Maurice Ravel at 150

Celebrate the legacy of a true original with new releases, specially produced features, and deep dives into his music

2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth in 1875. With his unique and compelling voice at the crossroads between Impressionism and modernism, Ravel created kaleidoscopic soundscapes out of poetry, color, and rhythm, drawing inspiration from mythological realms, faraway lands, and his own prodigious imagination. Immerse yourself in the iconic French composer’s singular universe all year long as we bring you brand-new and live performances by world-leading artists, medici.tv-exclusive featurettes, and specially curated collections for Ravel newcomers and confirmed aficionados to (re)experience these treasured pieces.

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It has been said that Ravel’s most famous piece is played somewhere on Earth every 15 minutes. With slight changes, the Boléro can sound brand new… Which version is your favorite?

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From the gorgeous balletic score of Daphnis et Chloé to the jazzy Piano Concerto in G and the remarkably modern String Quartet, these are the must-hear works for Ravel newcomers.

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Once you've fallen under the Ravel spell, continue exploring his sound with the poetic Jeux d'eau, violin showpiece Tzigane, a piano concerto written for just one hand, and more.

Ravel at a glance

The composer's famous elegance didn't stop at his bearing and demeanor — it extended even into his meticulously composed scores. Enjoy these snapshots of the man and his music.

If you're looking to experience Ravel from a different angle, look no further than these curated collections that focus on some of the most prominent recurrent themes in his work.

Ravel in other words

If I ever did a perfect piece of work I would stop composing immediately. One just tries, and when I have finished a composition I have ‘tried’ all I can; it’s no use attempting anything more in the same direction. One must seek new ideas.

– Maurice Ravel

His dress was exceedingly plain, fastidious, exotic. And now he sat […] sampling a Ravelian liqueur, saying the most monstrous things, in phrases that cut so swiftly that seconds flew by before the full and awful import of the words sank into a slower brain. A real Parisian, an artist, French to the bottom of his soul… A humming bird would have been maladroit in his company!

– Olin Downes, The New York Times (7 August 1927)

Art is meant to correct nature’s imperfections. Art is a beautiful lie. The most interesting thing in art is to try to overcome difficulties. My teacher in composition was Edgar Allan Poe, because of his analysis of his wonderful poem The Raven. Poe taught me that true art is a perfect balance between pure intellect and emotion.

– Maurice Ravel