While browsing on YouTube on a day in October 2025, a video of the violinist duo popped up, promoting their upcoming debut album to be launched on November. I was drawn into their performance and so I read more about them.
Hina and Fiona Khuong-Huu are sisters born in New York to French-Vietnamese and Japanese parents. They have carved out impressive individual careers since young. Hina (born 19 Jul 2004) started playing violin at age 3, won first prize in the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition. Fiona (born 27 Feb 2007) won first prize (Category E2) in the 2016 Osaka International Music Competition and debuted with the New York Philharmonic at 16.
Individually, they have illustrious careers, but their musical uniqueness is strongest when they come together. Violin duets are not uncommon but as sisters who share a lifelong bond, their performances are so cohesive and in-sync. This debut album, Dear To Us, is a heartfelt project that reflects their shared journey. The title itself suggests music that is personal and cherished, and the repertoire they’ve chosen highlights both their virtuosity and their emotional depth. It presents a repertoire that is widely performed in the violin community but rarely found in a single collection. The selection is a mix of solo duets, violin duo with piano accompaniment, and solo with piano.
What sets Dear To Us apart is its balance of virtuosity and vulnerability. The sisters don’t just play together – they elevate each other. Their interpretations are marked by warmth, clarity, and a sense of shared purpose, offering music that is both polished and natural. Notwithstanding, the performance is rather perfect in intonation and timing.
The vinyl pressing by Pentatone does not disappoint. The grooves are silent, with barely occasional dust clicks. The triple-fold cover sleeve showcases beautiful images of the sisters, and the full-colour booklet printed in glossy paper shares their personal thoughts to the album. The first pressing of 1000 units are uniquely numbered, something that was not openly promoted by Pentatone.
The music that is reproduced on vinyl records just sounds and feels different from digital source, and this has been proven time and again. When I sampled Hina and Fiona’s album on Spotify, I didn’t quite keep myself engaged with the music. After a few tracks, I drifted into doing other tasks and left the music playing in the background.
When listening on vinyl, I was listening more intently, as if I was in a live concert. After all, the music is physically generated in real time through the tiny grooves etched on the record. Listening with the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 elevates the experience. It is an excellent pairing as the headphones complement the sonic character of vinyl which typically has a leaner bass and warmer treble. Because every groove vibration is intentional and detectable, the audio is produced with certainty, pushes the sound to me and lets me hear what is physically generated.
Track Listing (Pentatone, 2025)
Side A
- Passacaglia for 2 Violins (after Handel’s Suite No. 7 in G Minor) — Johan Halvorsen (6:39)
- Poème élégiaque, Op. 12 — Eugène Ysaÿe (14:23). Performed by Fiona with pianist Rohan De Silva
Side B — Suite for 2 Violins and Piano, Op. 71 — Moritz Moszkowski
- I. Allegro Energico (5:07)
- II. Allegro Moderato (5:30)
- III. Lento Assai (3:13)
- IV. Molto Vivace (4:52)
Side C
Sonata for 2 Violins, Op. 15a — Miklós Rózsa
- I. Allegro Energico (4:54)
- II. Largo (5:13)
- III. Vivo e Giocoso (5:39)
- The Violin: Complete Works: October Rose — Anna Clyne (3:51)
Side D
- Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra — Maurice Ravel (10:35). Performed by Hina with pianist Rohan
- Navarra, Op. 33 — Pablo de Sarasate (6:27)
- Estrellita — Manuel Ponce (3:29)
I ordered my copy of Dear To Us from Pentatone website which took over 2 months to ship due to warehouse issues. Fortunately, Singapore residents can get theirs from Wow Acoustics, but only with limited copies remaining. Visit their official website at https://www.hinafiona.com/dear-to-us