During his studies in the USA, Ahmet Kocabıyık watched Andre Previn conducting the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, and started to follow the orchestra closely. Having an interest in classical music from high school, he was inspired by the amount and variety of classical music being performed in the USA, and upon returning to Istanbul, reflected on how in his home city there was a state symphony and nothing else.  

By 1994, funded by his family’s business, Borusan Holding, a leading industrial conglomerate in Turkey, he founded Borusan Sanat. As a culture and art initiative with the intention of supporting and expanding classical and contemporary forms, they began with a Chamber Orchestra.  

Rather than simply existing as a passion project, Borusan Sanat is rooted in the societal necessity for culture. Kocabıyık’s vision acknowledged that classical music exists not only as something for personal growth and enjoyment, but ‘as an indicator of social development and a high form of art that has the power to integrate cultures’ His sister, Zeynep Hamedi, who served the chairperson of Borusan Senet and is now President of the Executive Board, says ‘My brother saw a need. We had schools where musicians are educated, but they didn’t have a chance to play in orchestras. We needed more orchestras to provide for audiences.’  

Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra: an arts initiative with freedom of creativity 

In 1999 the chamber orchestra became the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, as conductor Gürer Aykal stated ‘a chamber is too small for me.’ Seeking guidance from the late Sir John Tooley, they addressed what they needed, and founded the Borusan Quartet in 2005 so the orchestra would have a strong core in the strings. With Istanbul sitting curiously between Europe and Asia, many people had certain pre-conceptions of what a Turkish orchestra would sound like, and how they would compare to the rest of the orchestras in Europe. By 2010 Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra were playing at the Opening Festivities at the Salzburg Festival, and in 2014 they were the first Turkish ensemble to play at The Proms, to an overwhelmingly positive reception.  

Performing Mozart’s Requiem at the Turk Telekom Opera Hall for the 52nd Istanbul Music Festival, their current conductor Carlo Tenan showed where precision and expression meet. A former assistant to Antonio Pappano, his lead was tight and focused, with the orchestra energetically following and bringing a somewhat youthful energy to one of the most frequently performed pieces in the classical repertoire.  

Tenan attributes this energy to the fact that it is a young orchestra – both in the fact that 25 years is still a relatively young age for an orchestra, and that the average age of players on stage is 35. Tenan describes how he doesn’t use dynamics in his direction, he uses adjectives and feelings, creating an imaginative environment. He says the players’ youth makes them more prone to ‘dive into the music’, an enthusiasm that pairs well with the experience of having ample opportunities to perform (many members are also in the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra) and their training in the classical tradition.  

It allowed for soloists to integrate into the piece as a whole and not exist as separate entities, particularly Turkish tenor Ilker Arcayurek, whose clear and committed voice paired perfectly with the effortless, expressive depth of bass Jongmin Park. Rare for many orchestras, there is a 50/50 gender balance, with female section leaders. This is a product of blind auditions, where auditionees are heard without being seen. Zamedi reflects that ‘Turkey has lots of female musicians, so the orchestra should reflect that.’ A simple principle, that isn't often reality.  

‘Nothing is political with us. When you do your own thing, you don’t have to be political.’  

The youth was mirrored in the audience, which had an encouraging balance of ages, rather than a few young people dotted about. There were claps between movements, suggesting a new crowd, but it was welcomed by Zamedi, who is simply excited to see young people effortlessly and comfortably engaging with classical music. Building an audience was a priority for the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. Taking inspiration from the USA they staged special concerts – where a public figure would conduct a piece. This raised attention and funded five scholarships for a future musician’s tuition, which since 2005 has been an annual music scholarship. 

Funded privately by a family that gives but doesn’t interfere, they have been referred to as the ‘Medici's of Istanbul.’ The issue of inflation is an ongoing anxiety for Turkey, but they have stated explicitly that they will not be decreasing their budget. They have navigated uncertainty with skill before, during lockdown they adapted swiftly and did 38 streamed concerts. They also make use of digital platforms, with Boursan Radio and Borusan TV, where members can stream and listen to concerts with no advertising. Their orchestra has 1200 subscribers, who are treated ‘as family’, and consulted on programming, new conductors and get to attend masterclasses. Tenan combines the requests of the subscribers with international trends and is gradually introducing contemporary music and semi-staged operas.  

With their intention to contribute to Turkey’s modernisation process, Borusan Sanat is involved in many community projects. Alongside scholarships for musicians to study outside of Turkey, they give scholarships to high school students and provide 7-9 year olds with psycho-social education workshops and a children’s choir – to keep them invested in school and curious about music. With this attitude, there has been no criticisms of eurocentrism in their work, they are an example of how their endeavor fits into the fabric of Istanbul as much as anything else.  

Hamedi reiterates, ‘Nothing is political with us. When you do your own thing, you don’t have to be political.’  

‘Doing their own thing’ is presenting something of an exciting future. Tenan’s agent, Eleanor Hope, remarks that Europe can be a tradition steeped in ‘no’. A suggestion may be knocked aside as it is not how things are done. Here, there is a different approach, every question has an openness. It is tradition with imagination. Whether playing western music on Turkish instruments, commissioning Turkish composers, or combining the mediums of visual art with contemporary music at Borusan Music House, this arts initiative has an expansive attitude which results in freedom of creativity, even when remaining entirely faithful to the European Classical Traditions. 

The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra is on tour in the UK from 5-10 April. borusansanat.com