İzmir Foundation for Culture Arts and Education

The İzmir Foundation for Culture Arts and Education (Turkish: İzmir Kültür Sanat ve Eğitim Vakfı, İKSEV) is a non-profit civil society organization based in İzmir, Turkey. It was founded on 6 December 1985 by a group of eleven entrepreneurs and a broad coalition of local institutions, including the İzmir Governorate, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, İzmir Chamber of Commerce, Ziraat Bank, Osmanlı Bank, Yaşar Group, Çimentaş, Egebank, Raks Elektronik, and individuals such as Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı and Vitali Hakko. Its stated purpose is to encourage the research, creation, teaching, preservation, and popularization of culture and the arts. İKSEV is best known as the organizer of the International İzmir Festival, an annual multi-week event that brings international classical, jazz, and contemporary musicians to İzmir and stages concerts in historic venues such as the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center (AASSM), the ancient Agora of İzmir, the Celsus Library in Ephesus, and Çeşme Castle. The foundation also runs the İzmir European Jazz Festival, the biennial Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı National Composition Competition, and a wide range of workshops, masterclasses, seminars, exhibitions, and film screenings. In 2011, on its 25th anniversary, İKSEV opened MÜZİKSEV, a music museum and library housed in the historic Alsancak Köşkü, a mansion built in the 1840s for the engineer of Alsancak Station. Through its long-running "Gençler Ustalarla Buluşuyor" (Youth Meets Masters) project, İKSEV connects young artists and arts students with established Turkish and international performers and educators. Its activities extend beyond music and dance into photography, graphic design, literature, design, theatre, animation, and ceramics. The foundation also provides exhibition, working, and rehearsal spaces for young visual artists and music and dance students, and makes its historic building available to İzmir residents of all ages. İKSEV remains one of İzmir's leading non-governmental cultural organizations, supported by public institutions, corporate sponsors such as the Eczacıbaşı Group, and international cultural institutes.

İKSEV was established on 6 December 1985 in İzmir by eleven founding entrepreneurs — H. Necdet Aydın, Z. Tülay Çiftçi, Azra İnmeler, Güman Kızıltan, Burçin Kipman, Tuncer Olcay, Serdar Ongurlar, Filiz Sarper, Ayşe Tatari, Murat Tuncay, and Gürhan Tümer — together with a broad group of institutional founders. These included the İzmir Governorate, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, Ziraat Bank, Osmanlı Bank, Yaşar Group, Çimentaş, Egebank, Raks Elektronik, İzmir Pamuk Mensucat, Karagözoğlu Tütün, Kemisan Elektro Kimya, Sarper Tütün, the Ege Tourism Association, and İzmir Rotary Club, as well as individuals such as Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, Vitali Hakko, Leyla Akgönenç, Hanri Benazus, Salih İşgören, and Herve H. F. Giraud. The foundation's stated purpose was to undertake every kind of initiative for the research, study, creation, learning, teaching, preservation, and popularization of culture and the arts. From its early years, İKSEV focused on bringing international cultural events to İzmir. Its flagship project, the International İzmir Festival, grew into an annual multi-week event that stages concerts in historic and architectural landmarks, including the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center, the ancient Agora of İzmir, the Celsus Library in Ephesus, and Çeşme Castle. The foundation also established the İzmir European Jazz Festival and the biennial Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı National Composition Competition, named after one of its founders. Over the decades it added workshops, masterclasses, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and film screenings, and it created the "Gençler Ustalarla Buluşuyor" (Youth Meets Masters) project to connect young artists and arts students with established performers and educators. In 2011, marking its 25th anniversary, İKSEV opened MÜZİKSEV, described as the first of its kind in its concept, a music museum and library dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Turkish instruments and ancient musical culture. MÜZİKSEV is housed in the historic Alsancak Köşkü, one of the first residences of Punta (Alsancak), built in the 1840s for the engineer of Alsancak Station and later used as a residence, health center, and clinic. The foundation also created Akademi İKSEV for education in creativity, interpretation, and research in music and the performing arts, and formed an arts council that has included figures such as İdil Biret, Leyla Gencer, Suna Kan, Şefika Kutluer, Ayşegül Sarıca, Hüseyin Sermet, Meriç Sümen, Zeynep Tanbay, and İlhan Usmanbaş. İKSEV has continued to operate as one of İzmir's leading civil society organizations. Its festivals and competitions are supported by public bodies such as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, by corporate sponsors such as the Eczacıbaşı Group, and by international cultural institutes including the Goethe-Institut İzmir, the French Cultural Center, and various consulates. The 39th International İzmir Festival is scheduled for 4 June – 8 July 2026, continuing the foundation's long tradition of uniting the city with world-class artists.

• 2026

  39th International İzmir Festival scheduled for 4 June – 8 July 2026.

• 2011

  MÜZİKSEV, a music museum and library, opened on the foundation's 25th anniversary in the historic Alsancak Köşkü.

• 1985

  İKSEV founded on 6 December in İzmir by 11 entrepreneurs and institutional founders.

A leading İzmir-based non-profit cultural foundation that stages international festivals in historic venues and supports arts education and young artists.

• Uluslararası İzmir Festivali (International İzmir Festival)

  Annual multi-week international arts festival staged in historic İzmir venues.

• İzmir Avrupa Caz Festivali (İzmir European Jazz Festival)

  Annual jazz festival organized by İKSEV.

• Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Ulusal Beste Yarışması

  Biennial national composition competition.

• MÜZİKSEV

  Music museum and library opened in 2011 in the historic Alsancak Köşkü.

• Akademi İKSEV

  Academy for education in creativity, interpretation, and research in music and performing arts.

1. 1İzmir Kültür Sanat ve Eğitim Vakfı – official websiteiksev.org
2. 2Hakkımızda – İzmir Kültür Sanat ve Eğitim Vakfıiksev.org
3. 3İzmir Kültür Sanat Eğitim Vakfı – Wikipedia (Turkish)tr.wikipedia.org
4. 4İzmir Foundation for Culture Arts and Education – Wikidatawikidata.org