The power of albums
The Pekinel sisters continue their support for young talent by recording an album
Evin İlyasoğlu, 29.01.2012

Güher and Süher Pekinel are two of the most famous piano duo musicians in history. In recent years, they have been spending less time performing concerts on stage and more time devoting themselves to projects that train young musicians. One of the projects they have developed in this vein is called “Young Musicians on the World Stages”. They have selected young people, given them scholarships and/or an instrument, sent them to internationally-renowned schools, and more importantly, enabled them to study with accomplished teachers. And that’s not all: They are constantly monitoring their development, not only giving them experience on stage but also paving the way for them to meet the audience and the press.

They are also pulling strings in their own circle of artists and press contacts, columnists and television channels. In October 2011, they put on concerts in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir to introduce them to the Turkish audience. I listened to their performance in the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall and told you about it.

In the beginning of January, Lila Müzik released a CD/DVD set featuring one of these concerts recorded at Bilkent. An extra bonus is that the Pekinel sisters perform a piece at the end of the recording. These young people had the honor of sharing the stage with famous musicians. They probably saw that behind the stage, these famous musicians were just as nervous as they were. What a wonderful experience!

Now their professional recordings on this CD/DVD se will not only be a strong addition to their portfolio, it will also become a valuable part of their music archive. When these young performers become famous on the international stage, these recordings will be a valuable reference to look back on. The ‘’Paganini/Lutoslawski Variations’’ played by the Pekinel sisters at the end of the recording is a performance that is at the peak of virtuosity. Also, the fact that they appear on these recordings with the Pekinel sisters places a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of these young people.

Naturally, one day we will all ask: “Where are those young people now? What have they achieved since then?” They are very fortunate to have people providing them with such strong support. We should also note that significant contributions have been made by Onduline Avraysa, Bilkent University, Lila Müzik and Oya Narin