We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beatrice & Christina Long. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beatrice & Christina below.
Beatrice & Christina , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Where do you get your resilience from?
We get it from our parents.
We grew up in a rural seaside town in Taiwan during the 1960s. Surrounded by high mountains and the ocean, it was hard to access the big cities—and with that, good musical training was nearly impossible to come by. But our parents loved classical music deeply.
Our mother was the daughter of a pastor. She taught herself to play hymns in four-part harmony on a tiny organ in her father’s church. At home, she would review notes on a paper keyboard she had drawn herself. Her own mother—our maternal grandmother—was quite traditional and didn’t believe in investing in higher education for daughters. But our mom never gave up. She practiced on borrowed pianos, worked as a secretary after high school, and paid for piano lessons with her own hard-earned money.
Our father came from a poor family but rose to become a college graduate and later, the vice president of a fertilizer company. When we were toddlers, he received a joint scholarship from the Taiwanese and German governments to study industrial management in Germany for nearly two years. It was there that his love for classical music deepened. When he returned home, he brought back a collection of LPs and introduced us to a rich repertoire of symphonies, lieder, and choral works.
As children, we came to understand what a privilege it was to learn this beautiful and universal language called music. Our parents showed us that no matter what obstacles we face, we must keep going—one step at a time—in pursuit of our passions.
Their determination and love are the roots of our resilience
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
We are concert pianists, performing both as solo artists and together as Long Duo Piano. We are also passionate educators- in private studio and in universities. As sisters who live 1,600 miles apart, every opportunity to come together and make music is something we treasure. From curating our programs to rehearsing and finally taking the stage, our collaborative process is both challenging and deeply rewarding.
Performing as a piano duo—especially on two pianos—requires an extraordinary level of synchronization, almost like double figure skating. But the sonic possibilities are incredible. We love the dynamic range and versatility this format offers. In addition to performing the classical repertoire, we’re passionate about contemporary works. We enjoy collaborating with living composers, arranging our own pieces, and exploring styles from Argentine Tangos to Taiwanese folk songs.
One of the highlights of our career so far was being recognized by The Washington Post, which praised our work by saying Long Duo Piano “brings new life to duo piano recitals.”
A particularly meaningful project for us involved discovering and recording lesser-known two-piano concerti with orchestra. One of the most exciting finds was the handwritten score of American composer Dana Suesse (1909–1987), often referred to as the “girl Gershwin.” Though she wrote numerous jazz works for Paul Whiteman’s big band in the 1920s and ’30s, her contributions went largely unrecognized—simply because she was a woman. It was a powerful experience to bring her music to life from an old black-ink manuscript and to give her the spotlight she deserved.
All of our recordings are available on our YouTube channel: @LongDuoPiano.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to be performing in Poland and at the Euro Music Festival, followed by a concert tour in China. We believe music is a universal language—one that bridges cultures and brings people together in a way nothing else can
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, We’d say three things made the biggest impact on our journey: persistence, self-belief, and constantly expanding our skill set.
Persistence carried us through the moments when things felt stagnant or uncertain. It’s not glamorous, but ‘showing up every day’ (practice, practice, practice)—even when no one’s watching—makes all the difference.
Believing in ourselves didn’t always come naturally, but we learned to nurture that inner voice that said, “You can.” That belief became our anchor, especially when faced with doubt or setbacks.
And widening our skill set—being open to learning beyond our core discipline—allowed us to grow not just as an artists, but as a whole person. Piano playing in classical music genre requires hours and hours of practice from childhood, and it can be stifling. To find inspiration we look to other form of arts, such as in literature we look for the timing and form of story-telling, in paintings the textures and colors, etc. Communication with audience can be both gratifying and frightening, so we aim to develop better verbal skill to talk to the audience before our performance. Creativity isn’t a straight line, and exploring new tools, styles, and ideas brought depth and color to everything we do.
For those just starting out, here’s what we’d say:
Keep refining your craft—not just the technical parts, but the emotional and expressive layers too. Let all forms of art inspire you: literature, music, film, dance, poetry, painting. Even the everyday mundane stuff- there are always a different perspective.
Practice mindfulness. It’s a powerful tool for quieting self-doubt and managing performance anxiety. It helps you stay present, focused, and connected to your purpose.
And above all, don’t take rejections personally. They don’t define your worth or your potential. Every step counts.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Are we looking to collaborate? Absolutely.
We’re passionate about exploring the shared language between music, poetry, and dance—and we’re always seeking kindred spirits who want to blur the boundaries between art forms.
We’d love to connect with visual artists, dancers, choreographers, or interdisciplinary creatives who are interested in building immersive, multimedia experiences—where sound, movement, and imagery come together to tell a deeper story. Whether it’s a live performance, an installation, or a digital collaboration, we’re excited by the idea of creating something unique and meaningful together.
We’re also deeply committed to music education and mentorship, and we’d be thrilled to collaborate with schools, universities, and arts organizations to support and inspire the next generation of musicians. Sharing the journey, nurturing talent, and building creative confidence in young artists is something that matters deeply to us.
If this resonates with you and you feel there’s potential to create something unique together, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out directly www.longduopiano.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.longduopiano.com
- Facebook: Long Duo Piano
- Youtube: @longduopiano
Image Credits
Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco, Nicole Lin
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
