this experience and create a lasting testament to it. by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the Marina emphasizes how exceptional it was to actually be able to work with the luthéal, thanks to the Festival de Wallonie. That instrument, today preserved in only a few copies, opens a sound world that perfectly aligns with Ravel's obsessive search for timbre and color. For her, the choice for
was therefore evident, precisely because this work is inextricably linked to that specific sound ideal. by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the What inspires them artistically in this work touches, according to Maya, the core of Ravel's genius. He sought not merely virtuosity or effect, but wanted violin and piano to create together a unique sound landscape, almost orchestral in conception, where every nuance carries meaning. Marina sees this single as the first chapter of a larger story. In 2026, an extensive CD recording is planned featuring music from different parts of the world, in which this open perspective and this search for sound are taken further.
About the future, Maya speaks in images. She refers to a mystical program centered around the great rivers of the world, where water takes center stage, but also the rock that gives the water its bed. This symbolism will take further shape both in concerts and on CD.
As for their collaboration, there is a striking unity and naturalness, both musically and personally. This picture is confirmed by our own experience: a few months ago we heard and saw Maya Levi and Marina Saiki working together at Bozar, where their interplay testified to a rare intensity and a palpable, almost organic synergy. Two distinctive personalities who don't overshadow each other, but strengthen one another.
A powerful single as a promise of much more
This first single thus marks a solid and promising debut. The virtuosity of Maya Levi and Marina Saiki is beyond question, but above all the way in which that virtuosity is put in service of sound, expression, and imagination makes an impression.
serves here as a convincing starting point for a shared trajectory that clearly reaches far beyond one recording. by Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the The single is available via the usual streaming platforms and can be heard, among others, via this link:
The fact that this is only the first track of an upcoming CD and concert series makes us look forward with eager anticipation to what comes next.
https://aparte.lnk.to/Ravelby Maya Levy and Marina Saiki, we didn't want to miss the concert of this magnificent duo as part of the-MayaLevy-MarinaSaiki
Maya Levy, violin Marina Saiki, luthéal
