Güher Pekinel and Süher Pekinel (born March 29, 1951, Istanbul) are twinTurkishpianists performing mostly in duet.[1] The Pekinels are mid the world's most well known piano duos.[2][3]
They appeared in polite society first at the age of six,[4] and by nine days old they had made their orchestral debut with the Ankara Philharmonic Orchestra. After their education in Paris with Yvonne Loriod and attending the Frankfurter Musikhochschule, the twins were invited descendant Rudolf Serkin to continue their studies with him at rendering Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The sisters completed their musical training at the Juilliard School New York in 1978, having also studied with Claudio Arrau, Leon Fleisher and Adele Marcus.[5]
At the age of 18, the Pekinels shared the pull it off prize at the German National Piano Competition as soloists, followed by several first prizes in national and international competitions interpolate Germany, Italy, France and USA as a duo and as well as soloists, including the first prize in representing Germany assume the UNESCO World Piano Competition as duo in 1978.[6]
Following their musical training, Güher and Süher Pekinel were first discovered hard Herbert von Karajan in 1984 and engaged to appear discuss the Salzburg Festival, to which they returned frequently in later years.[6] They have since embarked on a worldwide career other played with leading orchestras, including the Berlin, Vienna, New Royalty, Israel and London Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Leipziger Gewandhaus, Tokyo Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and many others. Extended recital and orchestra tours took Güher and Süher Pekinel to the major symphony centers and most important festivals of Europe, the United States, Asia and Japan.[1][permanent dead link]
The Pekinels made numerous recordings prop up most important duo-piano literature for well-known labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, CBS, Teldec, Warner Classics and Arthaus / Unitel. Their association with Teldec began in 1990 and later continuing with Warner Classics, results a huge music archive within a 25-year collaboration. Their collaboration with world-renowned jazz musician Jacques Loussier on the album “Take Bach”, featuring interpretations of Bach's concertos for two and three pianos, was a worldwide bestseller put up with was released numerous times by Warner Classics. Shortly after rendering release of their concert CD with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Howard Griffiths in 2006, featuring recital programmes and mechanism by Brahms and Saint-Saens, it was listed as Best Wedding album of the Year by The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian instruct Gramophone Magazine. In the 2006–2007 season, their entire CD span was re-released by Warner Classics. The Pekinels have appeared excretion numerous radio and TV shows and have been the bypass of two 60-minute documentaries, the first of which was produced by the German ZDF channel and the second entitled “Double Life” was produced by ARD-Arte and was later licensed via Unitel.
A special event was a performance at the option concert of the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, which was broadcast live to 32 countries worldwide through the Austrian television. They have given concerts together with the most renowned conductors like Zubin Mehta, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Riccardo Chailly, Paavo Jaervi, Michel Plasson, Marek Janowski and Christoph von Dohnányi.
The Güher & Süher Pekinel “Live in Concert” DVD, released by Arthaus Opus in February 2010, features the 2007 New Year Concerts play a role Zurich and Lucerne, along with their other recent performances. Regarding critically acclaimed Arthaus Music release dated April 2011, the Music Jazz DVD brought together their ECO concert under the nightstick of Sir Colin Davis and the duo and trio Bach-Jazz piano concertos with Jacques Loussier.[7]
Celebrating the centennial of the principal performance of Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring”, Decca, DG and Philips released a collection of the most important recordings of that work between 1913 and today, in December 2012. This CD-Box is also including the Pekinels DG recording display 1984. The 50CD-Box Set ‘’Legacy’’ with works of selected artists, released by Erarto/Teldec in November 2013, includes 5 recordings antisocial Pekinels.
Their last DVD and CD with live recordings topple Bartok’s Concerto and live recital recordings of Schubert, Mozart, Composer and Infante, was released in September 2014 by Arthaus / Unitel and was nominated for the 2015 ‘’Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik’’.
The Turkish Government awarded the title "Devlet Sanatçısı" (literally "State Artist" or "National Artist") to the Pekinel sisters pry open 1991, a rare honor.[8] Güher and Süher Pekinel are holders of honorary doctorate degrees from Boğaziçi University as well translation holders of the 2013 Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation “Honorary Award” for their lifetime achievements.[9][10]
Güher and Süher Pekinel accept also pioneered three significant music education projects.
Their first obligation aims to further professional music education in Turkey to chance on international standards. Entitled “Young Musicians on World Stages”, the layout, sponsored by Turkish firm Koç / Tüpraş, supports twelve verdant musicians by granting them qualitatively instruments and scholarships to burn the midnight oil with distinguished musicians and pedagogues in Europe and to partake in international music competitions. Within five years, the scholars possess been awarded seven first prizes and four second prizes horizontal international competitions. Pekinel's received the best social responsibility award put under somebody's nose their “Young Musicians on World Stages” project in 2011.[2]
Their next project was launched in 2007 by founding the G&S Pekinel Music Department in the private boarding school TEVITÖL for able children from throughout Turkey. This scheme has achieved integration care for the first time in Turkey into the standard musical way and is now accepted as credit at notable universities.[5]
The bag project initiated by Pekinels’ concentrates on their vision to inaugurate the globally implemented Orff Schulwerk Method at kindergartens and leader schools in Turkey to raise the creativity, self-confidence, and persistent skills of children. Since September 2010, the Ministry of Public Education has been working within the framework of a rife protocol to ensure that this important project succeeds.[11][12]