TwoSet Violin explained

TwoSet Violin
Birth Date:Brett Yang
1992 3, df=yes
Taipei, Taiwan
Eddy Chen
1993 3, df=yes
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Origin:Brisbane, Australia
Channel Name:TwoSetViolin
Years Active:2013–present
Subscribers:4.29 million
Views:1.53 billion
Stats Update:19 January 2024
Silver Button:yes
Silver Year:2018
Gold Button:yes
Gold Year:2019

TwoSet Violin (Chinese: t=雙琴俠) is a musical comedy duo consisting of Australian violinists and YouTubers Brett Yang and Eddy Chen. Yang and Chen started out posting classical covers of pop music on their YouTube channel, but eventually switched focus to musical comedy videos, which gained them more viewership. Yang and Chen eventually also performed in live concerts and tours.

Early life and education

Brett Yang was born on 3 March 1992 in Taipei, Taiwan[1] and Eddy Chen on 23 March 1993 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[2] Both moved with their families first to New Zealand, and then to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, before adolescence.

They met as young teens in an after-school maths group,[3] and became acquainted as the youngest members of a youth orchestra and later as students at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane.

Early musical careers

In 2012, Yang debuted at Queensland Conservatorium performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. He later worked with various other Australian orchestras, including a performance at the 2014 G20 Brisbane summit.

Chen was a finalist for the 2014 National Young Virtuoso Award in Queensland, and played with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

As TwoSet Violin

In 2013, the duo started posting covers of pop music played on the violin on a YouTube channel. Yang said that they had viewed violin virtuosos playing covers that had garnered millions of views on YouTube, and attempted to do the same to minimal reaction. Discovering that Taiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen made comedic videos, they shifted their content production in a similar direction, focusing their videos on their lives at conservatory, as classical musicians and as students, which led to a dramatic increase in viewership. At the end of 2016, Yang and Chen resigned their places in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra respectively to begin performing live concerts of their own.[4]

The TwoSet Violin YouTube channel received a Silver Play Button in 2018 for surpassing 100 thousand subscribers, and a Gold Play Button in 2019 for surpassing 1 million subscribers.[5] Classic FM's Kyle Macdonald listed TwoSet Violin as one of the "10 ways the 2010s changed classical music forever".[6] In January 2020, it was announced that the duo would be attending that year's Menuhin Competition, held at Richmond, Virginia, as roving reporters;[7] [8] the competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] On 8 February 2020, TwoSet Violin live-streamed a performance of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto to celebrate their achievement of two million subscribers. Yang played the solo part while Chen performed an original arrangement of the orchestral component for solo violin.[10]

In December 2020, the duo announced a temporary hiatus from YouTube while Yang addressed some health issues,[11] [12] and announced a slow return to making videos in January 2021.[13]

On 30 January 2021, to celebrate their achievement of 3 million YouTube subscribers, TwoSet Violin live-streamed another performance, of Sibelius's Violin Concerto, with Chen playing the solo while Yang performed an arrangement of the orchestral component for solo violin.[14] In May 2021, they posted videos to support the Menuhin Competition.[15] [16] [17]

On 16 November 2022, to celebrate their upcoming 4 million subscribers achievement, TwoSet Violin live-streamed a performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 and Bach's Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043 with support by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Victoria Concert Hall.[18] [19] [20] In February 2023, they hosted a music battle at the Star Performing Arts Centre in Singapore with YouTuber bassist Davie504.[21] [22]

On 13 November 2023, TwoSet Violin featured on Australian Story on ABC TV.[23] [24]

Tours

With KickStarter as their fundraising method along with street performance in Sydney, they raised enough money to go on a worldwide tour in 2017 to 11 cities in 10 countries in Asia and Europe, including Taipei, Helsinki, and Frankfurt.[25] [26] In 2018, they performed in several places in the United States including New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.[27] [28] [29]

