Pekinel sisters
Encyclopedia
Güher Pekinel and Süher Pekinel (born March 29, 1953, Istanbul
) as identical twin
s, are Turkish
pianist
s performing mostly in duet.
to continue their studies with him at the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia. The sisters completed their musical training at the Juilliard School
in 1978, having also studied with Claudio Arrau
and Leon Fleisher
. Furthermore, Adele Marcus
and Yvonne Loriod
were their teachers in solo and Mieczyslaw Horszowski
in duo.
At the age of 18, the Pekinels shared the first prize at the German National Piano Competition as soloists, followed by several first prizes in national and international competitions in Germany, Italy, France and USA as a duo and also as soloists, including the first prize in representing Germany at the UNESCO World Piano Competition in 1978.
in 1984 and engaged to appear at the Salzburg Festival
, to which they returned frequently in subsequent years. They have since embarked on a worldwide career and played with leading orchestras, including the Berlin, Vienna, New York
and Israel Philharmonic
, Concertgebouw Amsterdam
, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Cleveland
, Los Angeles Philharmonic
, Tokyo Philharmonic, RAI Milano, St. Cecilia and many others. Extended recital tours took Güher and Süher Pekinel to the major music centers and most important festivals of Europe, the United States, and Japan.
A special event was a performance at the opening concert of the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta
, which was broadcast live to 23 countries worldwide through the Austrian television. The season 2001-2002 saw new series of concerts with the Trio Jacques Loussier
in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Their concert at the Schwetzinger Festspiele in June 2001 was broadcast live by SWR TV and radio. Other performances include concerts with Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Toulouse, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monaco, Zuricher Kammerorchester and Philharmonisches Orchester Hamburg and Braunschweig
as well recitals in Germany
, the Netherlands
, Switzerland
, Italy
, Denmark
, Norway
and France
. They toured with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic including Tel Aviv
and Jerusalem (Israel), following concerts with Zurich Chamber Orchestra
in Switzerland, Austria
, Germany and recitals in Germany, the Czech Republic
and Italy.
Recent highlights include their performance of the Mozart concerto
for two pianos at the Salzburg Festival and concerts with the Frankfurter Museumsorchester
under Michel Plasson
at the Alte Oper
in Frankfurt
, Germany. Among the 2000–2001 season‘s engagements were recital performances in Germany, Switzerland, Hongkong Art Festival as well as concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic at the Semperoper
in Dresden
and the Gulbenkian Orchestra
in Lisbon
. In addition, they appeared in two gala concerts in Lucerne, Switzerland with the Wuerttembergische Philharmonie and with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo and Marek Janowski
for the opening of the new concert hall in Monte Carlo
.
and Mozart
to Lutosławski and Boulez
.
, featuring the Bruch, Mozart and Mendelssohn concertos. Their recording in collaboration with the renowned Trio Jacques Loussier on jazz renditions of Bach’s concertos for two and three pianos, Take Bach, had worldwide record sales. In 2002, a CD containing a recital program of Brahms
and Saint-Saëns
works was released. In June 2003, Pekinels recorded complete Bach two- and three-piano concertos with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Howard Griffiths
.
" or "National Artist") to the Pekinel sisters in 1991, a rare honor. The television channels French-German ARTE
, German ARD
and Turkish ATV
made TV documentaries of one-hour each about their musical lives.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
) as identical twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s, are Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
s performing mostly in duet.
Early years
The Pekinels received their first piano lessons from their pianist mother. They appeared in public first at the age of six, and by nine years old they had made their orchestral debut with the Ankara Philharmonic Orchestra. After attending the Paris Conservatory and the Frankfurter Musikhochschule, the twins were invited by Rudolf SerkinRudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin , was a Bohemian-born pianist.-Life and early career:Serkin was born in Eger, Bohemia, Austro-Hungarian Empire to a Russian-Jewish family....
to continue their studies with him at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia. The sisters completed their musical training at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in 1978, having also studied with Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau León was a Chilean pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers, especially Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy...
and Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher is an American pianist and conductor.-Early life and studies:Fleisher was born in San Francisco, where he started studying the piano at age four...
. Furthermore, Adele Marcus
Adele Marcus
Adele Marcus was an American pianist, but better known as a teacher of many other famous pianists.She was born in Kansas City, the last of 13 children of a rabbi of Russian descent...
and Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.-Life:...
were their teachers in solo and Mieczyslaw Horszowski
Mieczyslaw Horszowski
Mieczysław Horszowski was a Polish-American pianist who had the longest known career in the history of the performing arts.-Early life:...
in duo.
At the age of 18, the Pekinels shared the first prize at the German National Piano Competition as soloists, followed by several first prizes in national and international competitions in Germany, Italy, France and USA as a duo and also as soloists, including the first prize in representing Germany at the UNESCO World Piano Competition in 1978.
Career
Following their musical training, Güher and Süher Pekinel were first discovered by Herbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
in 1984 and engaged to appear at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, to which they returned frequently in subsequent years. They have since embarked on a worldwide career and played with leading orchestras, including the Berlin, Vienna, New York
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
and Israel Philharmonic
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
, Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1988, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra...
, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Cleveland
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
, Tokyo Philharmonic, RAI Milano, St. Cecilia and many others. Extended recital tours took Güher and Süher Pekinel to the major music centers and most important festivals of Europe, the United States, and Japan.
