On Sunday morning, September 14, BOZAR became the setting for a breathtaking concert that will remain etched in the audience's memory for a long time to come. In an intimate setting, with listeners gathered around the musicians on stage, violinist Maya Levy and pianist Marina Saiki created an atmosphere in which every note was experienced directly and intensely. What made this morning so special was the combination of virtuosic command and unbridled passion, which both artists exuded with effortless naturalness.
Even before the first work sounded, there was reason to celebrate. Maya Levy officially received the Caecilia Prize 2023 from the Association of the Belgian Music Press, a recognition that affirms her position as one of the most important Belgian musicians of her generation. That she was able to receive this honour at the moment when she had gathered the audience so closely around her gave the beginning of the concert a particularly festive and moving character.
The opening with Birds in Warped Time II by Sōmei Satō was an immediate success. Marina Saiki built a soundscape of repetitive arpeggios, like a mechanical yet inspired timepiece that never stops, while Maya Levy drew melodies above it that sounded both ethereal and charged. The interplay between Japanese subtlety and European refinement became tangible here and held the audience in rapt attention.
In the Sonata in D, op. 9 by Karol Szymanowski, both musicians demonstrated their ability to unite youthful ardour and mature expressiveness. Marina Saiki let the generously spread piano passages sing with a palette of colours ranging from shimmering power to velvet softness, while Maya Levy shaped the violin part with an intensity that testified to her deep affinity with this repertoire. Especially in the slow movement, a moving dialogue unfolded, 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 delivered by Maya Levy with a bravura that captivated the audience. In her hands, her 1702 Guarneri violin sounded like an instrument that held no more secrets, and every glissando, double stop and fleeting pizzicato flowed with enchanting ease from her playing. Marina Saiki supported this pyrotechnics with a rich, pulsing sound that continued to drive the energy forward until the overwhelming finale.
Both artists boast impressive credentials. Maya Levy, laureate of the Karol Szymanowski Competition and Supernova, and recently honoured 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 Fondation Meyer, 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 programme, 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 was no longer merely a spectator, but a participant in a musical journey that left a profound impression.