Pekinel, Güher and Süher

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Pekinel, Güher and Süher

Pekinel, Güher and Süher, remarkable Turkish-Spanish duo pianist; b. identical twins, Istanbul, March 29, 1951. They were only 5 when they began piano lessons with their mother. At 6, they played for the first time in public. When they were 9 they attracted wide notice when they appeared with the Ankara Phil, in a broadcast throughout Turkey. At 12, they went to Paris to pursue training with Loriod at the Cons. They continued their studies with August Leopolder at the Frankfurt am Main Hochschule für Musik, and Güher took a degree in psychology and Süher a degree in philosophy at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe Univ. in Frankfurt am Main. Following additional studies at the Curtis Inst. of Music in Philadelphia, where they received training as soloists under Serkin and as duo artists under Horszowski, they completed their studies at the Juilliard School in N.Y. under Adele Marcus. In 1978 they captured 1st prize at the UNESCO World Music Week in Bratislava. Thereafter they pursued a highly rewarding career in appearances with major orchs. and festival throughout the world.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire