Pune: Music, for siblings Bryan and Silvie Cheng, is as much about connection as about performance. The cello-piano duo’s band Cheng² Duo will perform in Pune on Tuesday, Aug 18, at a concert organised by the Poona Music Society at Mazda Hall, with works by Janáček, Nadia Boulanger, Poulenc and Mussorgsky.“This programme is an exploration of the full sound palette available to our instruments. Cello and piano have arguably the widest ranges of any duet combination, as we can go from the most intimate whisper to something almost symphonic in scope, and our own arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition leans into extended techniques to push that range even further,” Bryan told TOI.Each work brings a different kind of storytelling — Janacek’s speech-inflected intensity, Boulanger’s harmonic sensitivity, Poulenc’s wit and lyricism and Mussorgsky’s vivid, almost theatrical imagery.Questions of identity and belonging have shaped their artistic journey all along. Album Portrait, which received a JUNO nomination, emerged during a period marked by a rise in anti-Asian racism and explored heritage through works by composers of Asian descent and arrangements of traditional Chinese music.Bryan says the making of Portrait swells them with pride. “What we’re most proud of is how accessible we’ve made its featured works, especially for the next generation of musicians.” They have self-published arrangements from the album, with digital scores purchased by musicians globally.“It brings us enormous joy and fulfillment to contribute to the growth of classical music, to broaden its embrace, and expand the curiosity of listeners and musicians alike,” he said.Bryan calls for classical music to better reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of a modern globalised world. “It is so important for classical music to reflect the colourful fabric of society today. Historically, this art form’s canon has centred on figures from the European tradition, but we live in a global village, and there are so many fascinating voices from every kind of background who deserve to be heard.”Their ‘pop hit’ arrangement of Horse Racing, which draws inspiration from a Chinese folk melody, has become their requested encore.They started playing music as children, and a lifetime of companionship has brought their musical and physical rhythms into sync, they say. That alone “gives us innate trust” and “a kind of telepathic, precognitive listening”.Every concert, Bryan says, gives them the thrill of interacting intimately with people through music in an otherwise superficial time.Making classical music accessible remains central to their work. “Ideally, even someone who’s never been to a classical concert or heard classical music at all ends up moved, discovering something new. Come with open ears and an open heart, and leave the rest to us,” he said.
