Review: TwoSet Violin @ Festival Theatre 24/06/26
Classical music’s favourite internet stars TwoSet Violin waltzed onto the Festival Theatre stage for a night of remarkable music and laughter.
Words & Images Brad Pine
Review: TwoSet Violin @ Festival Theatre 124/06/26
sac·ri·le·gious (adjective): having or showing a lack of proper respect for a sacred person, place, or object [Merriam-Webster].
This is what TwoSet Violin have set out to do on this Sacrilegious Games World Tour. The duo, comprising Brett Yang and Eddy Chen, have been infiltrating our social media since 2013. Videos have included pop covers of classical pieces, musical theory explorations through comedic means and references to Ling Ling, their final boss, who encompasses some of their challenges.
According to their posters, they have reshaped the future of classical music – so tonight was to be the evidence of that. The Adelaide Festival Theatre was their testing ground for this hypothesis. Would they be correct in their assessment of themselves?
A dim blue hue fell on the stage; a piano was centre stage. TwoSet’s accompanist for the tour, Sophie Druml, introduced herself and also mentioned that the boys have been lost. In the meantime, she played a piece from her hometown of Vienna. As much as the night was going to be tinged with moments of laughter, the audience was silent, listening to every note Druml played. After this, she exited the stage, only to return to call the boys who were still in their hotel. Rushing onto the stage, Yang and Chen had their first moment together with Druml, much to the delight of the Adelaide crowd.
Speaking of Adelaide, to break the ice, the duo played an Adelaide-themed game of Violin Charades – like normal charades but only using the violin. Having to guess Barossa Valley or Botanic Gardens from just notes or several bars proved to be difficult at times. Especially for Yang, who was so close to getting the word “garden” when he had correctly guessed “garde.” It was painful yet hilarious to watch.
But TwoSet Violin are not just musicians, they are innovators. As Chen explained, classical concerts can be long, so in this day and age, using phones onstage can help a disinterested audience. “For the sake of the plot,” a scam message appeared on the phone they were using, which Chen agreed to – so TwoSet Violin could get ten million subscribers and eternal engagement.
A Squid Game/Anonymous type figure called The Adjudicator came on the screen, instructing the duo into the Sacrilegious Games. The Games were five brutal tasks to prove their worth as internet sensations.
READ MORE: Review: Leon Thomas @ Hindley Street Music Hall 19/6/26
The first game was The Ling Ling Workout 2.0. This involved Chen, Yang and Druml performing ‘Por Una Cabeza’ and ‘Flight Of The Bumblebee’ in various ways. The most ridiculous being having to play with a roll of toilet paper in their hands, while the most impressive variation was ‘Flight Of The Bumblebee’ with fifteen notes per second. Previously, the duo had done this in a video, but it was extraordinary to see live.
The second challenge was to perform ‘Bach Double Violin Concerto’ while using a hula hoop. Initially I was sceptical that the hoop was rigged in some way, but when they started to move around the piano, playing the concerto and continuing to move their hips to keep the hoop up, I knew that they had practised (as they always ask).
The next two challenges once again showed their skills alongside the intrinsic humour they bring to their content. Their ability to change a piece like ‘La Campanella’ into different time periods or styles was done effortlessly – mind you, the K-Pop interpretation may have been more for laughs. Nonetheless, the fourth task allowed Chen and Yang to perform separately, but their pieces were chosen by the audience (from a prepared list). There were calls for ‘Rush E,’ a somewhat meme composition which is incredibly difficult, but to no avail. Chen performed Sibelius’ violin concerto whilst Yang was given Mendelssohn’s. Both performed exceptionally.
After the final task of creating the most sacrilegious video just for the views, the Adjudicator returned to give them ten million subscribers. However, the downfall was brain rot. Chen and Druml were infected with the affliction and rushed offstage. A video appeared; a breaking news segment which described the effects of brain rot. Special appearances from other internet personalities like Uncle Roger, Ms Qiwiee and Steven He aided the recognition of internet culture and how widespread TwoSet’s influence is. This led to the three musicians entering the space again for ‘The Brain Rot Concerto’ – the cure for this modern-day evil. The Adjudicator was defeated, and classical music was saved.
The night ended without the humour and video presentations. TwoSet Violin performed Sarasate’s ‘Navarra’ and Handel’s ‘Passacaglia’ to rapturous applause that did not seem to end. Even Yang was stunned by the continued cheers for them, leading to Chen eventually wishing us good night as the applause continued.
So, are TwoSet Violin the ones to reshape the future of classical music? Can their “innovative new solutions” to engage the audience really work? Tonight was a great example to point to the yes column. Classical music may not bring in the droves of listeners from all around, but the idea of using short-form segments and interactive moments may be the way to keep the audiences coming back.
