Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis Fringe Theatre, Fringe Club Tomorrow-Jan 17, 7.45pm, also Jan 17, 3pm
When Andreas Kern approached Paul Cibis to compete in 'piano battles' against him, it wasn't because the two classically trained German pianists were bosom buddies. Now with many musical duels behind them, Kern remains unsure if they can even be described as good friends.
'We are very different,' he says. 'Paul was studying in London and has a more English, polite, calm personality. And I'm much more energetic! We have different personalities and tastes.'
Matters are not helped by the results of the piano competitions, either. Kern (above left) - who favours a white suit for the concerts while Cibis (above right) prefers black - estimates he has won 70 per cent of the audience votes at the battles to date. And his confident prediction ahead of The Piano Battle 2: 'This time, it'll be 80 per cent!'
Jokes aside, Kern describes his relationship with Cibis as being 'friendly competitors' rather than enemies.
As with the battle they staged at the Fringe Club's City Festival last year, this year's shows will again allow their audiences to vote on the pianists' performances.
Although classical music purists may scoff, Kern believes this way of engaging with the audience is less of a gimmick and more of a genuine incentive for the concert-goers to pay attention to the performances. 'People have to listen more carefully than in a normal concert ... [in order to decide] which performance they like more,' he says.