A special event was a performance at the opening concert of the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
, which was broadcast live to 23 countries worldwide through the Austrian television. The season 2001-2002 saw new series of concerts with the Trio Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier is a French pianist and composer. He is well-known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations.-Early life and education :...
in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Their concert at the Schwetzinger Festspiele in June 2001 was broadcast live by SWR TV and radio. Other performances include concerts with Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Toulouse, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monaco, Zuricher Kammerorchester and Philharmonisches Orchester Hamburg and Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
as well recitals in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They toured with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic including Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and Jerusalem (Israel), following concerts with Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
The Zurich Chamber Orchestra is a Swiss chamber orchestra based in Zurich. The ZKO's principal concert venue in Zurich is the Tonhalle. The ZKO also performs in Zurich at the Rietberg Museum, the ZKO-Haus in the Seefeld quarter of the city, and such churches as the Fraumünster and the Kirche St....
in Switzerland, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany and recitals in Germany, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Italy.
Recent highlights include their performance of the Mozart concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
for two pianos at the Salzburg Festival and concerts with the Frankfurter Museumsorchester
Frankfurter Museumsorchester
The Frankfurter Museumsorchester is the resident orchestra of the Frankfurt am Main City Opera House, Germany. Its somewhat peculiar name is derived from the series of "Museum Concerts", organized by the Frankfurter Museumsgesellschaft since 1808. The orchestra is ranked as an "A-list" ensemble...
under Michel Plasson
Michel Plasson
Michel Plasson is a French conductor.Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. He studied briefly in the United States, including time with Charles Münch...
at the Alte Oper
Alte Oper
The Alte Oper is a major concert hall and former opera house in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The building was inaugurated in 1880. Many important works have been premiered at the Alte Oper, including Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in 1937....
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany. Among the 2000–2001 season‘s engagements were recital performances in Germany, Switzerland, Hongkong Art Festival as well as concerts with the Dresden Philharmonic at the Semperoper
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and the Gulbenkian Orchestra
Gulbenkian Orchestra
The Gulbenkian Orchestra is a Portuguese symphony orchestra based in Lisbon. The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Grande Auditório of the Gulbenkian Foundation....
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. In addition, they appeared in two gala concerts in Lucerne, Switzerland with the Wuerttembergische Philharmonie and with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo and Marek Janowski
Marek Janowski
Marek Janowski is a Polish-born conductor.Janowski grew up in Wuppertal, Germany, near Cologne, after his mother traveled there at the start of World War II to be with her parents...
for the opening of the new concert hall in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
.
Repertory
Exacting in their musical choices, the sisters rarely play transcriptions but prefer instead to explore the existing literature in depth from BachJohann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
to Lutosławski and Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
.
- Bach
- Concerto in C minor
- Concerto in C major
- Concerto for three pianos in G major
- Mozart
- Concerto K 365
- Concerto for three pianos K 242
- MendelssohnFelix MendelssohnJakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
- Concerto in E major
- Concerto in E flat major
- BruchMax BruchMax Christian Friedrich Bruch , also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin repertoire.-Life:Bruch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province, where he...
- Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A flat minorConcerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (Bruch)The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Op. 88a, was written by Max Bruch in 1912. It is in 4 movements, written in the rarely seen key of A flat minor, and takes about 25 minutes to perform.... - PoulencFrancis PoulencFrancis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
- Concerto - BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
- Concerto - DutilleuxHenri DutilleuxHenri Dutilleux is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century, producing work in the tradition of Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Albert Roussel, but in a style distinctly his own...
- Concerto - B.A. ZimmermannBernd Alois ZimmermannBernd Alois Zimmermann was a post-WWII West German composer. He is perhaps best known for his opera Die Soldaten which is regarded as one of the most important operas of the 20th century...
– Concerto
Discography
The Pekinels made numerous recordings of most important duo-piano literature for well-known labels. Two recordings were released in 1999 and 2000. One was with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Neville MarrinerNeville Marriner
Sir Neville Marriner is an English conductor and violinist.-Biography:Marriner was born in Lincoln and studied at the Royal College of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. He played the violin in the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Martin String Quartet and London Symphony Orchestra, playing with the...
, featuring the Bruch, Mozart and Mendelssohn concertos. Their recording in collaboration with the renowned Trio Jacques Loussier on jazz renditions of Bach’s concertos for two and three pianos, Take Bach, had worldwide record sales. In 2002, a CD containing a recital program of Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
works was released. In June 2003, Pekinels recorded complete Bach two- and three-piano concertos with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Howard Griffiths
Howard Griffiths (conductor)
Howard Griffiths is a British conductor. He studied music at the Royal College of Music, London.He has lived in Switzerland since 1981. From 1996 to 2006, he was chief conductor and artistic director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra . Griffiths is a champion of music by contemporary Turkish and...
.
Recognition
The Turkish Government awarded the title "Devlet Sanatçısı" (literally "State ArtistState Artist
State Artist is a honorary title issued to artists by the government of Turkey for their contributions into the Turkish culture. It was established in 1971 by President of Turkey and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism....
" or "National Artist") to the Pekinel sisters in 1991, a rare honor. The television channels French-German ARTE
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, German ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
and Turkish ATV
ATV Turkey
atv is a nationwide TV channel in Turkey, founded in 1993. atv is one of the most widely watched TV channels in Turkey. atv is an acronym of Actual Television.Since 2007 atv is owned by Çalık Holding.- Shows :News Programming* atv Ana Haber...
made TV documentaries of one-hour each about their musical lives.