Pianist Kevin Cheng, who’d come to the United States from Taiwan, had accidently hit a deer. A deer hunter who’d previously brought venison to Heidi Tillotson’s large family, Cheng figured they might be able to use the meat.
So, the two spent time preparing the venison. Both musicians, their second date involved copying and printing sheet music.
A harmonious relationship developed that led to marriage.
Today, the Chengs travel the Midwest performing in nursing homes, assisted living residences and churches.
On Sunday, Dec. 4, they’ll share their piano and violin music at Peace Lutheran Church. The public is invited to the free concert, called “Christmas in the Air,” which starts at 1:30 p.m. in the church at 2102 N. County Road 26, Fremont.
Those who attend can hear traditional Christmas carols arranged for piano and violin and meet the Chengs.
Kevin Cheng was 5 when his mother said she’d buy him McDonald’s chicken nuggets if he’d take piano lessons.
The culinary motivation worked.
When Cheng was 12, his parents took him to the National Concert Hall in Taipei where he saw a professional concert pianist.
“He was blown away,” Heidi said. “He started practicing five hours every day and quickly excelled.”
Cheng took lessons from a top professor and looked forward to a music career, but a National Conservatory of Music recruiter never came his city so he missed being able to apply.
That’s when his mom suggested he study music in the United States. He was directed to Nebraska Christian School in Central City.
It was dark when his plane landed in Lincoln and Cheng, then 15, was taken to Central City.
Assuming Central City was a metropolis and the school was like the prestigious Julliard in New York City, Cheng was shocked to find himself the next day in a remote, rural area and a smaller school.
He considered returning to Taiwan, but the Nebraska school gave him several opportunities, including lessons with a Hastings College professor and the chance to try out for various competitions.
Dave Deichmann, a Central City farmer, began talking with Cheng after a concert. They became friends and Deichmann started taking Cheng to go hunting during deer season.
During those trips, Deichmann told Cheng about Christ. Cheng eventually asked Deichmann why he’d give up so much time to take him hunting.
Heidi said Deichmann expressed his care for Cheng, adding that the love he had was nowhere near the love of Jesus who died on the cross to save him.
Cheng had heard about Jesus at the Christian school he attended, but Deichmann’s words made an impact.
“That was when the Lord touched Kevin’s heart and that’s when he gave his life to Jesus and it transformed his playing and his idea of greatness,” Heidi said.
Cheng realized he didn’t need to be the best to play for people. He needed to play from his heart.
“He was willing to play for anybody – no matter who it was—and he wanted to tell his story with his music, how he came to Jesus,” Heidi said.
Cheng graduated from Central City High School and went to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he met his future wife.
Heidi was the youngest of six children in her family. Her grandmother, mom and a sister inspired her love of music and Heidi was 10 when she began playing the violin.
She’d later play with the Kearney Symphony Orchestra. Music was one of the things Heidi wanted to study in college.
“However, the Lord also laid people with disabilities on my heart,” she said.
Heidi studied occupational therapy through Central Community College in Grand Island and continued to play with the symphony.
She’d heard Kevin Cheng was an incredible pianist, who was recruiting musicians for his own symphony. She respected his passion about what he did and wanted to meet the man who used his music to share about Jesus.
“We didn’t seem to hit it off the first time,” she said.
But Cheng hunted and gave the venison to people he knew, including her family.
“Because I was from a larger family, we always took free venison,” she said.
Heidi was home one night, when Cheng knocked on the door.
“There he was with a dead buck he had just accidentally hit with his car,” she said.
They spent their first date turning the deer into venison. They began talking and confirmed she’d be part of his symphony. They spent their next date working on the sheet music and continued dating.
About six months later, they got engaged. They married in July 2018. They lived in Taiwan for about three months, running a fast food breakfast restaurant.
They returned to the U.S. in October 2018 and thereafter began performing in nursing homes and assisted living residences. Churches began asking them to perform and some also wanted Kevin to share his story on Sunday mornings.
“We’ve traveled to different states in the Midwest,” she said.
They perform in nursing and assisted living homes during the week and in churches on weekends.
Heidi said they’ve performed at Nye Square, Nye Legacy, Dunklau Gardens, Providence Place and the Heritage at Shalimar Gardens.
They had to find different jobs when performances were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We did a lot of outdoor yardwork during that time,” she said.
They also began performing quarterly as guests on “Quarantine Tonight” on now U.S. Senator Mike Flood’s television station News Channel Nebraska, where Nebraska talent was featured.
“That’s how we got contacted to play at First Lutheran Church in Fremont in 2021,” she said.
They look forward to playing Christmas music at Peace Lutheran.
“We do a unique presentation of the Nativity with Christmas music and we present it in a very down-to-earth way so that the audience feels like the Nativity happened right here in Nebraska,” Heidi said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
She believes attendees will be inspired and will enjoy the opportunity of seeing a live musical presentation, which is very different than seeing it on television.
“Kevin’s playing is incredible and so you can get a front row seat and the experience of a well-seasoned, classical concert pianist,” Heidi said. “Most people say, ‘I’ve never seen somebody play that fast.’”
She also believes it would be a good place for a parent to take a child, who might be inspired to become a future musician.
“That’s how Kevin and I were inspired was by going to live music concerts and watching them,” she said. “There’s something about watching something in 3D rather than 2D, just on a screen.”
English (US)