Choir Director

Burak Onur Erdem

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism State Polyphonic Choir has been one of Turkey's leading professional ensembles since its establishment in 1988. Founded through the efforts of Hikmet Şimşek, the State Polyphonic Choir has collaborated with notable conductors such as Walter Strauss, Ahter Destan, İbrahim Yazıcı, and Cemi'i Can Deliorman, and has performed concerts with many esteemed orchestral conductors. Since 2017, the choir has continued its work under the direction of Burak Onur Erdem.

The State Polyphonic Choir, which held its first concert in 1989 under the direction of Ahmed Adnan Saygun, has given over a thousand concerts in many cities across Turkey and has received acclaim in various countries abroad, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria, and South Korea. Among its notable performances are the world premiere of Harbison's work dedicated to Pope John Paul II in Vatican, Mahler's 2nd Symphony in Berlin, Britten's War Requiem, and Verdi's Requiem.

In recognition of its excellence, the State Polyphonic Choir received the "Choir of the Year" award at the 2010 Donizetti Awards. The choir's repertoire includes a wide range of a cappella choral literature and numerous symphonic works. Over the years, they have contributed to various albums, including Orff's Carmina Burana, Mozart's Requiem, Saygun's Yunus Emre Oratorio, Say's Nazım Oratorio, and Sun's Kurtuluş Film Music, as well as two albums featuring folk songs by Saygun and Sun.

The State Polyphonic Choir has also made a significant contribution to promoting Turkish culture worldwide by commissioning compositions from internationally recognized composers like Eurico Carrapatoso, Giovanni Bonato, and Henning Sommerro, who set the works of Turkish poets to music. Since 2016, the choir has been organizing the Walter Strauss Choral Conducting Masterclass, inviting esteemed international figures such as Paulo Lourenço, Lorenzo Donati, Ragnar Rasmussen, Josep Vila i Casanas, and Jan Schumacher, attracting conductors and conductor candidates from all over Turkey and abroad.