Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra Turns 25

Since its establishment, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has been contributing to Turkey's musical life and continues to be followed with appreciation abroad. The orchestra is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The ensemble, preparing to make its music heard abroad once again, is marking this new age with a five-concert United Kingdom tour and an album recording.

Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, which has reached more than 350,000 listeners domestically and over 20,000 abroad through the concerts it has given to date, and has shared the stage with nearly 40 guest conductors and over 500 soloists, is celebrating its 25th year with close friends.

Regarding this meaningful celebration, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation Board of Directors Chair Zeynep Hamedi expresses her views as follows: "Twenty-five years ago, we began our journey with Ahmet Kocabıyık's dream. We are happy and proud. Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra is a talented and enthusiastic ensemble. As long as it continues its work with the same excitement and determination, it will exist as a symphonic ensemble spoken of with pride. BIFO's success sustained for 25 years is also a gift to Borusan, which stands behind the orchestra with belief and determination, on its 80th anniversary."

Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation General Manager Ahmet Erenli expresses his views on the matter as follows: "One of Turkey's leading symphonic ensembles, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has become an indispensable element of Istanbul's cultural life over 25 years. BIFO, an orchestra followed and appreciated in Europe, we look forward to witnessing its further successes..."

Borusan Arts Director Aydın Dorsay expresses his views on the matter as follows: "Since I began working at Borusan Arts in 2010, I have been part of Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra's musical journey. Over the past 15 years, we have realized many concerts, tours and album recordings together. The fact that our orchestra has been able to sustain this success for 25 years, consistently raising the bar from day one, is very valuable. Here's to many more 25 years!"

BIFO's founding story and today

The history of Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra goes back to Borusan Chamber Orchestra, the first of Borusan Holding's initiatives in culture and the arts. The orchestra-founding efforts of Borusan, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, began in 1993 under the leadership of Borusan Holding Board of Directors Chair Ahmet Kocabıyık, and Prof. Saim Akçıl was appointed as the orchestra's conductor. Borusan Chamber Orchestra, one of Turkey's first private orchestras, transformed into Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIFO) in 1999 through the initiatives of Ahmet Kocabıyık and Gürer Aykal, beginning its journey.

BIFO has had three permanent conductors to date: Prof. Gürer Aykal, Sascha Goetzel, and Carlo Tenan. Following Sascha Goetzel, who served between 2009–2020, Carlo Tenan has been the ensemble's artistic director and permanent conductor since last season. Having shared the stage with nearly 40 guest conductors and over 500 soloists to date, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has become an indispensable element of Istanbul's cultural life through the successful work it carries out meticulously. Extending its events to Ankara, Izmir, Eskişehir, Bodrum, Diyarbakır, Erzurum and many other cities, BIFO continues its concerts primarily in Istanbul. With over 350 concerts given in Istanbul to date, it has become an ensemble whose program music lovers in Istanbul eagerly await each season.

BIFO's international journey

Over the years, aiming to introduce innovations to its repertoire and expand its field of experience beyond Turkey's borders, BIFO accelerated its efforts to become one of Europe's finest symphonic ensembles over time, turning its course towards abroad. It has performed concerts in many countries including Salzburg, Montpellier, Athens, Vienna, Friedrichshafen, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Hong Kong, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Zurich, Ljubljana and Essen.

In July 2010, the ensemble performed at the opening events of the Salzburg Festival, one of the world's most prestigious classical music events, and that same year received the "Best Orchestra of the Year" award from Andante magazine. In 2014, it made history by becoming the first ensemble invited from Turkey to the BBC Proms held in London, and received highly positive reviews in the music press with its concert titled "Oriental Promise." These successes were crowned by the 2016 European tour that followed, the 2017 Hong Kong Concerts, and the European tours in 2017 and 2018. The ensemble received a standing ovation at Théâtre des Champs Élysées, the final stop of its European tour in 2018, which began with Daniel Hope and continued with Nemanja Radulović. In April 2025, celebrating its 25th anniversary, BIFO, preparing to make its music and experience heard in the United Kingdom, eagerly awaits the tour under Carlo Tenan's direction with cellist Pablo Ferrández, which will visit Perth, Edinburgh, London, Guildford and Sheffield.

BIFO's album recordings

BIFO's first recording project Respighi, Hindemith, Schmitt was released in 2010 on the Onyx label. Following this first recording, which was warmly received abroad, alongside regular season concerts and its tours, BIFO, which records an album every two years, has released 8 album recordings from Onyx, Deutsche Grammophon and Prospero, featuring rarely performed works to date. A new album with recording work completed this season is on its way...

BIFO's social responsibility projects...

Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra was part of an important social responsibility project for a long time. In an event called "Special Concert," the orchestra was conducted by a well-known figure from business or the arts world, and the proceeds from the concerts were used as scholarships for talented young people in classical music to pursue higher education abroad. Since 2015, scholarships have been provided directly by Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation.

BIFO's new season

Celebrating its 25th anniversary with enthusiasm and pride, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra's 2024/25 season concerts will continue to be broadcast on radio Borusan Klasik and the online digital platform borusansanat.tv. Under the direction of Honorary Conductor Gürer Aykal, Artistic Director and Permanent Conductor Carlo Tenan, as well as Laurence Equilbey and Nil Venditti, the ensemble will share the stage with Hélène Walter, Alena Baeva, Chloe Ji-Yeong Mun, Marco Vergini, Marlis Petersen, Enrico Pace, Jan Mráček, Çağ Erçağ, Can Çakmur and Ziyu He. The concert program ending in May has April reserved for the concerts BIFO will give in the United Kingdom. The ensemble, which will spend April on tour, will accompany cellist Pablo Ferrández under Carlo Tenan's direction in five concerts, performing works by Schubert, Saint-Saëns, Beethoven and Ferit Tüzün respectively in Perth, Edinburgh, London, Guildford and Sheffield.