Borusan Sanat
We are a loyal supporter of art for years.
We are a loyal supporter of art for years.
Borusan Holding, one of Turkey's leading industrial conglomerates and a keen supporters of the arts, has always endeavored to contribute to Turkey's modernization process since its foundation. Assuming that each value created by a person or institution translates into a contribution to the nation’s economic and social growth, the Holding laid the foundation for an arts institution for the advancement and sustainability of its appreciation of art. Thus came Borusan Sanat into existence in 1997. Borusan Sanat operates as an affiliate of the Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation established by Borusan Holding’s founder Asım Kocabıyık in 1992, which focuses mostly on educational activities like building primary schools, supporting higher educations by way of adding their facilities and renovating their current premises.
Borusan Sanat continues its activities with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIPO), one of Europe's leading symphonic ensembles, composed of Türkiye's most accomplished musicians, as well as the Borusan Quartet, composed of BIPO members, Borusan Music House, which hosts new, avant-garde, jazz and contemporary music artists who incorporate performance into music, Borusan Children's Choir, founded in 2002 to foster love of classical music in children, Borusan Klasik, which broadcasts classical music on the internet and simultaneously broadcasts BIPO and Borusan Quartet concerts during the season, and the online platform borusansanat.tv, which brings the concert experience to digital and brings selected concerts to music lovers free of charge during the season. In addition to art activities, Borusan Sanat also puts emphasis on education and has been providing music scholarships for talented young musicians since 2005. Moreover, Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications, which is one of the prestigious names in art book publishing with the special books it has published to date, continues to carry out its activities within this organization.
In 2010, when Istanbul became the European Capital of Culture, Borusan Sanat reached a wider audience by organizing classical, jazz, world music concerts and contemporary art exhibitions with its performance center Borusan Music House and moved to this building in 2013. Today, it continues its activities in Beyoğlu, where the heart of art beats, in the space it has added to the cultural heritage.
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
Europe's promising orchestra: BIPO
The history of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIPO) starts with the Borusan Chamber Orchestra, one of the first ventures in the field of culture and the arts by Borusan Holding, a leading industrial conglomerate in Turkey. In time the chamber orchestra was transformed into one of the country’s best symphonic ensembles under its honorary conductor Gürer Aykal. Performing under its former artistic director and principal conductor Sascha Goetzel between 2009–2020, BIPO has become a prominent element of Istanbul’s cultural scene. The orchestra performed at the Opening Festivities of the 2010 Salzburg Festival, also received the Turkish music magazine Andante’s “Best Orchestra of the Year” award in May 2010. In 2014 BIPO had the privilege of being the first ensemble from Turkey to be invited to BBC Proms and performed at the concert titled “Oriental Promise” under Goetzel to critical acclaim. BIPO decided to continue with Carlo Tenan as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, who was hosted for the first time in March 2021 as a guest conductor.
Since its first season in 2000/1, BIPO has regularly given concerts in Istanbul, was invited to Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir, Ruse Music Festivals, and BBC Proms and appeared at special events at Megaron Hall and Palais de Bozar, Brussels. They had officially opened the festival every year with concerts at Hagia Eirene, also accompanied top soloists throughout the festival. Enjoying the privilege of giving world premieres of major Turkish and international works at the festival, BIPO is also the resident orchestra of the International Leyla Gencer Voice Competition.
Since taking up the baton in 2009, Viennese conductor Sascha Goetzel contributed greatly to the orchestra’s repertoire and its new aim to become one of the best symphonic ensembles in Europe. 2009–10 was a remarkable one when BIPO released its first international CD, Respighi, Hindemith, Schmitt under the Onyx label. Their second CD with Goetzel, Music from the Machine Age, was released in 2012, third CD featuring works of Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Erkin and Ippolitov-Ivanov was released in 2014; fourth CD Turnage & Berlioz was released in 2018 again by Onyx.
BIPO accompanies Ksenija Sidorova, her first with the prestigious classical record label Deutsche Grammophon, and released in June 2016.
The CD recording titled Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto; Rococo Variations (2017) and Baïka (2018) performed by violin virtuoso Nemanja Radulović accompanied by Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under Sascha Goetzel has been released under Deutsche Grammophon label. The CD recording titled Richard (2023) performed by tenor Daniel Behle accompanied by BIPO under Thomas Rösner has been released under Prospero Classical label.
Borusan Quartet
Award-winning Quartet: Borusan Quartet
Esen Kıvrak 1st violin
Nilay Sancar 2nd violin
Efdal Altun viola
Nil Kocamangil violoncello
The Borusan Quartet was founded in 2005 under the guidance of Maestro Gürer Aykal. They have since joined masterclasses of Alban Berg Quartet, Julliard Quartet, Gürer Aykal, Joshua Epstein and Maxim Vengerov. As a result of Borusan Sanat's collaboration with the Maggini Foundation in Switzerland, they had the opportunity to make music with special instruments.
