Renowned for their extraordinary poetic expressiveness, musicality, and pursuit of excellence, Güher and Süher Pekinel have long been admired on the international music scene. Focusing deeply on the pulse of music during their performances, they are uniquely recognized as the only piano duo performing without making eye contact with each other. The sisters gave their first concert at the age of six and their first live broadcast performance at nine, accompanied by the Ankara Philharmonic Orchestra.

Their musical education began at the Paris Conservatory with Yvonne Loriod and continued at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts with August Leopolder. Upon the invitation of Rudolf Serkin, they pursued soloist training at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and later at the Juilliard School of Music in New York with Adele Marcus. Following further studies with legendary pianists such as Claudio Arrau and Leon Fleisher, they completed their master’s degrees with honors simultaneously at Juilliard and Frankfurt.

Their international career gained momentum after being invited by Herbert von Karajan to perform at the Salzburg Festival in 1984. In the following years, they garnered great acclaim by performing works composed or arranged specifically for them by Leonard Bernstein, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Jacques Loussier.

Throughout their careers, the Pekinels have collaborated with renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Marek Janowski, Michel Plasson, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Paavo Järvi. They have performed with world-class orchestras including the Berlin, Vienna, New York, London, Israel, and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, Orchestre National de France, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Their extensive discography, published by major labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, CBS, Warner Classics, Chandos, Teldec, Arthaus Musik, and Unitel, includes recordings of the most significant works in the two-piano repertoire. Their latest release, Treasure Box, serves as an archive of live concert performances.

Among their many international achievements are the Eurovision Concert broadcast live in 28 countries with the Vienna Philharmonic, extensive tours with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, European tours with the Jacques Loussier Trio titled Take Bach, performances at the Lucerne Piano Festival, and live televised concerts produced in cooperation with SWR and BBC. Their second documentary, Double Life, a co-production of ARD-ARTE following its initial broadcast on ZDF, received wide acclaim and was later acquired by Unitel.

Following their shared first prize as soloists at the 1970 German National Piano Competition, they went on to win numerous international first prizes as a duo in Germany, the United States, and Italy.

In Turkey, they have been honored with the title of “State Artist,” received honorary doctorates from Boğaziçi University, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), and the Gold Medal from the Sevda-Cenap And Foundation for their contributions to music education. In 2024, they were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA).

In 2021, due to their outstanding international achievements and pioneering work in music education for children and youth, they were awarded the Order of Merit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Beyond their musical careers, since 2010 the Pekinels have initiated the development of three major music education systems in Turkey aimed at improving the education of professional musicians and children.

Under the Young Musicians on World Stages Foundation, 19 musicians have won first prizes in prestigious international competitions. This program was recognized in Turkey with the “Best Social Responsibility Project Award.” Founded in 2001 in collaboration with TEV/TEVİTÖL and conservatory teachers, the Güher and Süher Pekinel Music Department continues to train musically gifted students. Another of their music education initiatives involved introducing the Carl Orff Music Education System to Turkey under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture. Teachers selected and trained at the Salzburg Orff Institute have since trained teachers across Anatolia, with the system continuing under their guidance.