CHENG DUO Violoncelle francais Audite CD 97.698

CHENG DUO Violoncelle francais

Works for Violoncello and Piano by Debussy, Faure, Franck / Delsart & Saint-Saens

Audite CD 97.698

made in Germany

new, factory sealed

A young duo introduces itself. The interpretations of Cheng² Duo are steeped in a rare balance of unfiltered youthful joy and enthusiasm in their playing on one hand, and mature, historically informed, and profound interpretations on the other, commanding attention from the very first note. Bryan and Silvie Cheng are brother and sister; he is a cellist, she a pianist, and together they are the Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo), now presenting their debut CD with audite. These two Canadian artists are children of Chinese immigrants: she was born in Tokyo, he in Ottawa; today, he lives in Berlin, she in New York - cosmopolitans, therefore, with a diverse cultural background. Both are young, barely or around twenty years of age: audite's youngest artists to date, which also reflects the label's strong commitment to its performers. This debut CD marks the beginning of an audite recording series featuring Cheng² Duo. A further recording of Spanish works for cello and piano is already being planned. This first disc makes the panorama of French chamber music written between the 1860s and the 1910s come alive in all its diversity: from multiple-movement works whose composers mainly drew on Beethoven and the German romantic composers, through to character pieces which formed part of the repertoire performed in sophisticated salons. Principal trends, some of which were devoted to one another by way of trenchant polemics, are represented by works of César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns and his student Gabriel Fauré, as well as Claude Debussy. This release features two additional tracks, excerpts of Louis Francœur's Sonata in E major in arrangements by Jean-Delphin Alard and Arnold Trowell, which are available as download. The performers have not only proved an instant success as Cheng² Duo - stepping in at short notice at Carnegie Hall and impressing both the audience and the promoter to the extent that they were immediately re-invited - but have also won renowned awards as soloists, each in their own right. Bryan Cheng made his debut in Montreal at the age of ten and has since been invited to perform as a soloist with numerous orchestras, at festivals and in recital. Having won several Canadian competitions and awards, including the 2016 National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition, he is now preparing to take part in many of the major international cello competitions. Having trained with Yuli Turovsky and Hans Jørgen Jensen at Northwestern University, Illinois, he is now studying with Jens Peter Maintz at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. As an avid chamber musician, Bryan Cheng has appeared in various formations ranging from the piano trio through to ensembles performing on traditional Chinese instruments. He also champions new music and has given several world premieres in Canada and the USA. Silvie Cheng made her orchestral debut in Ottawa in 2008, followed by her Carnegie Hall solo debut in Weill Recital Hall three years later. She has won numerous national and international piano competitions and given solo recitals as well as chamber music performances at major halls and festivals. She is a Nassau Chamber Music Society artist and the pianist of the sTem Trio. Silvie Cheng studied with Jeffrey Cohen, Michel Fournier and Nicole Presentey at the Manhattan School of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto. She rounded off her musical training in masterclasses with distinguished pianists including Menahem Pressler, Angela Hewitt and Christoph Eschenbach.