Ravel once said, “I am not one of the great composers.” Many would disagree. On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Clive Paget talks to American conductor Robert Treviño and French pianist Bertrand Chamayou about why his music is so unique and widely loved.

Maurice Ravel at the piano.
French composer Maurice Ravel at the piano. Image © CBW/Alamy Stock Photo

Few 20th-century composers are as popular these days as Maurice Ravel. This year sees an avalanche of performances in Australia as orchestras and artists celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth, and yet his orchestral works fit easily onto four discs and the piano music onto two. Ditto the chamber music, songs and his two comic operas.

So, how did this famously private man emerge as one of the...