Bilkent Symphony Orchestra

The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1993 as an original artistic project of Bilkent University.

UNICEF has recognized BSO as UNICEF Turkey Goodwill Ambassador upon its efforts to aid children in need in various regions of the world, specifically for the two CDs released, donating money earned to the earthquake victims of İzmit earthquake in 1999 together with several concerts given, donating money earned to Pakistan earthquake victims.

Following the foundation of BSO in 1993 which consists of mainly academicians who teach at Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, BSO has assumed responsibility to perform and record Saygun's works. BSO has recorded many works of Ahmet Adnan Saygun.

The national label Bilkent Music Production has released over 50 CD’s of the orchestras concerts. Amongst the orchestra's recordings are the Ahmet Adnan Saygun concertos with Gülsin Onay under the baton of Howard Griffiths; Kamran Ince symphonies and concertos with Kamran Ince as soloist as well for Naxos and CPO and the productions released in 2007 including Ahmet Adnan Saygun’s piano, violin, viola and violoncello concertos by CPO in collaboration with Peermusic and the Tabakov concertos by Naxos Records.

Through events such as the Bilkent Concert Series, Turkish Composers Week, Education Concerts and The Bilkent International Anatolia Music Festival, the orchestra aims to bring a wide range of activities to large audiences, to spread the appreciation of music at national level, undertake international activities and develop cooperation with institutions abroad.

Among the artists the orchestra has performed with are Valery Afanassiev, Pierre Amoyal, Alison Balsom, İdil Biret, Han-Na Chang, Robert Cohen, Jean-Philippe Collard, Jose Cura, Nikolai Demidenko, Emre Elivar, Denyce Graves, Janine Jansen, Sumi Jo, Suna Kan, Olga Kern, Albert Dohmen, Lang Lang, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Mischa Maisky, Shlomo Mintz, Christiane Oelze, Gülsin Onay, Güher-Süher Pekinel, Mikhail Pletnev, Viktoria Postnikova, Vadim Repin, Olivier Charlier, György Sandor, Fazıl Say, Hüseyin Sermet, Sayaka Shoji, Akiko Suwanai, Alexander Ghindin, Nicola Benedetti, Sabine Meyer, Boris Berezovsky, Simona Houda-Šaturová, Emmanuel Pahud, Sharon Isbin Turkish State Polyphonic, Rome Philharmonic, Bulgarian State Radio and Schleswig-Holstein Festival Choirs.

The BSO has performed under guest conductors such as, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gürer Aykal, Serge Baudo, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Alexander Sergeyevich Dmitriyev, Jean Fournet, Howard Griffiths, Peter Gülke, Ernest Martinez Izquierdo, Yoel Levi, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Nello Santi, Jose Serebrier, Lior Shambadal, Vlodymir Sirenko, Karl Anton Rickenbacher and Emil Tabakov. Wikipedia