“This is someone to watch.” These are the words that swirled through my thoughts in February of 2019 just after we had witnessed the performance of a young brother and sister duo.
Bryan and Silvie, otherwise known as the Cheng2 Duo, were young, but their musicianship left a deep impression that night. I continued to pay attention.
A year later I listened online to the Bader & Overton Cello Competition from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. One cellist after another played very well, and, given my unprofessional ears, I had no idea how the jury would choose a winner. And then Bryan played. I knew right away. He’s going to win.
I’m not sure what it was. I could not explain any technical differences with the other competitors, but there was an ineffable quality that stood out. He communicated on another level entirely. And win he did. In the years since then, he has gone on to one outstanding achievement after another and is now a much-sought-after musician worldwide.
This is why the Cheng2 Duo will be performing once again at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium on Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. When their agent offered a program that included the brilliant clarinetist James Campbell, I could not have been happier.
They will bookend their performance here with two of the great clarinet trios in the repertoire, opening with Beethoven and closing with Brahms. In between they will play a delightful trio by the relatively unknown Swiss-Russian composer Paul Juon.
In addition, Silvie will play in two duo pieces with each of her colleagues. James Campbell has the honour of performing a clarinet duo composed by his son Graham. Bryan will follow with a cello duo by the Cuban Joaquin Nin.
Tickets for this concert are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults and $20 for students. Call 604-289-3377.
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society