West Side Story with the Pekinel sisters

Sisters Güher and Süher Pekinel will take the stage on Dec 15 for a recital accompanied by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra percussionists Raphael Haeger and Simon RösslerInternationally-renowned Turkish pianist sisters Güher and Süher Pekinel will perform a recital accompanied by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra percussionists Raphael Haeger and Simon Rössler on Dec. 15 in Istanbul. The recital, entitled "West Side Story with Pekinels," will be held at the Lütfi K?rdar Congress and Exhibition Hall.

During the recital the Pekinels will focus on works by composers who witnessed World War II and reflected the basic values of humanism in their works. 

Considering the current tragedies in the world, the works in the recital will offer a different meaning as a kind of invitation to fight against unjust sufferings. 

Under the auspices of composer Leonard Bernstein, the "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story with Pekinels" was written by his assistants, Paul McKibbins and Robert Phillips, for the Pekinel sisters. "Ciaconna" is another work which was composed for the sisters by Stanislaw Deja under the auspices of composer Krzysztof Penderecki. 

The Turkey premiere of a two-percussion version of Witold Lutoslawski's "Variations on a Theme by Paganini" will be performed in the concert. The two works were included in their latest DVD titled "Zubin Mehta and Güher & Süher Pekinel," which was nominated for the German Records Critics' Award Quarterly Critics' Choice 1/2015. Leading names in music such as the Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir Simon Rattle, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam/Andris Nelsons, the Staatskapelle Dresden/ Christian Thielemann, Evgeny Kissin, Menahem Pressler and Penderecki are among the other nominees for the...