Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra

The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has greatly expanded the profile of Western classical music in Turkey. The group was established in 1993 as the Borusan Chamber Orchestra; the "Borusan" component of the name comes from its financier, the Borusan Holding, a large Turkish industrial conglomerate. The group thus falls into the tradition of ensembles associated with large European companies in past years. In 1999, the group expanded to become a full symphony orchestra and gave its debut concert under its new music director, Gürer Aykal. By the end of that year, the orch...