The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (), also known as the BIPO, is a Turkish orchestra based in Istanbul that was formed by enlarging the Borusan Chamber Orchestra in 1999. It is funded by the Borusan Holding. History The Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra was founded as the Borusan Chamber Orchestra in 1993. This initiative by Borusan, a leading Turkish industrial conglomerate, entering into the complex and challenging world of establishing orchestras, was based on its vision of helping to bring polyphonic music to a wider audience of Turkish people. This group rapidly grew in both number of musicians and quality of musical performance, so that it became a symphonic orchestra in 1999. That same year, Maestro Gürer Aykal was appointed as the general music director and permanent conductor of the orchestra. On 13 May 1999, at the Yıldız Palace Silahhane Building on the European side of Istanbul, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra performed its first concert and soon began offering concerts on the Anatolian side of the city as well. By the end of 1999, BIFO was performing two concerts per month, one on each side of the Bosphorus, at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center on the European side and at the Kadiköy People's Education Center on the Asian side, thereby quickly becoming a true city orchestra. This pattern continues until this day, totaling twenty-four concerts per year, with performances on the Anatolian side now being held at the Caddebostan Cultural Center. For the international audience of the Istanbul Festival, the BIFO has become a well known and esteemed musical standard for many years. BIPO continues to serve as a bridge between the people of Turkey and the European tradition in classical music. Musical programs and performances Over the years, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra has introduced classical music lovers in Istanbul to some of the world's foremost musicians. The orchestra has had the privilege of performing with virtuosos such as Maxim Vengerov, Vadim Gluzman, Dimitris Sgouros, Alexander Rudin, Suna Kan, İdil Biret, Fazıl Say, Ayşegül Sarıca, Meral Güneyman, Ayla Erduran, Verda Erman, Gülsin Onay, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Olga Kern, Corey Cerovsek and Stanislav Ioudenitch. Celebrated guest conductors, who have led the orchestra include Igor Oistrak, Emil Tabakov, Giuseppe Lanzetta, Fabiano Monica, Alain Paris, and Ender Sakpınar. In addition, BIFO has also been accompanied by the Wiener Singverein, one of the world's leading choirs. One of the most popular