Orchestras

Borusan String Quartet Members

Founded in 2005, the Borusan String Quartet is comprised of musicians from the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. Gerhard Schulz, a member of the Albanberg Quartet, serves as musical consultant to the Quartet, which also participates in the master classes given by the Juilliard String Quartet. The Borusan String Quartet performs concerts both in Turkey and overseas.

The distinguished members of the Quartet are:

Esen Kıvrak (violin)

First violinist Esen Kıvrak, born in Afyon in 1977, began his violin training with Professor Hazar Alapınar at the Izmir State Conservatory. In 1995, he was accepted into the class of Professor Josef Sivo at the Vienna Music Academy. Kıvrak was elected as the most successful young person of the year by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and awarded a scholarship. Subsequently, he performed in concerts, recordings and international tours with orchestras such as the Baden State Opera, the Vienna United Philharmonic, and the Vienna Symphonietta.

Kıvrak was granted his ‘Concert Violinist' diploma in 2001 from the Vienna Music Academy. In 2006, he completed his graduate degree with honors at the Vienna Music Academy, having studied under Professor Michael Frischenschlager.

Kıvrak has performed as a soloist with various respected orchestras in both Turkey and Europe, such as the Toronto Region Youth Orchestra, the Ensemble Salieri, Concertante Wien, the Izmir State Symphonic Orchestra, Izmir DESO, the Bursa Region Symphonic Orchestra, the Istanbul State Symphonic Orchestra, the Istanbul Symphonietta, the Eskişehir Metropolitan Symphonic Orchestra, the Çukurova State Symphonic Orchestra, and the Ankara Presidential Symphonic Orchestra. In 2005, he was the first associate violinist of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. The following year, in 2006, he was appointed as the Guest Concertmaster for the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra.

In addition to the Borusan String Quartet, the artist presently performs with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Borusan Chamber Orchestra, and is also the Concertmaster of the Vienna Symphonietta Orchestra.

Esen Kıvrak performs with a Domenicus Montagnana violin which was made in 1717 and is provided by the the Borusan Center for Culture and Arts.

Olgu Kızılay (violin)

Born in 1977 in Istanbul, Olgu Kızılay began his violin training in 1988 with Professor Hazar Alapınar at Dokuz Eylül University's Izmir State Conservatory. He has given numerous solo, chamber music and orchestral concerts. He was accepted as a member of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra in France on four occasions.

Kızılay continued his music education with Professor Alapınar and graduated with distinction in 1998. That same year, he qualified for Professor Joshua Epstein's class in the Graduate Program of the Strasburg National State Conservatory in France. During his studies there, he was concertmaster of both the school's orchestra and its chamber orchestra.

After receiving his Concertist Diploma from France's Inter-Conservatory Special Jury in 2001, as well as graduating with honors (winning the Gold Medal) from the chamber music department in the same year, Kızılay was assigned as Concertmaster to the Strasbourg “Volutes” Chamber Orchestra. In 2003, Kızılay earned his doctorate from the Strasbourg National State Conservatory, graduating at the top of his class. While studying in France, he recorded CDs of various chamber music concerts and contemporary composers. During the 1999 to 2002 concert seasons he performed as a guest artist with the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mulhouse Symphonic Orchestra and the Bas-Rhin Opera.

Over the years, Kızılay has also performed as a soloist with the Istanbul State Symphonic Orchestra, the Izmir State Symphonic Orchestra, the Antalya State Symphonic Orchestra, the Istanbul Chamber Orchestra, the Bursa Region Symphonic Orchestra, DESO and the Istanbul Symphonietta. Currently, he is the Principal of the second violins in the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a member of the Borusan String Quartet while simultaneously giving concerts in Turkey and abroad.

Olgu Kızılay performs with a Nicolo Amati-made violin which dates back to 1662 and is provided by the Borusan Center for Culture and Arts.

Efdal Altun (viola)

Born in 1970 in Ankara, Efdal Altun graduated from the viola department of the Ankara State Conservatory in 1992 as a student of Professor Koral Çalgan. During his student days, from 1990 to 1992, Altun performed in many chamber music concerts as a member of the Ganiev Quartet founded by the famous Azerbaijan State Artist Server Ganiev. From 1992 to 1998, Altun worked as both an academician and musician in the Viola Department of Eskişehir Anadolu University's State Conservatory.

