Founded in 2006 by Jacques Hostettler and Nicolas Suter, the Tchiki duo is today considered the world’s leading marimba duo.

Their artistic development, propelled by their friendship, passion and sensitivity, has brought them into close contact with the greatest marimba soloists, composers and pedagogues, in particular Keiko Abe, Nebojsa J. Zivkovic, David Friedman, Peter Prommel and Gordon Stout. They expect Tchiki duo to make a major contribution to the development of the marimba duo.

Their exceptional sound and musicality have brought them recognition from many renowned artists, including pianists, singers, violinists and stage directors, all of whom emphasize their astonishing artistic achievement. With two similar instruments, Tchiki duo impresses and transcends the audience by pretending to be One, offering a unique duo performance in the expression of a true art linked to its time.

Since 2008, the duo has performed extensively in Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Ljubljana, Novi Sad, Tenerife, …) and Asia (Tokyo, Nagoya, Shanghai, Taiwan, …). They take part in concerts and festivals around the world, including the International Convention of the Society of Percussion Arts (PASIC 2012) in Austin (USA), the Seoul International Percussion Festival (IPFS 2014), the Mariinsky Theatre 2014 for a duo recital. On this occasion, the Tchiki duo collaborated with the Mariinsky on a new production of Rossini’s opera Il Barbiere di Sevilla with two marimbas on stage. This led to an invitation for a concert with the Keiko Abe Marimba Orchestra (KAMO) at the 2016 Stars of the White Nights Festival , Mariinsky Concert Hall.

Nicolas Suter and Jacques Hostettler perform as soloists with orchestra and string camerata, playing their own works or works dedicated to them. The duo also compose the music for the concert-spectacles they create. Their name comes from their first appearance, a percussion-theater sketch called « Tchiki ».

The recording of two CDs (2009/2012) sparked their passion for the marimba sound and artistic events, leading them to gain a wealth of experience through numerous artistic collaborations with composers, opera singers, classical and jazz musicians, choreographers, painters and stage directors.

The Tchiki duo regularly tours Europe giving lectures and masterclasses at music universities, including the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Universität der Künste Berlin and Musik und Kunst Universität Wien. In 2009, they were guest professors for a semester at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. From 2012 to 2019, the two Swiss musicians taught at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne with Stéphane Borel. Tchiki duo was awarded Artiste de la Ville in 2013.

Tchiki duo has founded and has led the Keiko Abe Lausanne International Marimba Academy (KALIMA), which has taken place every two years since 2011, spreading Keiko Abe’s philosophy and bringing together talented young marimbists with young marimba teachers.

Tchiki duo is Yamaha Artist & SchlagKraft Endorser.