Salon İKSV has been bringing good music to music lovers who want to see the reflections of contemporary music from different geographies in Istanbul, who want to fulfil their longing for the best of the local scene, and who want to make new musical discoveries, for 10 years! During these 10 years, legends of jazz music such as Marcus Miller, Mammal Hands, Gogo Penguin, Yussef Dayes, Makaya McCraven, Comet is Coming, and Kamaal Williams were the guests of Salon İKSV, as well as important names of contemporary music such as Altın Gün, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Khruangbin, Agar Agar, Rhye, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Future Islands, Midlake and Notwist. Turkish bands and musicians who have performed to their loving fans at Salon İKSV include Büyük Ev Ablukada, Gaye Su Akyol, Jakuzi, Nekropsi, Baba Zula, Islandman, Arif Sağ, and Erkan Oğur.

>> Who took the stage at Salon İKSV in the past 10 years? Click here for the Spotify playlist.

Here is a summary of Salon İKSV events since 2010.

2010

The Bad Plus. Photo by Mahmut Ceylan

After moving to the Nejat Eczacıbaşı Building, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts realized a long-term dream and opened the performance venue Salon İKSV, which offers up-to-date music discoveries, with The Bad Plus concert on January 16. In a short period, Salon İKSV became an oasis of culture with the addition of theatre plays and literary speeches to the programme.

2011

Ane Brun. Photo by Ali Güler

It is no longer a secret that Salon İKSV cannot be indifferent to the music of the Nordic geography. The year in which Istanbul, not only Salon İKSV, was carried away by northern winds was 2011 when Ane Brun and Olafur Arnalds appeared for the first time at Salon İKSV. Since that day, both musicians are obliged to visit Salon İKSV at regular intervals and calm the exuberant crowds.

2012

St. Vincent. Photo by Ali Güler

With her Salon İKSV concert on February 21, St. Vincent became the star of our hearts before becoming a worldwide star. 2012 also went down in history as the year when the 80’s folk diva Suzanne Vega had an epic concert at Salon İKSV, and when we experienced the legendary Erased Tapes night, where Olafur Arnalds featured Nils Frahm and AWVFTS.

2013

Swans. Photo by Ali Güler

The year of many firsts. Numerous musicians made their first Istanbul appearance at Salon İKSV in 2013. British piano trio GoGo Penguin; the poetic, chaotic, merciless punk rock band Swans; Snarky Puppy, who released groundUP, known as a gold album today, and came to Istanbul straight after; and Agnes Obel, the folk-jazz wonder of Denmark.

2014

Future Islands. Photo by Ali Güler

It would not be wrong to say that we’re living on their island today. Future Islands performed in Istanbul for the first time at Salon İKSV in 2014. The band, which released their first album in 2008, signed with the 4AD record company the same year and released Singles, signalling that they would be the new big thing of pop music with their Youtube record-breaking performances in David Letterman.

2015

Arif Sağ. Photo by Ali Güler

Salon İKSV has also made its admiration for the music repertoire and instrument talent in its own geography known by frequently including folk poets in its programme. The Arif Sağ concert is still fresh in our memories. This year, Salon İKSV also held special screenings. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet streaming live from London National Theatre to Salon İKSV played to a full house, not once, not twice, but 27 times!

2016

Local Natives. Photo by Ali Güler

We seem to hear you sighing Local Natives. As soon as they released their third album Sunlit Youth, the group came to Salon İKSV for their first Istanbul concert. The event was followed by many firsts this year. Mark Eliyahu, who is known worldwide as the musician who has restored the kemancha’s reputation, and Khruangbin, who became one of the most listened to artists of 2016 with their surprising live cover of a Sezen Aksu song, gave their first Istanbul concerts at Salon İKSV.

2017

Kiasmos. Photo by Onur Doğman

Salon İKSV’s good news was met with great enthusiasm! Salon İKSV announced it would be organizing one-day festivals not only in its own hall but also on Istanbul’s larger stages. Thus, Salon İKSV went on its first trip this year. The first of the Gezgin Salon İKSV concerts hosted Kiasmos and Pantha Du Prince in Beykoz Kundura. This time, thousands of people were out to discover good music.

2018

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Photo by Fatih Küçük

It was time to meet the wonder boy, King Krule, who had released his first album when he was 19 years old, and naturally, his concert was at Salon İKSV. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard received enormous attention with their first concert selling out within 24 hours. They gained even further adoration when they decided to perform two more nights in Istanbul, and promised to return on 5 August for Gezgin Salon İKSV. Wolf Alice and Amyl & The Sniffers accompanied King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard in the second edition of Gezgin Salon İKSV.

2019

Agar Agar

When he came to Istanbul for Jacco Gardner’s concert at Salon İKSV, the bassist Jasper Gold was fascinated by Turkey’s psychedelic heritage. Upon returning to The Netherlands, he immediately established Altın Gün, which has since performed five concerts at Salon İKSV and received a Grammy nomination. In 2019, when Gezgin Salon İKSV reached a wider audience, it hosted Agar Agar and Polynation in June, and Mac DeMarco and Büyük Ev Ablukada in November. On January 16, 2020, Salon İKSV celebrated its tenth year.

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