Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
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The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra ( tr, Borusan İstanbul Filarmoni Orkestrası), also known as the BIPO, is a Turkish
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
based in
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
that was formed by enlarging the Borusan Chamber Orchestra in 1999. It is funded by the Borusan Holding.


History

The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra was founded as the Borusan Chamber Orchestra in 1993. This initiative by Borusan, a leading Turkish industrial
conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** C ...
, entering into the complex and challenging world of establishing orchestras, was based on its vision of helping to bring
polyphonic music Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
to a wider audience of Turkish people. This group rapidly grew in both number of musicians and quality of musical performance, so that it became a symphonic orchestra in 1999. That same year, Maestro
Gürer Aykal Gürer Aykal (born May 22, 1942) is a Turkish conductor and adjunct professor at Bilkent University. He has been the musical director and principal conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra since 1999. Education Aykal was born in E ...
was appointed as the general music director and permanent conductor of the orchestra. On 13 May 1999, at the
Yıldız Palace Yıldız Palace ( tr, Yıldız Sarayı, ) is a vast complex of former imperial Ottoman pavilions and villas in Istanbul, Turkey, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was used as a residence by the sultan and his court in the late 19t ...
Silahhane Building on the European side of Istanbul, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra performed its first concert and soon began offering concerts on the
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The r ...
n side of the city as well. By the end of 1999, BIFO was performing two concerts per month, one on each side of the
Bosphorus The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern Tu ...
, at the
Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_in ...
on the European side and at the Kadiköy People's Education Center on the Asian side, thereby quickly becoming a true city orchestra. This pattern continues until this day, totaling twenty-four concerts per year, with performances on the Anatolian side now being held at the Caddebostan Cultural Center. For the international audience of the
Istanbul Festival The Istanbul International Music Festival, formerly Istanbul Festival, ( tr, Uluslararası İstanbul Müzik Festivali) is a cultural event held every June and July in Istanbul, Turkey. It offers a selection of European classical music, ballet, opera ...
, the BIFO has become a well known and esteemed musical standard for many years. BIPO continues to serve as a bridge between the people of Turkey and the European tradition in classical music.


