TwoSet Violin briefly back as faux band of classical composers, release farewell music videos
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Eddy Chen (left), dressed as composer Johann Sebastian Bach, with Brett Yang, as composer Dmitri Shostakovich, on the set of their music video Forever Symphony.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
NEW YORK – Australian violinists Eddy Chen and Brett Yang arrived in the suburbs of Bangkok, Thailand, recently on a mischievous mission. They had come to record hip-hop videos about Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach and other titans of classical music as if they were alive today.
“They called me calloused, called me unfeeling,” rapped Chen, dressed as Beethoven with a grey wig and crimson scarf, in one video. “Can’t let them know what I am concealing.”
It was just another day in the life of Chen and Yang, better known as the comedy duo TwoSet Violin, who have millions of fans for the humour and whimsy they bring to the often very serious world of classical music. Over the past 11 years, they have galvanised a younger generation of musicians and helped dispel their field’s stuffy image.
But Chen, 31, and Yang, 32, who are based in Singapore, say they are moving on. They announced in October
The post garnered more than 330,000 likes, with many fans in disbelief.
In an interview, the pair – both born in Taiwan and raised in Brisbane, Australia – confirmed they were finished with TwoSet Violin, although they said they would probably continue to work together. They were increasingly worn out by the demands of creating more than 100 videos each year. And, with 4.3 million subscribers on YouTube, they were growing tired of the scrutiny.
“We’ve said all we wanted to say,” Yang said. “It felt like I had 50kg weights on my shoulders for the last 11 years, just trying to please people and be the best that we can.”
Chen and Yang, who made a habit of reading comments on their work, said they felt like they were under a microscope. At times, they were stung by criticisms of their personalities, music and style.
“Sometimes, social media becomes this question of ‘Who’s the next person for us to all hate on?’” Chen said. “We needed a break.”
As part of their farewell, Chen and Yang are planning to release six videos in which they play members of a band of composers called B²TSM. (Inspired by K-pop, the band’s name stands for Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Mozart.)
In the first video I’m Bach, released on Dec 5, Chen, as Bach, finds himself dismayed by modern music. He raps: “Ma’am, I need you to take a step back/Your generation of music is wack/Music gone from baroque to broke/Uninspired like some kind of joke.”
He described the videos as a final gift to fans, “our blood, sweat and tears”.
“We’re showing what TwoSet has meant to us through our art in the same way composers share how they feel through their music,” he said. “To us, that feels very meaningful.”
Eddy Chen (right), dressed as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, on the set of his music video Forever Symphony in Chonburi, Thailand.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
In 2023 and 2024, they embarked on a 39-city tour, appearing at some of the world’s top concert halls. At the Philharmonie in Berlin, a fan threw a bra on stage.
But their gruelling schedule began to take a toll. During a vacation in Japan earlier in 2024, Chen and Yang found themselves tied to their desks. They reached what they described as a mutual decision to move on.
“It’s exciting to question yourself and challenge yourself sometimes,” Chen said, “and not just do things purely out of inertia.”
In October, at home in Singapore, they removed most of their over 1,500 videos from YouTube, preserving only 29.
In their farewell post, they wrote: “We’ve all grown up together and it’s kind of surreal that we’re ending our chapter here. Thank you for all the laughs, the genuine encounters in real life and all the special moments we’ve had with you online and offline.”
The reaction from fans was intense. Some were angered by Chen and Yang’s decision and chastised them for removing their content. Others said they had grown up watching TwoSet Violin and were not sure how they would cope.
The duo unplugged from social media and stayed silent. Friends messaged to ask if they were okay. Fans published investigations and commentary.
Chen and Yang said they did not want to post a trite video explaining their decision, and resolved instead to make the B²TSM videos as their send-off.
Brett Yang (right), as composer Dmitri Shostakovich, with extras on the set of the music video My Testament in Bangkok.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
“I would much rather give all of you our best in these music videos than give you a nice, kind, seems-authentic video,” Yang said. “I’d rather let your dreams and fantasies run free.”
For the lavishly produced videos, the duo filmed in Hong Kong, Thailand and Austria. They worked with Hong Kong Ballet to record a video about Tchaikovsky. In Austria, they produced Papa Wolfgang Style, a Mozart-themed video, at the Eckartsau palace. They also filmed at Vienna’s storied Musikverein concert hall.
Chen and Yang said they do not know what would come next, although they said it was possible they would perform again as B²TSM, which they introduced in 2022.
“It would be stupid to throw this all away,” Yang said, “after all the ups and downs we’ve been through together.” Chen agreed: “I’m pretty useless in some areas of life without Brett.”
To the fans disappointed by their decision, they offered a simple response. “Go practise,” Yang said. “There are no excuses any more.” NYTIMES
