Celebrated worldwide from New York to Tokyo, Duo Gazzana — violinist Natascia and pianist Raffaella — recently performed in New Delhi at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. Trained by legendary musicians including Bruno Canino and Yehudi Menuhin, the Gazzana sisters also hold degrees from La Sapienza University in Rome: Natascia in visual arts and Raffaella in Italian literature and musicology.
Renowned for blending Italian lyricism with scholarly depth, they bring audiences closer to both beloved and rarely heard works. And they walk into the room with the quiet confidence of artists who have lived their art from the cradle. They are so close in music and in life that audiences often mistake them for twins. “No, we are not twins,” Raffaella laughs. “We are really different characters. But maybe because we were all the time together, people think that. I am the eldest by two years, but we have always shared everything—studies, travel, concerts, and of course, music.”
From their earliest days in Rome, music was less a choice than a natural language. “Since we were children, we have been just playing together and enjoying music at home,” says Natascia. “It came very naturally, without a start date. A violinist always needs a pianist, and I was lucky to have one at home.”
That luck has carried them across the world, from New York to Hong Kong, Tokyo to Moscow, to royal command performances such as playing for King Charles III during his official visit to Italy to mark the centenary of Sir William Walton. They have been named ‘Ambassadors of the City of Florence.’
Their partnership has endured for more than three decades, evolving with the sisters themselves. “As much as you grow, you have a different perspective of music, of life, of everything,” reflects Raffaella. “Life and music are really connected. We feel more at ease, more experienced now, but it is never the end—it’s always another step.”
This growth means returning to pieces they first studied as children with fresh eyes and ears. “There are sonatas in our repertoire we have played since we were very young,” Natascia explains. “But music is like a book or a film—you can always find new things. Growing up, it becomes more and more natural to discover other points of view.”
Wherever they go, the sisters design their recital programs with care. “We think a lot about programs before playing,” Raffaella says. “We want to represent Italy, so we include Italian music from different periods. But when possible, we also play music of the country where we are performing.”
That approach recently led them to a striking discovery. “For our recent show, we worked on a piece by an Indian composer. It was very challenging because it demanded slides and glissandi that we never do in Western classical music,” says Natascia. “It’s like an Italian speaking another language—you always have an accent. But we tried to do something genuine.”
They also weave in romantic works, guided by impressions of their audiences. “From films we felt Indian people are very passionate,” Raffaella notes with a smile. “So we wanted to play something romantic here.”
For all their respect for tradition, the Gazzana sisters have always been open to new music. Their artistic curiosity found a home at ECM Records, the legendary Munich-based label. “We had the privilege to collaborate with ECM,” recalls Natascia. “The producer Manfred Eicher is extraordinary—he was a musician himself. He introduced us to composers like Valentin Silvestrov. Our first ECM album, Five Pieces, was by him, and later we collaborated with Estonian composer Tonu Korvits.”
Working with living composers is a thrill. “Sometimes you only have a manuscript, no tradition,” Raffaella says. “You have to figure it out. And when you play for the composer, it’s amazing to see their reaction. Silvestrov once told us, ‘I didn’t know I wrote such beautiful music,’ after hearing us play. That’s the joy of collaboration.”
Recording for ECM is another story in itself. Their first session in Lugano, Switzerland, was revelatory. “It was just the two of us, Manfred, and the sound engineer Markus Heiland,” Raffaella recalls. “Three days of intense concentration, but also the best conditions—beautiful acoustics, a perfect piano, everything cared for. Despite the hard work, it was an incredible time.”
The sisters’ inspirations, too, are eclectic. “I am very keen on Japanese literature,” Raffaella says. “And M.K. Gandhi’s autobiography My Experiments with Truth inspired me deeply. People who start from nothing and follow a vision in life are very important to me.” For Natascia, Russian culture has always been magnetic. “Since I was a child, I tried to learn the language. My favorite book is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot.”
Even after decades on the world stage, the Gazzana sisters are restless. “We don’t like to repeat the same programs,” says Raffaella. “Every year we choose new music, depending on the audience. It’s more challenging, but it keeps us alive.” The future is already calling: a new ECM album in the works, tours planned in China, Hong Kong, and beyond.
“Live concerts and recordings are our life,” Natascia affirms simply. “We just go on.” For audiences around the world, that is a promise worth cherishing. For the Gazzana sisters, it is simply the continuation of a journey that began in their family home in Italy, two little girls at a piano and violin, discovering the endless possibilities of music together.
