Cheng² Duo to give classical music world premiere at Warrenpoint Town Hall

Internationally acclaimed cellist Bryan Cheng and pianist Silvie Cheng will perform at Warrenpoint Town Hall on Thursday November 12 as part of an eight date Music Network tour. This concert is the first of the tour and is presented by Newry Chamber Music.

Music Network brings its 2026 touring programme to a spectacular close this November with the acclaimed Cheng² Duo, siblings Bryan Cheng (cello) and Silvie Cheng (piano).

Known for their electrifying chemistry, exceptional musicianship and instinctive connection on stage, Bryan and Silvie have been making music together their entire lives. Since officially forming Cheng² Duo with their debut at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in 2011, they have established an international reputation, performing extensively across North America, Europe, Asia and South Africa.

Their Music Network tour, entitled A Hero’s Welcome, draws together some of the great works for cello and piano, from the fairytale world of Leoš Janáček’s Pohádka and the wit and colour of Francis Poulenc’s Cello Sonata, to the passion and lyricism of Brahms’ Sonata No. 2 for Cello and Piano in F Major.

A highlight of the tour will be the world premiere of Sundrop, a new work by Irish/Welsh composer Anselm McDonnell, specially commissioned by Music Network for Cheng² Duo. The commission is a natural fit for Bryan and Silvie, who are passionate champions of contemporary music and have commissioned and arranged 15 new works since 2013.

Although their musical partnership began at home, both Bryan and Silvie have forged impressive careers in their own right. Bryan is winner of the 2023 Virginia Parker Prize and 2022 Prix Yves Paternot, while Silvie was 2022–23 Cecilia Concerts Musician-in-Residence and a National Arts Club Artist Fellow.

Together, their performances have taken them to venues including Frauenkirche Dresden, Flagey in Brussels, Munich Künstlerhaus, California Center for the Arts, Harvard University and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, as well as festivals including Ottawa Chamberfest and Toronto Summer Music Festival.

It is Cheng² Duo’s adventurous approach to programming that has also helped distinguish them internationally. Equally committed to traditional masterworks, rediscovering neglected repertoire and championing the music of their time, Bryan and Silvie have created cross-disciplinary concert experiences bringing classical and contemporary music together with jazz, poetry and visual and media arts. Their collaborators have included celebrated photographer and cinematographer

Edward Burtynsky, Mercury Films and multimedia studio Normal. The duo has released four critically acclaimed albums, including Portrait (2023), nominated for a 2024 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year, Small Ensemble, alongside Russian Legends (2019), Violonchelo del fuego (2018) and Violoncelle français (2016).

Tickets are £20/£10 and available to book now at www.newrychambermusic.org