In October 2019, TwoSet announced another world tour where they planned to visit multiple locations in Oceania, Europe, Asia and North America.[30] However, the tour was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a virtual world tour event was held instead on 28 December 2021.[31] [32] On 16 November 2022, they announced an upcoming world tour for 2023–24.[20] On 1 April 2023, they released their official world tour announcement on their YouTube channel, including a list of 29 cities that they will be touring, and dates to be announced subsequently.[33] [34] [35]

Videos and themes

In 2017, TwoSet Violin made a comedic reference to Ling Ling, a fictional violinist who "practices 40 hours a day". In an interview with Yle Uutiset, they described Ling Ling as the final boss of a video game: the Chuck Norris of violinists. Chen said they improvised the character from their comedy sketch video concerning a teenage violin student's tiger mom comparing the student to her friend's child.[36] In 2018, they released a series of videos called the Ling Ling Workout. In these challenges, the duo play classical pieces (or contemporary music) with handicaps such as playing at double speed, with scordatura, while dancing or hula hooping, with hand positions reversed, or while upside down. Prominent violinists such as Ray Chen, Ziyu He, and Hilary Hahn have also attempted the challenge on their channel.[37] [38] [39]

In July 2018, they released a series of videos in which they performed classical music using rubber chickens. Recurring themes include violin charades,[40] trying out various instruments, and viola jokes.[41]

Another popular video series consists of reviews of film and TV show scenes that feature violin playing, in which Yang and Chen critique egregiously fake performances.[42] [43] On April Fools' Day 2019, they claimed they discovered a new Double Violin Concerto by J.S. Bach.[44]

In September 2018, TwoSet Violin uploaded a reaction video to a BBC News story titled "Fastest Violinist in the World", in which they challenged violinist Ben Lee's Guinness World Record claim of playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" for what they perceived to be significant inaccuracy. They satirically timed themselves purposefully playing random fast notes before declaring they had broken the world record.

TwoSet Violin, in addition with their usual content, has also posted music and films mainly composed by themselves and Jordon He. In October of 2020, they released a video titled "Prelude", a short piece composed and played by TwoSet Violin and He. In June 2022, they posted "FANTASIA", a short film written by the duo, that contained several pieces composed by themselves and He, consisting of the previously mentioned 'Prelude', 'Scherzo', 'Adagio', and 'Rhapsody'. The film also includes a guest appearance of Chloe Chua.[45]

Other ventures

TwoSet has a clothing line called TwoSet Apparel.[46] [47]

