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The 54th Istanbul Music Festival will bring together major orchestras, acclaimed soloists, new commissions, contemporary dance and special venue concerts across Istanbul from June 11 to 25, 2026.
Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, known as IKSV, the festival is Türkiye's longest-running classical music event and will be held this year with the sponsorship of Borusan Holding.
Under the theme "Here & Now," the program focuses on the fleeting nature of music and the idea that each performance exists only in the moment it is shared with an audience.
This year's edition will present 22 concerts in 14 venues, bringing more than 80 artists and ensembles to the city. The program features major ensembles including the Wiener Symphoniker, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra and Aterballetto.
Among the leading soloists are pianists Behzod Abduraimov, Bruce Liu and the Jussen brothers, cellist Kian Soltani, tenor Ian Bostridge and countertenor Iestyn Davies. The festival will also include three world premieres, among them new commissions by Kaan Bulak and Donghoon Shin.
The Honorary Award will be presented to Turkish composer Turgay Erdener, while the Lifetime Achievement Award will go to legendary pianist Maria Joao Pires, recognized for approaching music not only as technical mastery but also as a form of existence.
The festival will open on June 11 at Ataturk Cultural Center's (AKM) Turk Telekom Opera Hall with the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Aziz Shokhakimov. Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov will perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, while the program will also include Stravinsky's The Firebird suite.
The opening concert sets up the festival's international profile by pairing a major orchestra with a pianist known for combining Western classical tradition, Eastern depth and powerful stage presence.
One of the main highlights of the festival will be the Wiener Symphoniker's two-night appearance in Istanbul as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations.
On June 23, the orchestra will perform with Bruce Liu, winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition, under the baton of chief conductor Petr Popelka. The program will include Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Schubert's Symphony No. 9, known as "The Great."
The following evening, on June 24, the Wiener Symphoniker will return with cellist Kian Soltani for a program dedicated to Dvorak. The concert will feature the composer's Cello Concerto in B minor and Symphony No. 9, "From the New World."
The festival's chamber music offerings include Kammerakademie Potsdam with piano duo Lucas and Arthur Jussen at Is Towers Hall on June 15. Their program will move from Haydn and Mozart to Schreker and Ravel.
On June 14, countertenor Iestyn Davies will appear with the Berlin Soloists at Kadikoy Municipality Sureyya Opera House. The concert will also feature the world premiere of a new work by Donghoon Shin, jointly commissioned by the Istanbul Music Festival, Wigmore Hall and Chamber Music Northwest.
The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra will take up the music of Ennio Morricone on June 16 at the AKM. Conducted by Dirk Brosse, the concert will bring together Koro Istanbul, soprano Nazlican Karakas, flautist Veronika Vitazkova and other musicians for a program built around Morricone's best-known film scores.
The festival's final evening, on June 25, will feature Maison Lale, a new Istanbul Music Festival commission by Kaan Bulak. The immersive concert brings together Bulak and his ensemble with soprano Sarah Aristidou, drawing on references from Anatolian seasonal rites to the tulip mania of 17th-century Europe.
Contemporary dance will also take a central place in the program. Italy's Aterballetto will perform on June 12 and 13 at Ataturk Cultural Centre Theatre Hall with a triple bill featuring works by Angelin Preljocaj, Crystal Pite, and Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich. The performances will include live music by cellist Dorukhan Doruk and pianist Korkmaz Can Saglam.
The festival will take place across 14 venues, ranging from major halls to historic and open-air spaces. These include AKM, Arter, Kadikoy Municipality Sureyya Opera House, Salon IKSV, the Grand Bazaar, the Garden of the Consulate General of Italy, Bahariye Mevlevihanesi, Yildiz Park and several churches across the city.
The Music Route: Beyoglu program on June 13 will connect three venues in the district, beginning at Surp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Catholic Church, continuing at Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church and ending at Crimea Memorial Church.
Other special projects include Classical Disco at Salon IKSV, Fleeting Beauties at the Grand Bazaar, Improclassica at the Garden of the Consulate General of Italy, and In the Path of Nefes at Bahariye Mevlevi Lodge.
For the first time, the festival will present a Relaxed Concert at Sureyya Opera House on June 20 and 21. Designed for comfort and accessibility, the program by Lepidus Ensemble will offer a flexible listening environment for all audiences, including neurodivergent individuals.
The Women Stars of Tomorrow concert, launched in 2018 to support young female musicians, will take place on June 17 with flautist Aslihan And Say accompanying this year's young artists.
Children will also be included through the First Steps in Art program, which will bring the Nature's Music workshops to Ataturk Urban Park for the 7-12 age group. The events will be held in Turkish.
Tickets for the 54th Istanbul Music Festival can be purchased through Passo channels. A limited number of Eczacibasi Youth Tickets will be available for students for ₺50 (nearly $2), with the support of IKSV Founding Sponsor Eczacibasi.
More details on the festival program are available through the official Istanbul Music Festival website.
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