Yonca Karakilic joins Primo Artists as Artist Manager
Yonca Karakilic comes to Primo Artists with more than 15 years of experience in artistic planning, audience engagement and management in symphony, chamber music, festival and academic settings
For Immediate Release
PRIMO ARTISTS WELCOMES YONCA KARAKILIC AS ARTIST MANAGER
NEW YORK (December 12, 2022) — Primo Artists announces that Yonca Karakilic joins the agency as Artist Manager effective immediately.
Yonca Karakilic comes to Primo Artists with more than 15 years of experience in artistic planning, audience engagement and management in symphony, chamber music, festival and academic settings.
From 2010 to 2013, Karakilic served as Manager of Artistic Planning at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she was Director of Arts Transcending Borders at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester MA. Working with academic partners, she established and led this new initiative – a multidisciplinary series and related programming with emphasis on contemporary and global expressions in music, dance, theater and interdisciplinary practice.
Charlotte Lee, Founder of Primo Artists, said: “Yonca and I met 12 years ago when she was working in artistic administration at the Pittsburgh Symphony. In our dealings, she stood out to me as a supreme professional with impressive acumen, gravitas, integrity and exquisite taste. I am delighted to warmly welcome Yonca to our company and am confident she will quickly distinguish herself as a trusted colleague and advisor to our artists, presenters and collaborating partners.”
Yonca Karakilic said: “Since the time we met while I was at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, I have always had a deep appreciation of Charlotte’s expertise and care in fostering the careers of some of the greatest artists of our time. It is my distinct pleasure to join the Primo Artists team and use my expertise from the presenting perspective to help enable this roster of supreme talent.”
ABOUT YONCA KARAKILIC
Yonca Karakilic brings more than 15 years of experience in artistic planning, audience engagement and management in symphony, chamber music, festival and academic settings.
From 2010 to 2013, Yonca Karakilic served as Manager of Artistic Planning at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her artistic administration responsibilities, she led distinct programmatic initiatives such as the “Composer of the Year” program, where she worked with composers Joan Tower, Steven Stucky, Mason Bates, as well as thematic festivals centered around classical subscription programs.
Most recently, Karakilic served as Director of Arts Transcending Borders at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester MA. Working with academic partners, she established and led this new initiative – a multidisciplinary series and related programming with emphasis on contemporary and global expressions in music, dance, theater and interdisciplinary practice. As Director of the program, she produced 50-70 annual public events, curricular and community engagement activities, championing deep engagement between audiences and artists including the Silkroad Ensemble, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, jazz master and composer Terence Blanchard and violinist Johnny Gandelsman, among others. Through residencies, she supported the development of new works by composer Osvaldo Golijov, visual artist Kevork Mourad, and actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith.
Karakilic has previously held leadership, audience engagement and education roles with the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, Istanbul International Music Festival, and taught arts management courses at the Istanbul Technical University’s Center for Advanced Studies in Music. She has served on the boards of New England Presenters and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.
She holds an M.A. in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School for Public Policy and Management in Pittsburgh and a B.A in English from Bogazici University in Istanbul. Trained as a cellist, she holds a Certificate in Cello Performance from Istanbul University State Conservatory Preparatory School and has performed with Istanbul Baroque. Karakilic is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area where she lives with her husband and daughter.
ABOUT PRIMO ARTISTS
Primo Artists is a leader in international artist management, social media management and public relations. Based in New York and founded in 2015 by Charlotte Lee, Primo Artists prides itself on its selective artist management roster comprising violinists Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Nicola Benedetti and Randall Goosby; pianists Beatrice Rana and Seong-Jin Cho; conductors Cristian Măcelaru, James Gaffigan, Christian Reif and Gemma New; and composers Valerie Coleman and Wynton Marsalis.
Considered one of the most modern agencies in the field, Primo Artists represents a growing roster of Social Media and Public Relations clients to optimize and build presence in an ever-evolving media world. Primo Artists is one of the only agencies in the world that offers a holistic portfolio of artist management, social media and public relations services.
Contacts:
Charlotte Lee
President and Founder
212 804 8301
charlotte@primoartists.com
Yonca Karakilic
Artist Manager
212 804 8321
yonca@primoartists.com
For information on Primo Artists, click here.
For information on Yonca Karakilic, click here.