The value of a place in the arts

Rubbing shoulders with A listers in the world of music, one Cypriot’s move to America has seen her make the industry her living finds PAUL LAMBIS

Drawn to music from a young age, Nicol Kuburoglu always believed a career in the industry would allow her to make a positive effect on the world.

Kuburoglu now works as a talent buyer for C3 Presents, an Austin, Texas-based concert promotion and event production and artist management company, where she rubs shoulders with A listers such as Ed Sheeran, Chris Rock, Diana Ross, Pitbull, Imagine Dragons and Pink.

“I also work directly with artist teams and their crew, assisting with stage setup and overseeing their production requirements and hospitality needs,” Kuburoglu said. “I’m basically the middleman between the artist and their festival performance.”

So how did a young Turkish Cypriot from Kyrenia land up in Austin, “the music hub of the United States of America,” booking legendary artists at prime venues around the west coast?

Kuburoglu was born in the United Kingdom to a Turkish Cypriot father and a British mother, and moved to Cyprus when she was three years old. “My parents always thought it was important for my brother and me to take classical piano lessons, which I believe sparked my interest in music,” she said.

According to Kuburoglu, the English School of Kyrenia was also instrumental in steering her towards a music career. “One of my teachers lent me his acoustic guitar, which I was then able to teach myself how to play the guitar over the summer holidays,” she recalled.

But it wasn’t until she was old enough to attend live music concerts by rock bands she adored, such as Aerosmith, Alter Bridge, and Rival Sons, and experience the uplifting and inspiring emotions that came with it that she was inspired to pursue a career in the promotion and touring of live music.

In 2018, at the age of 19 Kuburoglu travelled to the United States to study music at Berklee College of Music, but a lack of resources led her to postpone her plans for a year. When the pandemic hit in 2019, Kuburoglu continued her music education online. This did not deter her as she decided to take a few online internships at top music management and publishing companies, where she was able to get her foot in the door, eventually leading to her current position at C3 Presents.

Kuburoglu previously worked for Red Light Management, a multi-faceted, privately held artist management company that represented artists including Alicia Keys, Kool & The Gang, Corinne Bailey Rae, and more. “Not a lot of people get this kind of opportunity, so this was definitely my big break in terms of my career,” she said.

She also acknowledged that her path to success has not been straightforward. Despite the financial challenges she faced when moving to Boston, having to support herself financially throughout her studies by working two jobs, adjusting to another country, Kuburoglu persevered and admits that she never lets challenges bring her down. “The more difficult a challenge becomes, the more determined I am to overcome it. My parents always taught me that if I put in the effort, I could achieve anything in life, and it has truly been my guiding light.”

Aside from getting accepted into Berklee and landing a job at one of the world’s most respected artist management companies, both of which she considers career milestones, Kuburoglu was recently selected to be a voting member for the Country Music Awards. “It’s an honour to be a part of such a large organisation and participate in their yearly award ceremonies. It’s a major role to take on and something I’ve always wanted to be a part of,” she added.

When asked how the international music industry compares to Cyprus’ music scene, Kuburoglu says Cypriots lack the mindset needed for the arts. “I believe we should invest more time and money in educating children in the arts, whether it’s music, dance, or art to support passions and accurately guide talent.

“Cyprus has such a strong music culture and a lot of people who love attending concerts, clubs, and other private performances, so there is definitely an industry to develop here,” she said. “I just think we need to better educate young Cypriots to believe that they, too, can have a future in it.”

She is currently working on several talent bookings, including a performance with Ed Sheeran that will take place in the United States this October. Her network is continually growing, and her desire to working with the world’s top musicians is being realised on a daily basis.

Another of her ambitions is to put Cyprus on the map by encouraging many international artists to perform at various venues around the island. “It will be incredible to book an entire festival lineup one day, and to start a whole new tradition on the island.”