Cheng² Duo
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
05/11/24
•79m
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This week’s episode is with the brilliant cello-piano ensemble, Cheng2 Duo, with siblings Bryan and Silvie Cheng. They have performed to great acclaim worldwide and have released to date four fantastic albums, the most recent Portrait which was nominated for a JUNO award. Portrait features music by composers from diverse Asian heritages, and in this podcast, Bryan and Silvie reflect on some important personal experiences related to this. We are featuring some of the music from Portrait and some of their other projects in this episode, with their insights on championing living composers such as Paul Wiancko and Dinuk Wijeratne and reaching new audiences. I asked them about their Carnegie Hall debut when Bryan had just started high school, and some of their individual experiences with concert preparation, touring, and finding a life-balance. Some of what you’ll hear about are Bryan’s reflections on his memorable childhood lessons with Yuli Turovsky, the incredible opportunity he’s had to play the Bonjour Strad, and his experiences with international competitions. Silvie shared her reflections on her mentors and her life as a performer and educator in New York. Bryan and Silvie grew up in Ottawa, Canada where I live and it’s wonderful to see their careers expanding both individually and as a world-renowned chamber ensemble. Bryan spoke to us from his home in Berlin, and Silvie from her home in New York.
Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!
Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube and it's linked with the transcript on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/cheng2-duo
Weekly newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter
Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about
photo: Andrej Grilc
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(03:11) album Portrait, early pandemic in New York, Asian heritage, erhu
(12:33) Hua Yanjun Moon's Reflection upon a Spring
(20:26) anti-Asian harassment, making a difference in the world as musicians
(24:46) Paul Wiancko
(29:00) Paul Wiancko clip from Sonata 1, Part 1
(28:59) concert presentation, connecting with the audience
(31:33) Carnegie Hall debut experience, importance of commissioning new music
(35:51) Yuli Turovsky
(40:48) Romance for Cello and Piano Scriabin from Russian Legends
(42:56) could you buy this independent podcaster a coffee?
(43:32) Brazilian composers, Chiquinha Gonzaga, women composers, Silvie’s duo with violist Georgina Rossi
(45:24) Silvie’s work as a teaching artist Orto centre and Living Arts Collaborative
(50:36) family history, parents’ support
(54:08) Silvie’s mentors Jeffrey Cohen, Menahem Pressler
(57:21) learning music, comparing the analytical and intuitive
(01:01:25) Bonjour Strad cello
(01:03:07) Silvie coping with different pianos on tour, pianists’ psychology
(01:05:12) Bryan’s reflections on competitions
(01:08:46) pre-concert routines and mindset
(01:11:20) tour to India, Dinuk Wijeratne “Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling’
(01:14:27) excerpt from Dinuk Wijeratne “Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling’
(01:17:05) tour to India
Previous Episode
Ariel Bart: Harmonica Player and Composer
May 4, 2024
•64m
This podcast strives to inspire you through the personal stories of a diversity of musicians worldwide, with in-depth conversations and great music, that reveal the depth and breadth to a life in music.
This week’s episode is with the wonderful harmonica player and composer Ariel Bart. I first started listening to her music with her debut album, “In Between” in which she presents a unique approach to the harmonica and all her albums feature her original music which is inspired by the European jazz tradition and the Middle-Eastern world. Ariel began playing the chromatic harmonica at the age of 7 and since then it’s been her primary instrument. We’re including music from several of her albums. You’ll hear about some of her inspiring mentors and collaborators and her positive experience at the New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, including working with Reggie Workman, Shai Maestro, and Jane Ira Bloom. We also talked about the music business, and her delight in using storytelling and film with her music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website, everything linked together here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ariel-bart
Besides being the host, I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity for this podcast, and I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
Did you know that this podcast is in Season 4, and that I send out a weekly email newsletter where you can get access to Sneak Peeks of upcoming guests and be inspired by highlights from the archive? Sign-up here: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter
Ariel Bart website: https://www.arielbart.com/
Take a Ten Minute Break, solo Nine Souls video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8VnpGV2b58
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:51) Ariel Bart’s harmonica journey and music education, starting to compose
(07:40) In Between
(13:16) Brendan Power, chromatic harmonica, playing technique
(18:15) harmonica improvisation
(20:03) Ariel’s influences and mentors, Jane Ira Bloom, New School in New York, Reggie Workman, effect of many influences
(28:36) please help this series keep going!
(29:13) making Teardrop narrative video, storytelling
(31:55) Teardrop
(35:18) The Trio Project
(37:52) part two Listening to Shame from The Trio Project
(42:12) writing for film, collaborations cellists Mayu Shviro, Talia Erdal
(46:17) European contacts, the challenge of teaching
(48:56) the need to learn the business side of a music career
(52:32) clip from Deep Down with Omri Bar Giora
(53:23) creative process, the importance of collaboration
(54:56) the novelty of the harmonica for audiences, listening to singers
(56:01) Nine Souls film project Take a Ten Minute Break
(57:33) Nine Souls ensemble version from album Documentaries
Next Episode
Linsey Pollak: Maker and Adventurer (re-release)
May 18, 2024
•103m
This week, I’m featuring a wonderful episode from the archive, with Linsey Pollak, which was recorded and released in Season 2 of this podcast, 2022. Linsey Pollak is an Australian musician who is known worldwide as a passionate and creative advocate for community music. His life has been full of unusual opportunities to explore different styles of music, and his inventiveness has spurred him to create countless instruments from found objects. In this episode you’ll get to hear him play 4 different instruments in different improvisatory styles, and I’m sure that everyone will be inspired by stories from his life, describing some of his incredibly unusual, fun and beautiful collaborations and creations.
I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity and I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal:
https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!
You can watch this on YouTube as well, and I've linked the transcript here too: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/linsey-pollak
Linsey Pollak website: https://linseypollak.com/
My complete catalog of episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about
Podcast newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter
photo credit: Beat Lehmann
Timestamps:
(00:00 Intro)
(01:58) gaida music
(05:10) Rafting trip, discovering Macedonian bagpipes, first trip to Macedonia
(11:35) trip to Greece to study klarino with Stavros Vasthekis
(13:15) discovering the Macedonian community in Australia, establishing Kulcha
(17:36) Linsey’s start making instruments, London and Early Music scene
(23:14) busking in Europe, learning Macedonian dance,
Živko Firfov Group, Destan Destanovski
(31:48) importance of humour in his solo shows
(33:17) duduk design and music
(39:57) Linsey’s early musical education and projects
(41:27) developing live looping in the early 90s, his solo shows
(50:30) rubber glove bagpipe
(54:36) Linsey’s current project going out to record in the forest with ambient sounds (his album of this music is on Bandcamp), also the frog sounds album
(56:53) Dva with Tunji Beier and now Beier-Griffin-Pollak trio with Philip Griffin
(58:23) Humarimba community music project
(01:09:16) Paranormal Music Society Romano Crivici and Blair Greenberg, and QWERTY with Peter Rowe
(01:13:47) MIDI wind controller Dangerous Song project with demonstration using animal sounds
(01:33:26) Linsey’s drive to create instruments and connect people, his creative process
(01:37:20) Linsey’s decision to stop touring outside of Australia
(01:40:07) Linsey’s advice
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