Duo Mantar brings together two internationally acclaimed virtuosos: American classical guitarist Adam Levin and Israeli mandolinist Jacob Reuven. Praised for their “visceral and imaginative” artistry and “transcendental and exuberant” musicianship, the duo offers a rare and compelling chamber music partnership in which two plucked instruments converse with extraordinary color, precision, and emotional depth.—The Washington Post; GBOPERA Magazine

Levin and Reuven began collaborating in 2017, united by a shared passion for Israeli music, Jewish musical traditions, and the expansion of the mandolin–guitar repertoire through bold commissioning and innovative arrangements. Their debut album, Music from the Promised Land (Naxos, 2021), reached No. 1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Albums Chart, bringing international attention to their distinctive voice and mission.

At the heart of Duo Mantar’s work is a commitment to creating new cornerstone repertoire. The duo is currently completing a major recording project devoted to the music of Avner Dorman, including a newly commissioned Double Concerto for mandolin and guitar, alongside Dorman’s Mandolin Concerto, a duo work for mandolin and guitar, and a quintet for guitar with string quartet. In parallel, they are developing a Bach–Beethoven recording project, featuring Johann Sebastian Bach’s Double Violin Concerto newly arranged for two mandolins and three guitars, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto reimagined in a novel setting for mandolin and three guitars (The Great Necks Guitar Trio- Scott Borg, Matthew Rohde and Adam Levin).

Duo Mantar is also launching a newly commissioned thematic project inspired by the idea of seasons, with new works by Avner Dorman (Israel-USA), Hamilton de Holanda (Brazil), Aziza Sadikova (Uzbekistan-Germany), and Curtis Stewart (USA), to be recorded and presented internationally in the near future. Deeply committed to musical storytelling and historical memory, the duo continues to preserve and share the life and survival story of Rachela Zelmanowicz-Olewski, a mandolinist who survived Auschwitz by performing in the camp orchestra—an ongoing project that bridges performance, narration, and education.

In addition to their duo work, Levin and Reuven perform Mediterranean Plectrum, a collaborative program with string quartet that traces musical traditions from Italy, Greece, Israel, and Turkey, celebrating the shared cultural roots of plucked-string music across the Mediterranean basin.

Duo Mantar has toured extensively across the United States, Canada, Israel, and Spain, with upcoming tours in France and Italy. 

Jacob Reuven performs on a mandolin by Israeli luthier Arik and Yami Kerman, while Adam Levin plays guitars by American luthier Aaron Green.