Exploring the melodic path: Decoding the journey of Istanbul's conservatory graduates in pursuit of employment

Conservatory trained classical musicians in Istanbul face unique challenges as well as those they share with their global counterparts. A study was conducted, through semi-structured interviews with ten conservatory graduates, to investigate their experiences regarding their professional lives after graduation. From a perspective of contemporary neoliberalism research and taking into account Turkey's unique socio cultural landscape, the study aims to answer questions regarding conservatory graduates' employment prospects, job seeking strategies, and professional outcomes starting from early personal life circumstances and following each participant's educational and personal development into adulthood and through various career paths. Analyzing the participants' replies based on a theoretical framework informed by Foucauldian concepts of biopolitics, subjectivation and governmentality, this thesis explores how Istanbul's classical musicians navigate the complexities of their field affected by decreased state support, shifts in cultural preferences and the increased pressure to demonstrate entrepreneurial attitudes.