In performances around the world, cellist Christoph Wagner and pianist Joanne Kong have been praised for their impeccable ensemble and sensitive, compelling artistry. As an acclaimed duo in repertoire spanning the Baroque to premieres of new works, they impact diverse audiences in transformative concert experiences. Their performances are a testament to the power of music, instilling in listeners a deep emotional response and heartfelt connection to the life energy and compassionate spirit which connect us all.
Community engagement and education are central to their artistic mission, in a broad range of activities including guest teaching and residencies, visits to schools, retirement communities, churches, and hospitals, as well as benefit performances and house concerts. The duo has also been praised for their unique Strands of Compassion events, an inspirational and compelling blend of music, imagery, and spoken reflections.
CHRISTOPH
Dr. Christoph Wagner is a prize-winning cellist, sought-after pedagogue and lecturer whose mission is to transform the world through music. He received first prizes at the German Youth Competition Jugend Musiziert, Ribalta Mozart Italia in Italy, and the Peter Pirazzi Competition in Germany. Prize-winner of the National Society of Arts and Letters competition in Bloomington, Indiana in both 2016 and 2017, he holds scholarships from the Richard Wagner Verband in Frankfurt, the Lions Club in Karlsruhe, and the Theodor Rogler Foundation for Young Musicians. In 2018, he received the Sviatoslav Richter Grant from Rice University, followed by the Amici di Via Gabina Fellowship in 2019 for research and performances in Italy. Wagner has performed in major concert halls in Europe such as the Berlin Philharmonie and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam under renowned conductors including Jonathan Nott, Lothar Zagrosek and Stefan Asbury, and appeared at festivals throughout Europe and the US. His international career has spanned four continents, including appearances in Switzerland, Croatia, France, Italy, South Africa, South America, China, South Korea and the US.
Wagner has been a passionate music ambassador as fellowship holder from Live Music Now – Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in Germany and as a musician in Classical Connections in Bloomington where he played numerous concerts in underserved areas. Active in expanding the role of the arts in community outreach, Wagner participated in a summer residency with LA Street Symphony in Los Angeles in 2018, working with homeless and prison communities, and was a Young Artist Fellow with DA CAMERA Houston from 2018 – 2020.
Wagner received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Music in Frankfurt, a Master of Music degree at Indiana University, and received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. As a graduate research fellow at Houston Methodist Research Institute, he conducted research focusing on injuries and injury prevention in orchestral musicians. He taught as adjunct faculty of music at Lone Star College in Houston from 2018 – 2023 and regularly gives masterclasses and lectures throughout the US and South America. Dr. Wagner is currently Head of Strings and Assistant Professor of Cello at the University of New Mexico.
JOANNE
Joanne Kong has been praised for “utmost keyboard sensitivity and variety of tone” (Richmond Times-Dispatch), “remarkable technical ability” (The Oregonian), and “superb artistry” (San Antonio Express-News) for works “sensitively played” (The New York Times). Over her career she has been acclaimed for her uniquely communicative style, whether as soloist or collaborative artist, and performed with some of the world’s finest musicians including the Shanghai String Quartet, flutist Eugenia Zukerman, cellist James Wilson, violinist Karen Johnson, viola da gambist Lisa Terry, baritones James Weaver and Zheng Zhou, members of the Bach Aria Group, and the Grammy Award–winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird.
An unusually versatile artist, Dr. Kong enjoys a dual career as both a pianist and harpsichordist. She was the first artist to release a 2-CD recording of the acknowledged monuments of the keyboard variation—the Goldberg Variations by J. S. Bach on harpsichord, paired with Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations for piano. In addition, she premiered Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass’s concerto Side by Side, the first work to feature a keyboard soloist in a dual role as both pianist and harpsichordist. The work was co-commissioned by and performed with Esprit Orchestra of Toronto, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the Richmond Symphony.
Kong is the recipient of numerous honors including a fellowship to the American Academy of the Arts in Europe, prizes in the J. S. Bach International Competition and Beethoven Fellowship Auditions, and the Grand Prize in the 1985 International Piano Recording Competition. She has appeared as guest soloist under conductors William McGlaughlin, Myung-Whun Chung, Alberto Bolet, Samuel Baron, George Manahan, Alexander Kordzaia, Eckart Preu, John Sinclair, Mark Russell Smith, Gil Rose, Steven Smith, and Alex Pauk. As a Bach specialist she has been critically acclaimed for her performances of the Goldberg Variations and Well-Tempered Clavier, and performs as regular guest harpsichordist with the Winter Park Bach Festival.
Kong’s international career includes tours of Brazil and India, and in demand as a music performance coach she has been a guest instructor at New England Conservatory, New York University, Yale University, Rollins College, Rice University, the Colburn School, European Chamber Institute, and others. Currently she directs the Chamber Ensembles program at the University of Richmond.