Tekalli Duo, Duo

Biography

The Tekalli Duo is possessed of the type of unified musical vision that takes a lifetime of work to achieve. Fortunately for the brother-sister duo, that work began sixteen years ago when they were children growing up in Florida. The Tekalli Duo’s diverse ethnic background greatly influences their passion to connect the world through the language of music. Their performances have taken them from New York City’s WMP Recital Hall to a pre-revolutionary Libya under the auspices of the United States Embassy as musical ambassadors of Western music. Their recitals invariably mix standard classical repertory with newer works by composers of their heritage such as Fazil Say and Takemitsu, as well as their own transcriptions of classical and contemporary music.

As an international soloist and recitalist, violinist Suliman Tekalli’s distinctions include top prize winner of the Seoul International Music Competition in Korea, first prize in the Blount National String Competition, and prizes in the 2013 Sendai International Music Competition in Japan, and the 2009 Szeryng International Violin Competition in Mexico. He has appeared with the International Sejong Soloists, Sendai Philharmonic, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México and collaborated with eminent musicians such as violinist Gil Shaham, Cho Liang Lin, Donald Weilerstein, cellist Paul Watkins of the Emerson Quartet, and clarinetist David Shifrin. Suliman Tekalli's performing career began early with his radio debut on NPR's "From the Top" radio show in 2000 and his subsequent solo debut with the Orlando Philharmonic in 2004 at the age of sixteen.

Mr. Tekalli attended the Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale School of Music, and the Schwob School of Music, studying with the notable pedagogues Hyo Kang, Sergiu Schwartz, and Joel Smirnoff. He actively transcribes and arranges for the violin, piano, and mixed ensembles, and is a composer of original works.

American pianist Jamila Tekalli has performed in concerts, festivals, and competitions throughout the United States, Canada, and Ecuador as a solo pianist and collaborative musician.

Ms. Tekalli holds degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, University of Central Florida and a doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Miami.  Her awards include finalist of the Stravinsky Awards International Piano Competition first place in the MTNA Steinway Collegiate Indiana Piano Competition and National Finalist in the MTNA Baldwin Piano Competition. As concerto competition winner, she performed Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with conductor Imre Pallo. Orchestral engagements have featured her as soloist and concerto competition winner with Frost Symphony Orchestra and Indiana University’s Philharmonic Orchestra, the Space Coast Symphony, performing the works of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. 

Ms. Tekalli has studied with distinguished artists Robert McDonald, Julian Martin, Boris Slutsky, Gilbert Kalish, and Marc Durand.