Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) Makes Key Hire from London

The Istanbul Jazz Festival, organized by IKSV since 1994 and held every July to bring together respected names in jazz and contemporary music with music enthusiasts, announced a significant personnel move as it prepared to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2018. Pelin Opcin, who has directed the festival since 2005, will take on the role of Programming Director at Serious, which organizes the London Jazz Festival, one of the world's most comprehensive jazz festivals, beginning in early February. She will continue her duties at IKSV simultaneously until the 25th Istanbul Jazz Festival concludes. While studying Molecular Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University, Pelin Opcin played an active role in numerous cultural and artistic events at the university and decided to continue her career in this field after graduation. Opcin began working at IKSV in 1999 and became Director of the Istanbul Jazz Festival in 2005. Responsible for both the artistic content and overall administrative management of the festival, Pelin Opcin also played an important role in various individual music events organized by IKSV, audience development and accessibility projects. Several innovations were implemented during her directorship; Efforts were made to increase collaborations between Turkish and international artists, and priority was given to initiatives aimed at increasing international reach for Turkish artists. Opcin was also the creator of the Young Jazz series, which aims to enable young musicians to perform at the Istanbul Jazz Festival and reach larger audiences. Serving in an active role during the International Jazz Day celebrations organized by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz held in Istanbul in 2013, Opcin currently serves on the advisory board of the International Jazz Day, which continues to be led by both institutions. In addition to her position on the board of TESDER (Turkish Live Music and Entertainment Sector Association), Opcin represents the Istanbul Jazz Festival at the International Jazz Festivals Organisation and teaches as an instructor in the Arts and Culture Management department at Bilgi University.