The 54th Istanbul Music Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), under the main sponsorship of Borusan Holding and with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, opened with the award ceremony and Tekfen Philharmonic concert at the Atatürk Cultural Center Opera Hall on the evening of June 11. Composer and educator Turgay Erdener received the 2026 Honor Award. The 2025 Aydın Gün Encouragement Award was presented to young orchestra conductor, composer and violinist Kerem Tunçer.