Notes and References

  1. Taking a Bow Brett Yang + Eddy Chen . 14 November 2023 . Australian Story . Australian Story . . 13 November 2023 . 4m17s . I was born in Taipei, Taiwan.
  2. Geoguessr: Classical Music Edition . 2 April 2021 . TwoSet Violin . 6m27s . Eddy: Born in Taiwan! I was born in Kaohsiung though . YouTube.
  3. Elisa Reznicek . Australisches Duo TwoSet Violin im Interview . 24 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191024221548/https://www.concerti.de/interviews/twoset-violin/ . 24 October 2019 . live . Concerti.de . 23 September 2018 . TwoSet Violin . de.
  4. Web site: About – Meet Brett and Eddy . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200817183410/https://www.twosetviolin.com/about . 17 August 2020 . 9 August 2020 . TwoSet Violin official website.
  5. References announcing their play buttons from YouTube:
    • YouTube Silver Play Button? . 23 May 2018 . TwoSet Violin . 24 April 2019 . YouTube.
    • TwoSet Violin. twosetviolin . 1000414980318027776. UNBOXING THE YouTube Silver Play Button!! We love you guys so much Full video https://youtu.be/-FMmTs2LmmM pic.twitter.com/EZa2bvvqbp . 26 May 2018. 24 April 2019.
    • 1 Million Gold Play Button!. 20 July 2019. YouTube . TwoSet Violin .
  6. News: MacDonald . Kyle . 29 December 2019 . 10 ways the 2010s changed classical music forever . . live . 6 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200202031521/https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/2010s-classical-music-decade-review/ . 2 February 2020.
  7. Menuhin Competition Richmond 2020 Announces Competitors: 44 Violinists Selected from Record- High Applicant Pool; TwoSet Violin, YouTube Superstars and Classical-Music Comedy Duo, Attend Competition as Roving Reporters . 22 January 2020 . 24 March 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200206000103/https://www.richmondsymphony.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FINAL-Menuhin-2020-Competitor-Press-Release-1-22-2.pdf . 6 February 2020 . Richmond Symphony Orchestra.
  8. Web site: 22 January 2020 . Candidates Announced for 2020 Menuhin International Violin Competition . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200206000058/https://theviolinchannel.com/candidates-announced-for-2020-menuhin-international-violin-competition/ . 6 February 2020 . 6 February 2020 . The Violin Channel.
  9. Web site: Menuhin Competition Richmond 2020 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190525153609/https://menuhincompetition.org/competition-2020/ . 25 May 2019 . 23 May 2020 . Menuhin Competition.
  10. News: Arnold . Eden . 7 May 2021 . Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto: Analysis In Interpretation . .
  11. News: 16 December 2020 . Brett Yang of TwoSet Violin to take a break . . . live . 16 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201216084434/https://www.thestrad.com/news/brett-yang-of-twoset-violin-to-take-a-break/11577.article . 16 December 2020.
  12. News: Niles . Laurie . 16 December 2020 . TwoSet Violin Takes a Break for Health Reasons . Violinist.com . live . 23 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201216185447/https://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/202012/28575/ . 16 December 2020.
  13. News: Lebrecht . Norman . Norman Lebrecht . 14 January 2021 . Happy News: TwoSet Violin are back . . live . 2 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210119190837/https://slippedisc.com/2021/01/happy-news-twoset-violin-are-back/ . 19 January 2021.
  14. News: Mattila . Mattias . 29 January 2021 . Sibelius soi ensi yönä internetissä kymmenilletuhansille kuulijoille – asialla on klassisen musiikin Suomessakin vieraillut meemitehdas . fi . Sibelius will play on the Internet next night to tens of thousands of listeners – a meme factory that has also visited classical music in Finland . . live . 1 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210202060013/https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11763615 . 2 February 2021.
  15. News: Rabinowitz . Chloe . Semi-Finalists in Menuhin Competition Announced . .
  16. News: 18 May 2021 . New to YouTube | TwoSet Violin's "Secret Plan to Get Back into the Menuhin Competition" . The Violin Channel .
  17. News: Macdonald . Kyle . 1 May 2021 . Watch the world's finest young violinists in a virtual Menuhin Competition for 2021 . . 2 May 2022.
  18. Web site: TwoSet Violin & SSO: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. . 17 September 2022.
  19. News: Popularising classical music: Violin duo TwoSet's Singapore concert tickets sold out within minutes . . 8 October 2022. Eddino Abdul . Hadi .
  20. News: 'A dream come true': TwoSet Violin's '4 Mil Subs' Concert . Cecilia . Tan . . 17 November 2022 . 17 November 2022 .
  21. News: YouTube stars TwoSet Violin and Davie504 to stage 'music battle' in Singapore . Eddino Abdul . Hadi . 10 January 2023. The Straits Times.
  22. News: Music Picks: Concerts by Twoset and Davie504, Chok Kerong and Vanessa Fernandez, and Syafiqah 'Adha Sallehin . Eddino Abdul . Hadi . 16 February 2023 . The Straits Times.