In addition to their regular performances at the Süreyya Opera House in Istanbul, the Quartet enjoys a busy schedule with concerts and tours in Turkey and abroad. They have participated in Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Merano, Mozart, Napfilon, Bodensee, West Cork, Europalia, Mersin, Bodrum, Istanbul and Ankara music festivals and in addition to many venues in Turkey, appeared at Zurich Tonhalle, Carnegie Hall (New York), Wienna Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Philharmonie de Paris, Le Corum (Montpellier), Schloss Elmau (Munich), L'arsenal (Metz), G. Verdi Hall (Milan) and Musikverein (Vienna).
Their first CD Erkin, Aykal, Saygun featuring string quartets of the composers in the title was published in May 2013 followed by their CD with İdil Biret of Schumann’s Piano Quintet published by IBA label of Naxos in 2014, Mozart & Verdi published by Lila Music in July 2016, and last CD Company published by Onyx in September 2017. Their repertoire encompasses a wide range of works from the classical period to the modern era with particular emphasis on the works of Turkish composers.
Borusan Music House
Meeting point for contemporary and alternative music enthusiasts
Borusan Music House was founded in 2010 in the building at Istanbul’s art and culture centre Istiklal Street with the aim of expanding Borusan Sanat’s activities to a broader scale and to present both the artists and art enthusiasts with a different experience. During its first three years, the Borusan Music House contributed to the ever-growing art life of the city with an intense programme focusing on new music, world music, jazz and interdisciplinary performances. The Borusan Music House has brought musicians and ensembles from different branches of music to the Istanbul audience, some for the first time.
Borusan Music House has contributed immensely to Borusan Sanat's goal of supporting and expanding classical music and contemporary forms, especially with its events in the field of new music.
Aside from music and performance events, Borusan Music House has drawn followers of the visual arts by hosting annual exhibits and other curatorial exhibitions for one of Borusan Sanat’s affiliates ArtCenter/IstanbulAmong the exhibitions held at Borusan Music House are "Matter-Light I" and "Matter-Light II" curated by Richard Castelli, "Cosmic Latte" curated by Susanne Egeran, "Tidelines" curated by Marketta Haila, "Revolution Revelation" by Mercan Dede and Carlito Dalceggio, and Seçkin Prim’s exhibitions.
The Borusan Music House has become Borusan Art’s central location since November 2014 and continues its activities in recent years by presenting original projects. Among these projects are “Nova Muzak Series” in collaboration with Kod Müzik, “New Sounds of Berlin and Istanbul” in collaboration with Berlin-based art institution RadialSystem V and XJAZZ Istanbul events.
Borusan Klasik
The radio whose sounds and colours never end!
Borusan Klasik, Turkey's first and only classical music radio broadcast online, was launched in January 2013. Borusan Klasik is available 7/24 at karnaval.com/borusanklasikdinle and on mobile via the "Karnaval" application that can be downloaded to iPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play Store) devices.
borusansanat.tv
Classical music is everywhere!
Borusan Sanat, which made its concerts available free of charge during the pandemic period in order to protect musicians and music enthusiasts, took another step and launched borusansanat.tv on Motiwe's Cloudtivi platform in 2020 to support the development and accessibility of art. The concerts of the season broadcasted on the radio are periodically and free of charge offered to music enthusiasts on this online video platform with concert recordings. In addition to the concerts of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIPO) and Borusan Quartet, selected concerts at the Borusan Music House are also available on this platform on the dates specified during the season. Along with the concerts, pre-talks and interviews are also available on this platform.
Borusan Children's Choir
Young talents of the future: Borusan Children's Choir
Children’s choirs have historically had a profound impact on the training of musicians and lovers of music and the background of many famous composers can be traced back to children’s choirs where their love for music flourished. It is with this awareness that Borusan Sanat stepped out to break new ground with this ambitious project.
Borusan Children’s Choir was established in November 2002 under the leadership of chorus master Gülsen Yavuzkal. Formed of children between the ages of nine and fourteen, the choir has given countless concerts on national holiday celebrations and as part of children’s festivals and special events. The choir’s repertoire includes songs from different cultures in their original languages.
As part of its annual concerts, the Borusan Children’s Choir has had fruitful collaborations with Pori-Palmgren Conservatoire Children’s Choir (Finland), Superar Children’s Choir (Vienna), South Korea Gyeongju Children’s Choir, Koruncuk Foundation Children’s Choir and EMC (International Music Council) and received positive response in the international arena.
Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications
We present our cultural heritage to the entire world
Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications is a publishing house of special nature established by leading architect and photographer Ahmet Ertuğ and Ahmet Kocabıyık, Chairman of Borusan Holding. The rare books published are unique collector’s items focusing on the cultural heritage of Anatolia.
The magnificent images by Ahmet Ertuğ are accompanied by articles of world-renowned academics to reflect the inherent value of the masterpieces they contain. Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications’ art books are unique gateways to a voyage into the wonders of a land which has been home to civilizations for millennia.