Musical programs and performances

Over the years, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has introduced classical music lovers in Istanbul to some of the world's foremost musicians. The orchestra has had the privilege of performing with virtuosos such as
Maxim Vengerov Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov (russian: Максим Александрович Венгеров, , mɐkˈsʲim ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ vʲɪnˈɡʲerəf; he, מקסים ונגרוב; born 20 August 1974) is a Russian-born Israeli violinist, ...
,
Vadim Gluzman Vadim Gluzman (Вадим Михайлович Глузман, born 1973) is a Ukrainian-born Israeli classical violinist. Born in the former Soviet Union, Vadim Gluzman spent most of his childhood in Riga, Latvia. His father is a conductor and cl ...
,
Dimitris Sgouros Dimitris Sgouros ( el, Δημήτρης Σγούρος; born 30 August 1969) is a Greek classical pianist.Alexander Rudin Alexander Israilevich Rudin (born 1960) is a Russian classical cellist and conductor. Biography and career Rudin was born in 1960, in Moscow, and he studied piano and cello at the Gnessin Institute before later studying conducting at the Mosco ...
,
Suna Kan Suna may refer to: People * Suuna I of Buganda, king of Buganda until 1609 * Suna II of Buganda, king of Buganda from 1836 until 1856 * Suna Kan (born 1936), Turkish violinist of classical music * Suna Kıraç (1941–2020), member of the Turkish ...
,
İdil Biret İdil Biret (born 21 November 1941) is a Turkish concert pianist. Education Biret began her lessons at the age of five with , who had studied under Nadia Boulanger and Alfred Cortot. When she was seven, the Turkish parliament enacted a specia ...
,
Fazıl Say Fazıl Say (; born 14 January 1970 in Ankara) is a Turkish pianist and composer. Life and career Fazıl Say was born in 1970. His father, Ahmet Say was an author and musicologist. His mother, Gürgün Say was a pharmacist. His grandfather F ...
, Ayşegül Sarıca,
Meral Güneyman Meral is a common Turkish given name and Altai name. It is a variant of Maral. In Altai, Turkish and Mongolian "Maral" means "female deer". Meral has the same meaning as "Maral". It is also used as a surname. People Given name * Meral Akşener ( ...
,
Ayla Erduran Ayla Erduran (born 22 September 1934, Istanbul) is a Turkish violinist. A student of Karl Berger she performed her first recital when she was 10 years old. She then went on to study at the Paris International Conservatory from 1946 to 1951 unde ...
,
Verda Erman Verda Erman (19 December 1944 – 21 July 2014) was a Turkish pianist. Born in Istanbul in 1944, she began her career at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. In 1957, she was sent to study at the Conservatoire de Paris under Turkish law no. ...
,
Gülsin Onay Gülsin Onay (born 12 September 1954) is a leading Turkish concert pianist of German descent, based in Cambridge, England. Education Born into a musical family, Gülsin Onay began to play the piano at the age of three. Her first teacher was her ...
,
Anna Tomowa-Sintow Anna Tomowa-Sintow ( bg, Анна Томова-Синтова, by official transliteration ''Anna Tomova-Sintova''; born 22 September 1941, in Stara Zagora) is a Bulgarian soprano who has sung to great acclaim in all the major opera houses around ...
, Olga Kern,
Corey Cerovsek Corey Cerovsek (born 24 April 1972) is a Canadian violinist, pianist, and mathematician. At age 12, he was the youngest student to receive a gold medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music. In 1992, Cerovsek was the recipient of the Virginia-Park ...
and
Stanislav Ioudenitch Stanislav Ioudenitch (born December 5, 1971) is an Uzbekistani-born American pianist, known for winning the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001, jointly with Olga Kern, as wel ...
. Celebrated guest conductors, who have led the orchestra include
Igor Oistrak Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling ...
,
Emil Tabakov Emil Tabakov ( bg, Емил Табаков ; born August 21, 1947) is a Bulgarian conductor, composer and double-bass player. Life and career Emil Tabakov was born in Ruse, Bulgaria. In 1974 he studied at the Bulgarian State Music Academy with ...
, Giuseppe Lanzetta,
Fabiano Monica Fabiano is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Fabian (entertainer), real name Fabiano Anthony Forte, American singer and entertainer *Fabiano (footballer, born 1975), full name Fabiano Cezar Viegas ...
,
Alain Paris Alain may refer to: People * Alain (given name), common given name, including list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Alain (surname) * "Alain", a pseudonym for cartoonist Daniel Brustlein * Alain, a standard author abbreviation ...
, and
Ender Sakpınar Ender may refer to: Given name * Ender Alkan, Turkish footballer * Ender Arslan, Turkish basketball player * Ender Inciarte, Venezuelan baseball player * Ender Konca, Turkish footballer Surname * Erika Ender (born 1974), Panamanian singer, songw ...
. In addition, BIFO has also been accompanied by the ''
Wiener Singverein The Vienna Singverein (Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien) is the concert choir of the Vienna Musikverein with around 230 members. It is regularly requested by top orchestras and conductors for large and varied projects. Histo ...
'', one of the world's leading
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...
s. One of the most popular traditions in its short history is Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra's annual "New Year Celebration" concerts. Held in December of every year, these highly anticipated performances are known for bringing cheer and goodwill to Istanbul during the festive season, not to mention positive cultural attention, through the participation of highly regarded local and world-renowned musicians. The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra opened the 2007–2008 season in October with a concert conducted by Gürer Aykal, featuring the young Canadian violinist
James Ehnes James Ehnes, (born January 27, 1976) is a Canadian concert violinist and violist. Life and career Ehnes was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of Alan Ehnes, long time trumpet professor at Brandon University (Canada), and Barbara Withey Ehnes, fo ...
as soloist. Works by
Ahmet Adnan Saygun Ahmet Adnan Saygun (; 7 September 1907 – 6 January 1991) was a Turkish composer, musicologist and writer on music. One of a group of composers known as the Turkish Five who pioneered western classical music in Turkey, his works show a master ...
, to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, and by
Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
, to honour the fiftieth anniversary of his death, were performed in this concert. The concert in November was conducted by
Josep Caballé-Domenech Josep is a Catalan masculine given name equivalent to Joseph (Spanish ''José''). People named Josep include: * Josep Bargalló (born 1958), Catalan philologist and former politician * Josep Bartolí (1910-1995), Catalan painter, cartoonist and w ...
and the guest soloist was pianist
Emre Şen Emre * Emre Altuğ (born 1970), Turkish musician * * Emre Aracı (born 1968), Turkish music historian, conductor, composer * Emre Aydın (born 1981), Turkish rock singer * Emre Aşık (born 1973), Turkish footballer * Emre Zafer Barnes (born 1 ...
. In the New Year Welcoming Concert in December, the orchestra under the baton of Gürer Aykal accompanied soloist Turgay Hilmi in a work written specifically for
Alphorn The alphorn or alpenhorn or alpine horn is a labrophone, consisting of a straight several-meter-long wooden natural horn of conical bore, with a wooden cup-shaped mouthpiece. Traditionally the Alphorn was made of one single piece, or two parts a ...
. The guests of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra last season included conductor Andreas Schüller,
Ferhan and Ferzan Önder Ferhan is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ferhan Azman, Turkish architect * Ferhan Çeçen (born 1961), Turkish environmental engineer and chemist * Ferhan Hasani (born 1990), Macedonian footballer * Ferhan Önder (born 1965) ...
piano duo According to the ''Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', there are two kinds of piano duet: "those for two players at one instrument, and those in which each of the two pianists has an instrument to themself." In American usage the former is ...
,
Ayhan Uştuk Ayhan is a Turkish masculine name and a family name. Ayhan means the moon king . Given name * Ayhan Akman (born 1977), Turkish footballer * Ayhan Aydan (1924–2009) Turkish opera singer * Ayhan Gezen (born 1972), Turkish-German footballer * Ayhan ...
, Çağ Erçağ, Özcan Ulucan,
John Lill John Richard Lill (born 17 March 1944 in London) is a British classical pianist. Biography Lill studied at the Royal College of Music with Angus Morrison, and with Wilhelm Kempff. His talent emerged at an early age, he gave his first piano re ...
and conductor Sascha Goetzel. In the gala concert, the orchestra hosted the prominent Philharmonia Chorus and performed Dvořák’s
Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
for the first time in Turkey. In the opening concerts on November 19 and 20, 2008, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Gürer Aykal, who recently became the Honorary Conductor of the orchestra.