  23. Web site: Scott . Leisa . Armstrong . Rebecca . How YouTube stars Brett and Eddy of TwoSet Violin brought comedy to classical music . ABC News . 13 November 2023 . 22 November 2023.
  24. Web site: Brett Yang + Eddy Chen . ABC News . 13 November 2023 . 22 November 2023. video.
  25. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20181019004535/https://www.musiikkitalo.fi/en/content/twoset-violin-world-tour . 19 October 2018 . 18 October 2018 . Helsinki Music Centre.
  26. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour Frankfurt – 14 October 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181018201722/https://www.evensi.de/twoset-violin-world-tour-frankfurt-saalbau-gallus/263405367 . 18 October 2018 . 18 October 2018 . Evensi.
  27. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour – Wednesday,October 31 2018, 7 pm . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190411002906/https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/twoset-violin-world-tour/ . 11 April 2019 . 18 October 2018 . Kaufman Music Center.
  28. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour San Francisco, San Francisco CA – Nov 17, 2018 – 7:30 PM . 17 November 2018 . 415area.com.
  29. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour Los Angeles . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190411002909/https://www.colburnschool.edu/calendar/events/twoset-violin-world-tour-los-angeles/ . 11 April 2019 . 18 October 2018 . Colburn School.
  30. 1181215897584721922 . TwoSetViolin . We've just released our world tour lineup! Visit http://twosetviolin.com/worldtour to see if we're coming to your city! Where else should we go? . TwoSet Violin . 7 October 2019.
  31. Laurie Niles . Exclusive Interview with TwoSet Violin: Announcing 2021 Virtual World Tour . 23 October 2021 . Violinist.com . 24 September 2021 . TwoSet Violin.
  32. News: Arnold . Eden . 11 January 2022 . TwoSet Violin Takes Classical Music Education Virtual with World Tour . .
  33. Web site: TwoSet Violin World Tour . . 1 April 2023 . TwoSet Violin. 2 April 2023.
  34. Web site: The Strad - 'Not to be missed' - TwoSet Violin's World Tour .
  35. Web site: TwoSet Violin Share World Tour Announcement Video; 27 Cities Confirmed. Eden. Arnold. 4 April 2023. bleedingcool.com.
  36. Web site: Matilla . Mattias . 11 October 2018 . Tämän kaksikon sketsejä on katsottu somessa jo satoja miljoonia kertoja – meemien ja klassisen musiikin yhdistelmä osoittautui hittireseptiksi . This duo's sketches have been watched hundreds of millions of times in Finland – the combination of memes and classical music turned out to be a hit recipe . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040501/https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10442353 . 10 November 2018 . 10 November 2018 . . fi.
  37. News: Kim . Alina . TwoSet Violin Perfects Their Practice . . live . 22 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181223030227/https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2018/11/30/twoset-violin-perfects-practice/ . 23 December 2018.
  38. Hilary Hahn does the Ling Ling Workout (video) . 17 December 2018 . The Strad.
  39. News: Parker . Liz . 24 October 2018 . Niccolò Paganini, perhaps violin's first rock star, was born on October 27 . . . Canada . live . 21 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191021182117/http://classicalfm.ca/station-blog/2018/10/24/niccolo-paganini-perhaps-violins-first-rock-star-born-october-27/ . 21 October 2019.
  40. Web site: Johari . Aarefa . 1 January 2019 . New Year smiles: Want to play like a world-class musician without actually being one? Watch this . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709164710/https://scroll.in/article/907459/new-year-smiles-want-to-play-like-a-world-class-musician-without-actually-being-one-watch-this . 9 July 2019 . 9 July 2019 . Scroll.in.
  41. News: Macdonald . Kyle . 18 November 2020 . 19 memes to prove musicians have a warped sense of humour . .
  42. Web site: MacDonald . Kyle . 3 January 2019 . Actors being roasted by two professional violinists is hilariously brutal . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190721075832/https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/humour/high-strung-twoset-roast/ . 21 July 2019 . 21 July 2019 . Classic FM.
  43. News: Benzon . Bill . 3 February 2020 . TwoSet Violin, The Best Thing In Music Education Since Sliced Bread . 3 Quarks Daily .
  44. News: Davis . Elizabeth . 1 April 2019 . These are the best musical April Fools of 2019 . . live . 21 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190721075832/https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/best-musical-april-fools-2019/ . 21 July 2019.
  45. Web site: TwoSet Violin Release Stunning Short Film, "Fantasia" . 2022-10-03 . Pop Nerd Lounge . 3 June 2022 . en-US.
  46. News: Goh . Bryan . 27 April 2021 . Inside TwoSet Apparel, the Streetwear Line by The Duo behind TwoSet Violin . Men's Folio .
  47. News: Paget . Clive . 13 May 2021 . The Planets align as TwoSet Violin launches fashion range . . subscription.

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