Art and Culture at BAU

BAU features a vibrant arts community. We encourage our students to express their creativity and think critically about the arts, both in and out of the classroom. At BAU, we offer a wide range of activities and programs for both the campus and the community, including state-of-the-art performing arts spaces and unique art workshops. BAU also provides a vast array of cultural programs including internationally acclaimed artists, authors, award-winning musicians, renowned lecturers, and eminent performers. Our location in Istanbul allows for partnerships with some of the best art organizations and artists in the city as well as unparalleled resources and partnerships with international arts and culture institutions.

Arts & Culture Programs:

BAU Chamber Orchestra

Bahceşehir University’s Chamber Orchestra was founded with the support of the Chairman of Board of Trustees, Mr. Enver YÜCEL, who is an art and culture enthusiast. The orchestra aims to serve the BAU Community and the city as a whole with its high quality arts and cultural programming.

Emin Güven Yaşlıçam is the Art Director and Standing Conductor of the BAU Chamber Orchestra. The orchestra was founded by bringing together the most prominent group conductors of Turkey. BAU Chamber Orchestra will start to perform with renowned soloists every month starting in February 2013.

BAU Sound of Civilizations Choir and Orchestra

Bahçeşehir University founded “the Sound of Civilizations Choir” with the conviction that universities must promote a culture of diversity for social progress and seek ways to overcome cultural and ethnic biases. Towards this goal, BAU Sound of Civilizations Choir and Orchestra was formed to perform a wide range of folk songs from within and around Turkey, namely Anatolia, the Balkans, Middle East and Caucasia.

The Choir is compromised of BAU students and accompanied by an orchestra of professional musicians. Depending on the repertoire, musicians playing local instruments are also invited from outside to perform. The Choir performs songs in Kurdish, Armenian, Bulgarian, Laz, Greek, Georgian and Arabic. Due to the repertoire’s multicultural, polyphonic and multilingual nature, the performances of the Choir of Civilizations have received great acclaim from various audiences.

Thanks to music’s unique way of expression, the Choir’s mission is to stand up against antagonism and racism and is determined to convey the message of peace and brotherhood by means of its special repertoire and performances.
Art Director: Muammer KETENCOĞLU
Conductor:Öcal ÖCALAN

BAU Jazz Program

BAU Chamber Orchestra

The Jazz Certificate Program was launched under Bahçeşehir University Jazz Department with the aim to foster an appreciation and understanding of the jazz culture throughout our community. The program includes within its academic faculty, Turkey’s most prominent and internationally renowned jazz musicians and instructors, such as Baki Duyarlar, Nilüfer Verdi, Şevket Akıncı, Sibel Köse, Başak Yavuz, Kağan Yıldız, Şenova Ülker, Tamer Temel and Cengiz Baysal, and offers workshops in eight different specialization namely piano, guitar, contrabass, trumpet, saxophone, drums, private vocal training, and vocal workshop with Sibel Köse.

In addition to these workshops, the program also offers courses on Jazz Theory (harmony, solfège, ear training), Jazz History, and listening analysis and ensemble courses. Working through the repertoire of established jazz artists, the Jazz Certificate Program aims to develop the required skills and knowledge of the students to pursue a professional career in jazz to become musicians, composers, producers, as well as instructors and scholars to gain entry to graduate programs in the Jazz Studies.

BAUart Workshops

The goal of the BAUart Workshops is to help students develop their talents and guide them through their journeys towards becoming creative, self-confident, and productive in their work as well as promote a community of individuals who are responsible and empathetic in their social and cultural environments. At the end of their journeys the workshops aim to raise participants’ awareness of their own works as well as encourage them to become more productive in their future artistic endeavors.

• Vocal Workshops
• Sound Production And Makam Techniques Workshops
• Painting Workshops
• Ebru Workshops
• Ceramic Workshop