Throughout his career, Altun has given many concerts in Turkey and overseas as a soloist, performing with the Ankara University Chamber Orchestra, the Mersin Chamber Orchestra, the MIAM (Müzik İleri Araştırmalar Merkezi) Chamber Orchestra, the Istanbul Chamber Orchestra, the Eskişehir Municipality Symphonic Orchestra, the Eskişehir Academy Symphonic Orchestra, the Çukurova State Symphonic Orchestra and the Istanbul State Symphonic Orchestra. Altun has also performed as a member of numerous orchestras such as the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, the Pommersfelden Symphonic Orchestra (as group leader), Das Treffen Opera (as Principal), the Macedonia Philharmonic Orchestra, the International Turkish Symphonic Orchestra, the Istanbul State Symphonic Orchestra and the Presidential Symphonic Orchestra. In 2006, he gave a chamber music concert, organized by the I.T.Ü. Foundation for Scholarship Campaign, with world-renowned violinist Alexander Markov.

In 2007, Altun received his Master's degree and he is currently teaching both viola and violin at the I.T.Ü. Turkish Music State Conservatory. He has been a member of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and Istanbul Chamber Orchestra since 1997.

In addition to being a member of the Borusan String Quartet, the artist also performs chamber music with the Quadro Turco Chamber Music Ensemble.

Efdal Altun is performing with an 1874 J. B. Vuillaume viola which is provided by the Borusan Center for Culture and Arts.

Çağ Erçağ(cello)

Born in 1976, Cellist Çağ Erçağ was admitted to the Hacettepe University State Conservatory in 1986 and completed his cello education with Jozsef Györfy and Professor Doğan Cangal, graduating with honors in 1996. The following year, in 1997, he was appointed as a Researcher at the same institution. In 1999, Erçağ passed the examination for the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, where he performed as cello Principal until 2004.

While Erçağ was still undergoing his education, he gave concerts with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra in France, Holland, Luxembourg and Egypt and participated in the masters training program of Andorran-born virtuoso Lluís Claret. Later on, Erçağ gave concerts with such well-known artists as Gürer Aykal, Fazıl Say, Ayla Erduran, Ayşegül Sarıca, Robert Cohen, Alexander Rudin and Daniel Grosgurin. He also performed the solo cello parts of the “Atatürk Documentary” composed by Can Atilla and the music of the movie “Iyi Seneler”, composed by Fazıl Say. Furthermore, he also participated in the CD recording of Fazıl Say's composition entitled the “Metin Altıok Oratorio”.

Çağ Erçağ performed as a soloist with the Borusan Chamber Orchestra in the 35th Istanbul Music Festival in 2007. He participated in such festivals as Cyprus Music Festival, Eskişehir Music Festival and Mersin Music Festival as a soloist. Erçağ also featured as a soloist with the Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Presidential Symphony Orchestra, İzmir State Symphony, Bursa Regional Symphony, Antalya State Symphony, Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra, and with the Şişli Symphony Orchestra in Strasbourg.

Along with his regular visits to Vienna to study with Gerhard Schulz, a member of the Alban Berg Quartet, Çağ Erçağ performs as a solo cello in the Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. Besides serving as the artistic director of Şişli Symphony Orchestra, Erçağ is also the member of Çellistanbul, a cello quartet established in 2002, and Borusan String Quartet, founded in 2005.

Eminent Turkish photographer and architect Ahmet Ertuğ is contributing to the purchase of the Petrus Guarneri cello made in 1740 that Çağ Erçağ plays. His donation is dedicated to the memory of his beloved father Dr. Celal Ertuğ who loved classical music deeply.

Repertoire

	Gürer Aykal	:	String Quartet
	Ludwig van Beethoven	:	String Quartet No. 4 C minor op. 18
	Ludwig van Beethoven	:	String Quartet (Serioso) F minor op. 95
	Luigi Boccerini	:	String Quartet
	Alexander Borodin	:	String Quartet No. 1 A major
	Alexander Borodin	:	String Quartet No. 2 D major
	Edvard Grieg	:	String Quartet G minor op. 27
	Joseph Haydn	:	String Quartet No. 2 D minor op. 76 (Quintenquartett)
	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	:	String Quartet No. 6 A major op. 10 K. 465 (Disonanzen)
	Franz Schubert	:	String Quartet D minor ("Death and the Maiden")
	İlhan Usmanbaş	:	String Quartet