About the Orchestra
Founded in 1993 as an original art project, the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is Turkey’s first private and academic ensemble.
The BSO composed of distinguished artists who are also members of the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Bilkent University gives about fifty performances every year. Having recorded more than 40 CDs for EMI, CPO and Naxos labels, as well as its radio and TV recordings, the BSO plays a pioneering role in the cultural and artistic life of Turkey.
The Orchestra continued to captivate the concert-goers in the 2020-2021 season, when the concert halls were closed due to the pandemic, through its concerts aired on the Bilkent Symphony Digital, and remained productive with its rich repertoire and its belief in the healing power of music.
The BSO aims to enrich the cultural life of our country through initiatives like the Bilkent Symphony Digital, Odeon Concerts, Turkish Composers Week, Bilkent Anatolian Music Festival, and has also performed in international festivals including Siena Montepulciano, San Marino San Leo, Montreux and Schleswig-Holstein, among others.
Acting on the mission of making art functional in social life, the orchestra has collaborated with many institutions, organizations and non-governmental organizations since its foundation in 1993. The BSO won the “Contribution to Universal Friendship and World Peace” and “Cultural Representation from Local to Universal” awards, and was named a “UNICEF Türkiye Goodwill Ambassador” in 2009.
The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (BSO) was established as an original art project of Bilkent University in 1993.
The Orchestra is composed of eminent artists who are the teaching staff of the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts. It is the first private and academic art community in Turkey.
Participating in our artistic life with more than fifty activities every year, the ensemble has distinguished itself with concerts, television and radio recordings, as well as more than 40 CDs it has released. The Orchestra’s CD index has been exported worldwide and its recordings have been released under prestigious labels, including EMI, CPO and Naxos, since 2003.
The Orchestra’s main tenets include organizing activities to enrich the cultural life of our country through concerts and recording series such as the Bilkent Symphony Digital, Bilkent Odeon Concerts, Turkish Composers Week and the Bilkent Anatolia Music Festival, spreading the appreciation of quality music through touring concerts, participating in international activities, as well as cooperating with organizations and institutions organizing such activities.
The Orchestra cherishing the principle of rendering art functional in social life has carried out a variety of activities in cooperation with various agencies, institutions and non-governmental organizations since its foundation in 1993.
The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, which was awarded the prizes of “Contribution to Universal Friendship and World Peace” and “Cultural Representation from Local to Universal”, was named “UNICEF Turkey Goodwill Ambassador” in 2009.