A playwright tells a story through words, and a musician does through song. The Fung-Chiu Duo's Prairie Debut tour will see Janelle Fung and Phil Chiu take on songs inspired by one of the English language's greats, Shakespeare.
The duo plays in the one piano, four hands style, and Chiu says this allows them to take a diverse number songs. He says that piano is one of the most diverse instruments you can play, and their concert explores the depth of the instrument.
"We take some well known and sometimes non-standard classical works, and we arrange them for this unique one piano, four hands thing. We also play some of the best of classical music as well."
The show is built around music inspired by Shakespeare, and Chiu says it's because music and theatre have the same goal, to connect to people's emotions.
"When I think about my first Shakespeare experiences, I was really lost by the language, and I didn't understand the point of it. But then I saw this one performance... Christopher Plummer had come out to do King Lear... It was really eye opening, to realize that once you get enough of the language it's not about the language but about the emotions behind it. Shakespeare wrote in such a way that you couldn't deny that he understood humans and what we feel. The connection between that and music is so appropriate, people are scared of classical music because the language is unfamiliar, but once you get enough of the language and once you get through that crack of the door, it's really about the emotions behind it."
The duo got together when they met in Montreal for school. Saying they initially "got bored of studying," they began to work on projects together and playing together.
"To be able to share the stage and share a bench is quite a lot of fun if you get along and have good chemistry."
Connecting with the audience is one of the priorities of the duo, and Chiu says that their concerts are not a stereotypical classical performance. They want to interact, speak to people, answer their questions, and have a dialog between them and the people in the theatre.
"As a performer, it's so important to know the audience is really on board with you."
This tour is part of Prairie Debut, and Chiu says he's known about the program since Executive Director Lynne Bailey did a lecture to one of his classes. He said he kept it in mind as he began his career, and applied at her suggestion. He's grateful to now have the opportunity to tour the prairies.
"We're really lucky in Canada, it is such a unique thing to have this kind of organization that does so much for young Canadian artists."
While Chiu has been to the province before, Fung has not, and he says they're excited to be visiting the province and taking the tour to places where they have never been before.
"We find that people who come to concerts in smaller towns and smaller cities come because they are really interested and really love and are really open."
The Fung-Chiu Duo's One Piano Four Hands concert, presented by Prairie Debut as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series, will take place on November 1 at the Ann Portnuff Theatre. Tickets are available at yorktonarts.ca or by calling 306-783-8722.
