Harun İzer, director of Istanbul Jazz Festival, music professional and lawyer. He graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law and worked in different roles at various culture and arts institutions in his university years. After his graduation until 2002, he worked at an international law firm in Istanbul. In 2003, he joined the Istanbul Jazz Festival. In 2018, he was appointed as the festival director. During this period he curated different sections of the festival and implemented the showcase programme for the Istanbul Jazz Festival “Vitrin: Showcase for Contemporary Music in Turkey”, first held on 2017. He took an important role in presenting the free events of the festival in different neighbourhoods of Istanbul.
İzer has also writes music reviews for various magazines and newspapers, hosted radio shows on local radio stations such as Radio Eksen and Acik Radio. During 2019-2022 he worked as a lecturer at the jazz branch of Istanbul University State Conservatory and in 2021 at the ethnomusicology department of the Mimar Sinan University Istanbul State Conservatory, giving lectures on music business. He contributed to various juries and nomination committees such as Womex Worldwide Music Expo, North Sea Jazz Festival and Aga Khan Music Awards. He is also a member of the Istanbul Bar.
İzer joined the Private Law Department of KHAS Faculty of Law as a Visiting Lecturer (Lawyer).