(Tekalli Duo. Photo courtesy of High Desert Chamber Music)
On Sunday, June 14, the Tekalli Duo will make their Central Oregon debut to conclude High Desert Chamber Music’s 18th season. I had the chance to speak with the duo — brother and sister Suliman and Jamila Tekalli — about their upbringing and lives in music, what sparked the formation of the Tekalli Duo, and music that personally means a great deal to them.
Jamila and Suliman both took up their respective instruments, piano and violin, not so much by choice but, as Suliman told me, “It was one of the many things our mother had us do to keep us occupied.” Suliman mentioned that he never really had strong feelings about the violin one way or the other until elementary school, when he realized music was going to be an important part of his life. In fact, both told me that music was something that never really left them and was always central to their lives, even while growing up. As Jamila put it, “Even through slightly rebellious times in high school, I always stayed with music.”
Both have had some amazingly unique musical experiences. In 2018, Suliman traveled to Novosibirsk, Russia, with the Sejong Soloists. His first violin teacher was from there, so he took the opportunity to gain a sense of what his teacher described life in Soviet Russia to be like. The two also had the opportunity to travel to pre-revolution Libya through the U.S. Embassy as musical ambassadors. “We had a chance to visit a music class at Tripoli University, and perform and interact with the students. It really affirmed music’s power to transcend language, politics, and borders.”
Forming a violin and piano duo as a brother-and-sister team may seem obvious, but it was not always so. “As kids, we had a fun time listening to music together, with and without our instruments.” In middle school, Suliman’s teacher suggested they begin playing together, and they quickly realized they had a passion for it. “After college, we began branching out in our musical exploration, discovering more contemporary music through commissions and our own research. We also became interested in finding ways to bring music from our heritage into our repertoire.” When they launched their first album, Duality, they formally named themselves the Tekalli Duo.
Both Jamila and Suliman love chamber music and have a wide range of favorites — from Ravel and Prokofiev to more modern 20th-century composers, as well as the classical masters. Suliman told me that the music of Sergei Prokofiev, particularly the Third Piano Concerto, is a favorite of his. “I suppose it’s weird that it wouldn’t be a piece for violin, but perhaps it is easier to be affected and inspired by music that you can simply enjoy listening to rather than working hard to create.”
In Jamila’s case, the music of Maurice Ravel is especially significant to her. “From the mentors and teachers who have illuminated his style and aesthetic, as well as my own journey learning and studying his music through my dissertation on his work Gaspard de la nuit, his acknowledgment of the past and the hauntingly medieval world paired with a love for jazz is something that deeply resonates with me personally.”
Please join us on Sunday, June 14 at 4:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for this electrifying performance featuring works by Mozart, Ravel, Stravinsky, and more. A concert preview will begin at 3:45pm. This concert is brought to you by Drew Family Dentistry. Tickets are available through High Desert Chamber Music by phone or online.