Cheng² Duo Recital

ABOUT

Old Nectar Concerts welcomes the Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) with cellist Bryan Cheng and pianist Silvie Cheng for a recital at Old Nectar gardens historic wine cellar in Jonkershoek.

Rooted by a sibling bond that transcends the familial, the Cheng² Duo transfixes listeners through its impassioned expressivity and contagious joy— critics have hailed their performances as “brilliant” (The Sunday Times, UK), “truly exhilarating” (The Whole Note, Canada), and “absolutely captivating…through a tremendous mastery of their instruments” (Pizzicato Magazine, Luxembourg).

Cellist Bryan Cheng, prize-winner of the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition and Verbier Festival’s Prix Yves Paternot, and pianist Silvie Cheng, 2022-23 Cecilia Concerts Musician-in Residence and National Arts Club Artist Fellow, have been making music together for nearly their entire lives. Bryan is also the winner of the 2022 UNISA International Strings Competition. Since officially forming the Cheng² _Duo at their 2011 Carnegie Weill Recital Hall debut, their artistry has left lasting impressions across the globe, with extensive tours to illustrious concert halls and international festivals throughout North America (Canada and USA), Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, the UK), Asia (China and South Korea) and South Africa. In the 2023/24 season, the duo will appear as guest soloists with the Banatul Philharmonic (Romania), embark on multi-week tours in Canada and South Africa, and present recitals in Switzerland and the US.

In the vanguard of creative programming, Bryan and Silvie are equally committed to presenting traditional masterworks, rediscovering neglected repertoire, and championing the music of their time, having commissioned and arranged 15 new works since 2013. For this recital the programme includes two works by 20^th century composers Sulkhan Tsintsadze and American composer and cellist of the Kronos Quartet Paul Wiancko alongside more familiar composers Rachmaninov and Chopin.

Join us for this concert on Sunday 26 November 2023 at 4pm. Tickets are R200 per person and include selected wines from Banhoek’s renowned Oldenburg Wine Estate and finger food at interval. Guests are invited to come early or stay after the concert to enjoy the tranquility of the Old Nectar gardens.

PROGRAMME

SULKHAN TSINTSADZE Five Pieces on Folk Themes

PAUL WIANCKO Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano, "Shifting Baselines”

CLAUDE DEBUSSY Scherzo, L.39

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 65

DIRECTIONS