Suliman Tekalli

Fact Facts

• Concertmaster Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
• Teacher and Masterclasses with Sphinx Virtuosi and Cleveland Institute of Music
• Ensemble Connect alumni

American violinist Suliman Tekalli has captivated audiences worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader.  Top prizewinner at the 2015 Seoul International Music Competition, Tekalli has performed as a soloist with orchestras across North and South America, Europe, and Asia, appearing at esteemed venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Seoul Arts Center.  His performances have been broadcast on NPR, CBC Radio 3 in Canada, and KBS TV in Korea.

He regularly tours the continents with sibling and pianist Jamila Tekalli Hanner as the Tekalli Duo.  Mr. Tekalli was a former member of the Grammy-nominated Catalyst Quartet and genre-defying string quintet Sybarite5. 

Suliman is the current concertmaster of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and has also led as concertmaster for notable ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and Sphinx Virtuosi. 

His commitment to contemporary music has led to collaborations with contemporary composers such as Caroline Shaw, Paul Wiancko, Andrea Casarrubios, Curtis Stewart, Michael Brown, and Reena Esmail among others.
 
A passionate educator, he has given masterclasses across the U.S. and South America and has served as a fellow of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect.  He has served as a faculty member over multiple summers at the Sphinx Performance Academy at the Juilliard School and at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  He has served as a regular coach for talented pre-college student chamber music groups through the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Program since 2021.
  
Tekalli began his violin studies at the Juilliard School, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Yale School of Music. He currently resides in New York City and performs on both a 2016 Joseph Curtin violin as well as the 1683 “Cobbett” Stradivarius.