Exciting four hands and two pianos debut

It is a pleasure to encounter new piano duos – ensembles that hone the performance of music for four hands and two pianos into a fine art.

- Chang Tou Liang

The latest to debut is the exciting duo of Kennis Ang and Jonah Kwek, recently awarded first prize at the Music Teachers National Association Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition 2024 in the United States.

Both pianists are alumni of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory – they were students of Thomas Hecht – and are presently pursuing master's degrees at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

Their highly demanding programme, inspired by the virtuoso repertoire of Argentine pianist Martha Argerich and her partners, was performed completely from memory.

Opening with Spanish composer Manuel Infante’s Andalusian Dance No. 1, a keen sense of rhythm (the movement is marked Ritmo) and pinpoint articulation were on display from the outset.

Balancing of voices was also key, ensuring that one piano did not overwhelm the other.