Born in Istanbul, Cem Mansur studied music in London, at the City University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He later studied at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute with Leonard Bernstein.

Mansur was Conductor of the Istanbul State Opera between 1981 and 1989. He has conducted various orchestras and opera companies in Holland, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Israel, Croatia, Poland, South Africa, Albania, Finland and Russia, where he has been a guest of the Mariinsky Theatre for which he conducted the company’s first ever performance of Madama Butterfy, among others.

Between 1989 and 1996, Cem Mansur was Principal Conductor of the City of Oxford Orchestra. In 1998, he became Artistic Director of the Akbank Chamber Orchestra (until the orchestra’s disbandment in 2011) where he explored the repertoire in highly inventive programmes and curated thematic festivals that looked at issues of history and identity through the lens of music.

Cem Mansur’s commitment to young musicians has found expression in his founding of the Turkish National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007. The orchestra has grown steadily in international profile with performances at such prestigious venues as the Beethovenfest in Bonn, BOZAR in Brussels, Brucknerhaus Linz, Konzerthaus Berlin, Konzerthaus Vienna, Prague Rudolfnum, Sala Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Ravello Festival. The orchestra’s work has been broadcast by Arte, Bayerischer Rundfunk and Deutsche Welle.

Orchestras he has guest-conducted include Moscow Virtuosi, Helsinki Philharmonic, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, City of London Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Bucharest), Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, Torre del lago Puccini Festival and the Holland Park Opera Festival in London where he has been responsible for four productions over five years.

Cem Mansur’s extensive repertoire includes many unusual works. He conducted the first performance of Elgar’s unfinished opera The Spanish Lady in London. Ofenbach’s opera Whittington had its first performance since its premiere in the 19th century under his direction at the City of London Festival in 2000.

In May 2010, Cem Mansur conducted the world premiere of Veni Creator by Arvo Pärt in Poland. This followed the European premiere of the composer’s 4th Symphony by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. The performance met with acclaim by the composer who has recommended the conductor to various festivals to perform his works.

Mansur is president of the Ipswich Choral Society, the second oldest such institution in England.