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23-year-old Lithuanian hits the top spot with debut Decca album; Martynas triumphs despite competition from other established artists; Makes a giant stride in mission to “break boundaries” with the accordion;   Martynas Levickis has today made history by becoming the first ever accordionist to reach the top of the Classical Artist Album Charts. It is a staggering achievement for the 23-year-old Lithuanian, considering his debut effort has beaten off stiff competition to the top spot.

Martynas, a former accordion World Cup champion who won Lithuania’s Got Talent while studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, unleashed his self-titled Decca debut album on July 1st. It is a collection of show-stopping numbers, where a unique arrangement of Lady Gaga’s Telephone is set alongside an exotic mix of styles, featuring gypsy dances, tango, classic French movie themes, Latin American rhythms and the music of Bach and Vivaldi.

Thanks to the breadth and depth of his musical tastes, abundant showmanship and natural charisma, Martynas is perfectly placed to catapult the accordion into the 21^st Century. His weekly series of YouTube videos #SundaySqueeze sees him cover chart hits from the likes of Daft Punk and Robin Thicke, and has won him thousands of new admirers who have been captivated by his inimitable style.

Martynas said, “The accordion has never received so much attention in the UK in one week! I believe it’s because my album is breaking through to people’s hearts and its music speaks for itself. It's the music that one could never expect to hear on accordion and I am very happy for everyone now to be able to hear it in this way!”

Paul Moseley, Managing Director of Decca Classics said, “Martynas is a talented and charming young man on a mission. This is just the start. Classical accordion is set to be the sound of the summer!”

Classic FM's Managing Editor, Sam Jackson, said: "It's fair to say we weren't 100% certain that an album of accordion music would be such an instant hit on Classic FM – but we liked what we heard, decided to feature it as our Album of the Week, and are delighted that our listeners reacted so brilliantly to it.  What's more, Martynas has given us a reason to play Lady Gaga's Telephone – not something that happens on a regular basis on Classic FM!"

The Martynas magic has already cast its spell over audiences at some of London’s most famous venues, from Wigmore Hall to Ronnie Scott’s. He recently appeared at the Hammersmith Apollo with Britain’s Got Talent runners-up Jonathan & Charlotte, has entertained queuing fans at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, and is due to appear at the Henley Festival later this week. As a result of Classic FM’s support Martynas will also be making his debut at the Royal Albert Hall at Classic FM Live in September.

For further information please contact: andrew.okeeffe@umusic.com Tel: 07500951038