Pekinel sisters facts for kids
Güher Pekinel and Süher Pekinel (born March 29, 1951, Istanbul) are twin sisters from Turkey. They are famous pianists who mostly play together as a duo. Many people around the world know them as one of the best piano duos.
Their Amazing Musical Journey
The sisters started playing for people when they were just six years old. By age nine, they played with the Ankara Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time.
They studied music in Paris with Yvonne Loriod and at the Frankfurter Musikhochschule. Later, famous pianist Rudolf Serkin invited them to study with him. This was at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
The Pekinel sisters finished their music training in 1978. They studied at the Juilliard School in New York. They also learned from other great pianists like Claudio Arrau, Leon Fleisher, and Adele Marcus.
When they were 18, Güher and Süher won first prize at the German National Piano Competition. They won this as solo players. After that, they won many more first prizes in competitions. These were in Germany, Italy, France, and the USA. In 1978, they won first prize for Germany at the UNESCO World Piano Competition as a duo.
A famous conductor, Herbert von Karajan, discovered them in 1984. He invited them to play at the Salzburg Festival. They played there many times after that. Since then, they have played all over the world. They have performed with top orchestras like the Berlin, Vienna, and London Philharmonic. They also played with the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Leipziger Gewandhaus.
Recordings and Performances
The Pekinel sisters have made many recordings of piano music. They recorded for well-known music companies. These include Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, and Warner Classics. They worked with Warner Classics for 25 years.
They also worked with the famous jazz musician Jacques Loussier. Their album "Take Bach" was a worldwide hit. It featured their own versions of Bach's concertos for two and three pianos.
In 2006, they released a CD with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. This CD featured music by Brahms and Saint-Saens. Major newspapers like The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian called it the Best Album of the Year.
The Pekinels have been on many TV and radio shows. Two documentaries have been made about them. One was called "Double Life."
A special moment was when they played at the opening of the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna. They performed with the Vienna Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. This concert was shown live in 32 countries around the world. They have played with many other famous conductors too. These include Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, and Riccardo Chailly.
Their "Live in Concert" DVD came out in 2010. It showed their New Year Concerts from 2007. Another DVD, "Bach Jazz," was released in 2011. It featured their concert with Sir Colin Davis. It also included their Bach-Jazz piano concertos with Jacques Loussier.
In 2012, Decca, DG, and Philips released a special collection. It celebrated 100 years of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." This CD-Box included the Pekinels' 1984 recording.
Their latest DVD and CD came out in 2014. It had live recordings of Bartok's Concerto. It also included music by Schubert, Mozart, Debussy, and Infante. This recording was nominated for a German music award in 2015.
In 1991, the Turkish Government gave the Pekinel sisters a special award. They were named "State Artist," which is a very rare honor. They also have honorary degrees from Boğaziçi University. In 2013, they received the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation “Honorary Award” for their lifetime achievements.
Helping Young Musicians
Güher and Süher Pekinel have also started three important music education projects. They want to help young musicians and children.
Their first project is called “Young Musicians on World Stages.” It helps young musicians in Turkey get better training. The project gives them good instruments and scholarships. This lets them study with top musicians in Europe. They can also join international music competitions. In five years, these young musicians won many first and second prizes. The Pekinels won an award in 2011 for this project.
Their second project started in 2007. They created the G&S Pekinel Music Department. This is at TEVITÖL, a special boarding school for gifted children in Turkey. This program was the first of its kind in Turkey. Now, universities accept it for credit.
The third project focuses on a teaching method called Orff Schulwerk. The Pekinels want to use this method in kindergartens and primary schools in Turkey. It helps children become more creative and confident. It also helps them think better. Since 2010, the Ministry of National Education has been working with them on this project.
