Cheng² Duo
In partnership with Friends of Music
Captivating audiences and critics alike, the “brilliant” (The Times, UK) and “truly exhilarating”
(The WholeNote, Canada) Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) distinguishes itself with its uncompromising musical integrity, undeniable chemistry, and unparalleled communication with its listeners. The Chinese-Canadian brother-and-sister duo is formed by 22-year-old cellist Bryan Cheng, first cellist to win Grand Prize at the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Competition (2019) and playing the Canada Council for the Arts’ prized ca. 1696 ‘Bonjour’ Stradivari; and pianist Silvie Cheng, recipient of the Roy M. Rubinstein Award for exceptional promise in piano performance.
Named one of CBC Music’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, the dynamic
Cheng² Duo has been making music together for the past 17 years. With wide-ranging repertoire from baroque to contemporary, from original arrangements inspired by folk music to new commissioned works, the duo has presented engaging recitals in world-class concert halls
throughout North America (Canada and USA), Europe (Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Italy, UK), and Asia (China and South Korea). Now touring extensively, they have established a reputation for being invited for return engagements at renowned venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (NY), Chamber Music at the Clark (Los Angeles), the National Gallery of Canada, and Ottawa Chamberfest. The duo has also been featured at numerous other international festivals, including Aspen (Colorado), Trasimeno (Italy), Usedom (Germany) and Festival of the Sound (Ontario), as well as broadcasts on CBC Radio, ICI Musique, Radio-Canada International, Vermont Public Radio, WCRB Classical Music Boston, WCNY Classic FM, Kulturradio RBB and SWR2 Germany, ORF Radio Austria, and Classical Radio Orpheus (Moscow).
In the vanguard of creative programming, Bryan and Silvie are equally committed to presenting both traditional masterworks and the music of their time. Since 2013, they have commissioned nearly a dozen new works, as well as curated cross-disciplinary concert experiences that meld classical and contemporary music with jazz, poetry, and visual/media arts leading collaborative partners have included photographer and cinematographer Edward Burtynsky, Mercury Films, and multimedia studio Normal.