Cheng2 Duo

Soloists and Duos  

Rooted by a sibling bond that transcends the familial, the JUNO-nominated Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) transfixes listeners through its impassioned expressivity, contagious joy, and a rare ability to forge instant and lasting connections with global audiences—critics have hailed...

Rooted by a sibling bond that transcends the familial, the JUNO-nominated Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) transfixes listeners through its impassioned expressivity, contagious joy, and a rare ability to forge instant and lasting connections with global audiences—critics have hailed their performances as “brilliant” (The Sunday Times, UK), “truly exhilarating” (The WholeNote, Canada), and “absolutely captivating…through a tremendous mastery of their instruments” (Pizzicato Magazine, Luxembourg).

Cellist Bryan Cheng, prizewinner of the 2023 Canada Council For the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize and 2022 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. Since officially forming the Cheng² Duo at their 2011 Carnegie Weill Recital Hall debut, they artistry has left lasting impressions across the globe, with extensive tours to illustrious concert halls and international festivals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa.

Recent and upcoming concert highlights include debuts at the Frauenkirche Dresden, Flagey (Brussels), Munich Künstlerhaus, California Center for the Arts, Dame Myra Hess Series (Chicago), Chamber Music at the Clark (Los Angeles), Harvard University, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (Kingston), Banff International String Quartet Festival, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Heidelberger Frühling Festival, Waterford Concert Series (VA), Music Toronto, National Centre for Performing Arts Mumbai; guest soloist appearances with the Filarmonic Banatul (Romania); returns to Montréal’s Salle Bourgie, Ottawa Chamberfest, Chamberfest Cheboygan; and recital tours throughout Europe (North Macedonia, Romania, Switzerland, Germany), South Africa, USA, and Canada. Past performances and interviews have been broadcast on CBC Radio, ICI Musique, Radio-Canada International, Vermont Public Radio, WCRB Classical Music Boston, WCNY Classic FM, Kulturradio RBB and Südwestrundfunk (SWR2) Germany, ORF Austria, and Classical Radio Orpheus (Moscow).

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. Since 2013, they have commissioned and arranged 15 new works, as well as curated cross-disciplinary concert experiences that meld classical and contemporary music with jazz, poetry, and visual/media arts.

Cheng² Duo has released four critically-acclaimed albums, most recently Portrait (Centrediscs, 2023), which was nominated for a 2024 JUNO Award for “Classical Album of the Year – Small Ensemble”. Born in Ottawa and Tokyo to Chinese parents, Bryan and Silvie are proud Canadians who are currently based in Berlin and New York City. For more information, visit www.cheng2duo.com or follow @Cheng2Duo on social media.

© Andrej Grilc

Projects

Folkloric Fantaisy

Unravelling Ravel

Reviews

The New York recital debut of Bryan and Silvie Cheng was infused with a spirit of thoughtfulness and generosity. The obvious affection between the two siblings extends beyond the familial sphere into the audience, and most importantly, into the music itself.

— New York Concert Review

Highly eloquent performances that show the talent of the Canadian Cheng² Duo…through a tremendous mastery of their instruments…[their] interpretations also fascinate with a range of expression and depth of presentation that really belongs to the finest.

— Pizzicato Magazine

These are by any measure masterly performances – passionate, invigorating, and wonderfully life-affirming.

— MusicWeb International

The Cheng² Duo digs deep under the virtuoso fireworks to find the inner life of each work in their varied repertoire. While they certainly display impeccable technique, there’s much more to good music than that and this pair of artists have a great gift for coaxing the music off the page and into vivid life

— Large Stage Live! (Canada)

Brilliant…appear[ing] in fresh colours and afford[ing] much pleasure.

— The Times

We are impressed! By the maturity and perfection of the cello-piano duo Cheng², the musical sensitivity of the two musicians…we hear a carefully-weighed chamber music teamwork, which nevertheless does not shy away from extremes in terms of dynamics and expression. All these pieces are presented with so much taste, sure flair for phrasing, and beauty of sound.

— Das Orchester (Germany)

On their album Portrait, released by Centrediscs:
Cheng² Duo’s ‘Portrait’: Bridging Cultures Through Music

— Blog JUNO Awards - Asian Heritage

A hypnotic and ethereal album that perfectly illustrates the ease and generous verve of the two performers.

— La Scena Musicale

Highly original, captivatingly played, sonically opulent! ★★★★★

— Pizzicato Magazine

Silvie Cheng’s hands glide from key to key, she weaves a sound carpet full of filigree patterns and spreads it out under the playing of her brother. Bryan Cheng storms up the scales sure-footedly, then prances triumphantly on the summit…he makes a dazzling appearance…one suspects that these two will be big successes.

— Fono Forum (Germany)

About their album Russian Legends
There is drama, even theatre in these interpretations. Russian music is full of twists, contrasts and emotional changes. Cheng² Duo plays with elegance and panache, but also with impressive sound power. We note especially the solid discursive architecture built by the two young artists… Like the performances, the program oscillates between powerfully incarnated lyricism, biting irony, sardonic humour, affective tenderness and airy sweetness.

— ICI Musique (Canada)

Videos

F. Chopin - Sonata, Op. 65

D. Wijeratne - Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling

H. Haihuai - Racing Horses (赛马 / Sai Ma)

L. van Beethoven - Sonata No. 2

Andante (III) from Cello Sonata

Allegro (II) from Cello Sonata

Nadia Boulanger - Three Pieces for Cello and Piano

L. van Beethoven - Sonata No. 5

Paris, la Belle Époque (F. Poulenc, Cello Sonata - Ballabile)

Photos

Calendar

May

2 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Ottawa Chamberfest

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
3 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Aurora Cultural Centre

Aurora, Ontario, Canada
4 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Cornwall Concert Series

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
19 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Philharmonic Hall

Skopje, Macedonia
21 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Capitol Hall

Timișoara, Romania
25 May 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Les concerts de Jussy

Geneva, Switzerland

June

20 June 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Rockport Chamber Music Festival

Rockport, Massachusetts, USA

July

6 July 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Under the Spire Concert Series

Kensington, Prince Edward Island, Canada
13 July 2025

Cheng2 Duo - Leith Summer Festival

Leith, Ontario, Canada

August

19 August 2025

October

18 October 2025

Cheng2 Duo - White Rock Concerts

White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Contacts

Agent Canada and United States   Annick-Patricia Carrière 1 514-996-2839