Sera Tokay

Sera Tokay was born in Istanbul to family with Russian origins. She started her musical career thanks to a scholarship the French government provided for piano education. Understanding that she would not become a concert pianist due to a neuromuscular ailment in her hands, she decided to continue her music passion by becoming a conductor, and completed her education at Lausanne Conservatory. She has been influenced by Janos Fürst, Vsevolod Polonsky, Alain Voirpy, and H. Klopfenstein. Her seven-year apprenticeship under Polonsky was especially influential in her development. Living in France, Tokay completed her philosophy education with a doctoral degree in phenomenology at Paris Sorbonne University.

Tokay serves as musical director and principal conductor of the Sisli Symphony Orchestra in Istanbul. She was invited by the Afghan Minister of Culture to found a school of music in Kabul. In 2010, she was invited to conduct an exceptional concert at the Collège de France. In 2011, she founded the chamber orchestra Philharmonie de Chambre Lutèce, comprised of young French musicians. In January 2014, Tokay will direct the Philharmonie de Chambre Lutéce at the Carnegie Hall in the US.

Reference: seratokay.com, hurriyetdailynews.com