Proms debut and foreign popularity

On 29 July 2014, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut at
The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert H ...
at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
. In this concert BİFO played
Mily Balakirev Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev (russian: Милий Алексеевич Балакирев,BGN/PCGN Romanization of Russian, transliteration of Russian: Miliy Alekseyevich Balakirev; ALA-LC system: ''Miliĭ Alekseevich Balakirev''; ISO 9 system: ''M ...
's ''
Islamey ''Islamey: Oriental Fantasy'' (russian: Исламей: Восточная фантазия), is a composition for piano by Russian composer Mily Balakirev written in 1869. Harold C. Schonberg noted that ''Islamey'' was "at one time…considere ...
'',
Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite '' The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
's ''
Beni Mora ''Beni Mora'' is a three-movement suite of music in E minor for large orchestra, by Gustav Holst. The first performance was at the Queen's Hall, London, on 1 May 1912, conducted by the composer. The work was inspired by music Holst heard in Alger ...
'',
Gabriel Prokofiev Gabriel Prokofiev (born 6 January 1975) is a Russian-British composer, producer, DJ, and Artistic Director of the Nonclassical record label and nightclub. Early life Gabriel Prokofiev was born on 6 January 1975 to an English mother and a Russi ...
's first violin concerto ''1914'' (BBC commission: world premiere),
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
's ''
Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () ( K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's ''Belmont und Constanze, oder D ...
'' (only the ouverture),
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his train ...
's "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba",
Ottorino Respighi Ottorino Respighi ( , , ; 9 July 187918 April 1936) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, and musicologist and one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. His compositions range over operas, ballets, orchestral suit ...
's ''Belkis, Queen of Sheba'' and, as an encore,
Ulvi Cemal Erkin Ulvi Cemal Erkin () (March 14, 1906 – September 15, 1972) was a member of the pioneer group of symphonic composers in Turkey, born in the period 1904–1910, who later came to be called The Turkish Five. These composers set out the direction ...
's ''Koçekçe''. After the concert especially at the English press the concert got positive reviews. ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' reporter Ivan Hewett wrote that the concert was "superbly rich". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...
s Tim Ashley wrote that Sascha Goetzel is more than a conductor, is a total entertainer. The same day, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra launched their third CD, ''Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade'' by Onyx Classics in
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
.


Artistic director and principal conductor

After a year-long selection process in the 2007/2008 season with guest conductors from four different countries, an international jury awarded the musical direction of Turkey's foremost symphony orchestra to Austrian conductor Sascha Goetzel. Goetzel took over from Gürer Aykal, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra's music director since the founding of the orchestra, and responsible for its artistic development. One of Sascha Goetzel's principal duties is the preparation of concert tours and guest appearances of the orchestra in the framework of major European music festivals in the coming years. The orchestra had a special role to play in the 2010 Istanbul Festival when Istanbul held the title of European Capital of Culture. In April 2021 it was announced that Patrick Hahn would become Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor from the 2021/22 season.


Music directors


Principal players

The current principal chairs of the orchestra are as follows:


References


External links

*
Borusan

Program Bifo

Orchestra members
{{Authority control Turkish orchestras Culture in Istanbul Musical groups established in 1993 Symphony orchestras 1993 establishments in Turkey