Duo MG

A man and a woman standing by a black railing along a river, with trees and a bridge in the background on a bright, partly cloudy day. The woman is wearing a royal blue dress, and the man is dressed in a white shirt.

Mezzo-soprano Jacquelyn Matava and keyboardist Samuel Gaskin first met during rehearsals for the High Holy Days professional choir at Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas in 2018. They began collaborating as a duo while continuing to work together at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and have been debating about music with each other ever since.  What has resulted is a partnership of idea sharing, stylistic experimentation, and communication through music.

Crafting performances that showcase voice, organ, and piano, Duo MG presents standard recital repertoire in addition to a variety of themed programs. Past programs include Short Stories, which contrasts modern songs with Schubert's Lieder, Sacred Song, a program of voice and organ music that celebrates world religions, and Messiaen & Mehldau, which presents two figures of contemporary music: the esoteric French composer, Olivier Messiaen, and American jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. Jacquelyn won The American Prize for Women in Art Song in 2023 for Duo MG's live performance recording of Short Stories.

​They have premiered multiple works, including Comets, a song cycle by Jonathan Chenette that uses the writings of astronomer Maria Mitchell, an arrangement of Schubert's "Auf dem Wasser zu singen" by Estonian composer Kristjan Randalu, as well as several of Samuel's compositions and transcriptions. 

​Upcoming engagements include a recital tour in the northeastern US and England, a new recital of works and transcriptions for voice and organ, as well as a performance of Duruflé’s Requiem with the Paris Choral Society in Versailles.


A logo with a stylized white musical note that resembles a hand on a black background, with the words "DUO MG" below.
A man and woman sitting on steps inside a church with a large pipe organ in the background. The woman is wearing a black dress and red shoes, and the man is wearing a tuxedo. There are red curtains and floral arrangements around them.