Meet Duo Fuerza

Praised by critics for their “exciting pianism filled with highly powerful emotion” and “sensitive playing and touch,” James D’León and Alwen Yeung have paired up to form a pianistic and musical ensemble that has kept audiences on the edge of their seats. They received their first piano lessons at the ages of 4 and 6, respectively, after which they went on to earn their own distinctions as highly sought-after performers, chamber musicians, and accompanists. Their eclectic mix of compositions have ranged from refined baroque, classical, and romantic works, such as J.S. Bach, Franz Schubert, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, to raucous tangos by Astor Piazzolla and jazzy works by George Gershwin. Along with their natural ability of working in sync to reveal the color and essence of each work, they bring audiences even closer by their “Conversations from the Piano” approach, creating an engaging, challenging, and fun experience for all.

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Born in South Korea, James D’León began the piano at the age of 4 and performed his first recital at 5. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 at the age of 14. He continued his studies with the late George Sementovsky from Temple University, which greatly influenced his piano performance style, after which he was awarded a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. From there, he won praise in many international piano competitions such as the Bachauer, Leeds, Cliburn, and Naumburg, the latter of which he was a top-five finalist out of 250 extraordinary pianists. Afterwards, he made his New York Debut at Carnegie Hall, which launched his performance career. Praised by critics as “a musical sorcerer with powerful emotion,” he was selected as an International Steinway Artist on both the New York and Hamburg (Germany) rosters. Since then, he has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe with many renowned orchestras, chamber groups, and festivals.

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Born in Hong Kong, Alwen Yeung began the piano at the age of 6, after which she studied at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and The University of Hong Kong with Gabriel Kwok. She eventually moved to the United States, where she honed her performance skills through graduate degrees from Florida State University and Middlebury College in Vermont. Since then, she has performed on many stages, ranging from the southeastern United States to Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Indonesia. Praised by critics for her “sensitive playing and touch,” she is an active performer, an award-winning chamber musician, and a highly sought-after accompanist, with previous performances at the Hong Kong Music Festival, Rosalynn Carter’s Celebration of Life service, and President Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday Celebration concert.