Role

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Ensemble

Country

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Turkey

Genre

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Keyboard

 

Guher and Suher Pekinel are twin sisters who were born on August 17, 1951, in Istanbul, Turkey. They were born into a family of musicians, and their father, Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu, was a renowned pianist and composer. The sisters began playing the piano at the age of three, and by the time they were six, they were already performing in public. The Pekinel sisters received their early musical education from their father, who was their first teacher. They later studied at the Istanbul State Conservatory, where they were taught by Mithat Fenmen, a prominent Turkish pianist and composer. In 1966, the sisters won a scholarship to study at the Paris Conservatory, where they studied with Pierre Sancan and Jacques Février. Guher and Suher Pekinel made their debut as a piano duo in 1967, at the age of sixteen, at the Istanbul Music Festival. They quickly gained recognition for their exceptional talent and were invited to perform at major music festivals around the world. In 1970, they won the first prize at the Munich International Music Competition, which launched their international career. The Pekinel sisters have performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. They have also collaborated with some of the most distinguished conductors, such as Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, and Seiji Ozawa. One of the highlights of the Pekinel sisters' career was their performance at the 1987 Salzburg Festival, where they played Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado. The performance was highly acclaimed, and the sisters received a standing ovation from the audience. Guher and Suher Pekinel have also made numerous recordings, which have received critical acclaim. They have recorded the complete works for two pianos by Mozart, Schubert, and Rachmaninoff, as well as works by Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Their recording of Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado, won the Grand Prix du Disque in 1988. In addition to their performing career, Guher and Suher Pekinel have also been active as teachers. They have taught at the Ankara State Conservatory, the Istanbul State Conservatory, and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. They have also given masterclasses at many universities and music schools around the world. Guher and Suher Pekinel have received numerous awards and honors for their contributions to classical music. In 1991, they were awarded the State Artist title by the Turkish government, and in 1997, they were awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. They have also been awarded the Mozart Medal by the Mozartgemeinde Wien and the Medal of Honor by the City of Munich. Guher and Suher Pekinel continue to perform and teach, and they remain one of the most celebrated piano duos in the world. Their exceptional talent, musicality, and dedication to their art have made them an inspiration to generations of musicians.

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