Violonchelo del Fuego Cheng² Duo

• Enrique Granados (1867-1916):
• 1 Intermezzo from Goyescas (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 04:55
• Manuel de Falla (1876-1946):
• 2 Primera Danza Española (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 03:55
• 3 I. El paño Moruno (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 02:03
• 4 II. Seguidilla Murciana (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 01:18
• 5 III. Asturiana (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 02:42
• 6 IV. Jota (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 02:50
• 7 V. Nana (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 02:26
• 8 VI. Canción (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 01:24
• 9 VII. Polo (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 01:26
• Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909):
• 10 III. Malagueña (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 03:57
• Enrique Granados:
• 11 V. Andaluza (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 04:24
• Manuel de Falla:
• 12 Danza ritual del fuego (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 03:46
• Joaquín Turina (1882-1949):
• 13 I. Exaltación 05:14
• Gaspar Cassadó (1897-1966):
• 14 I. Preludio - Fantasia 06:01
• 15 II. Sardana (Danza) 04:41
• 16 III. Intermezzo e Danza Finale 05:52
• 17 Requiebros for Cello and Piano 04:52
• Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908):
• 18 Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 "Gypsy Airs" (Arr. For Cello and Piano) 09:30
• Total Runtime 01:11:16

Info for Violonchelo del Fuego

The Cheng² Duo continues their journey through Europe: Bryan and Silvie Cheng dedicate their sophomore album to the impassioned, fiery sounds of Spain. The works of the country’s foremost twentieth-century composers – Granados, Falla, Albéniz and Turina – are complemented by Cassadó’s Requiebros and Sarasate’s beloved Zigeunerweisen.

Following their critically-acclaimed debut album on audite, Violoncelle français, the Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) offers a compelling program of music by Spain's foremost twentieth-century composers. The interpretations are again 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 - this special balance becoming the trademark of the Cheng² Duo and commanding attention from the very first note.

Violonchelo del fuego is the second in a set to be recorded with audite, with each album focusing on the music of a particular country. A further recording of Russian works for cello and piano is already being planned.

Since debuting at Carnegie Hall in 2011, the Cheng² Duo continues to be celebrated by audiences and critics alike for its artistic excellence, generous spirit, and compelling vibrancy. The Canadian duo is made of the siblings Bryan Cheng (cello) and Silvie Cheng (piano) and has been making music together for the past 15 years. The duo has presented recitals throughout North America, in Europe, and Asia, and has been featured at numerous international festivals, including Aspen (USA), Trasimeno (Italy), Ottawa Chamberfest and Festival of the Sound (Canada).

Silvie Cheng, piano
Bryan Cheng, cello

Cheng² Duo
Rooted by a sibling bond that transcends the familial, the Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) transfixes listeners through its impassioned expressivity and contagious joy—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 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition and Verbier Festival’s coveted 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, their 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.

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. Recent highlights include recitals 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 (Cambridge), Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (Kingston), Orford Musique, Salle Bourgie (Montréal), Palais Montcalm (Québec), as well as Chamberfest Cheboygan, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Toronto Summer Music Festivals. 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. World-class collaborative partners have included photographer and cinematographer Edward Burtynsky, Mercury Films, and multimedia studio Normal. ​

Cheng² Duo has previously released a trilogy of critically-acclaimed albums on the German label audite: Russian Legends (2019), Violonchelo del fuego (2018), and Violoncelle français (2016). Born in Ottawa and Tokyo to Chinese parents, Bryan and Silvie are proud Canadians who are currently based in Berlin and New York City.

Booklet for Violonchelo del Fuego