right|250px|thumb|upright|Leyla Gencer as Antonina in [[Gaetano Donizetti's Belisario at La Fenice in Venice, 1969.]]

Leyla Gencer (, née Çeyrekgil; 10 October 192810 May 2008) also known as La Diva Turca was a Turkish operatic soprano. Gencer's father died when she was very young during a flash flood.

Education and early career

She began to study singing at the Istanbul Conservatory but dropped out to study privately in Ankara with her teacher the Italian soprano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi.

Ten years after her death, in 2018, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts commemorated Leyla Gencer with the 9th edition of the Leyla Gencer Voice Competition and an exhibition titled Primadonna and Solitude.

In 2019, IKSV commissioned a film, Leyla Gencer: La Diva Turca, written by Zeynep Oral, which was screened at the Grimeborn Festival at the Arcola Theatre.

Discography

  • Bellini: Norma/1966, de Fabritiis, Gencer, Cossotto, et al.
  • Bellini: Norma/1965, Gavazzeni, Gencer, Simionato, et al.
  • Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda 1964/Gui, Gencer, Zanasi, et al.
  • Bellini: I Puritani 1961/Quadri, Gencer, Raimondi, et al.
  • Pacini: Saffo 1967/Gencer, Del Bianco, Mattiucci
  • Cherubini: Medea 1968/ Gencer, Bottion, et al.
  • Mayr: Medea in Corinto 1976/Ferro, Gencer, Johns
  • Gluck: Alceste 1967/ Gui, Gencer, Picchi
  • Chopin: Polish Songs; Liszt/Leyla Gencer, Nikita Magaloff
  • Donizetti: Anna Bolena 1958/ Gavazzeni, Gencer, Simionato, et al.
  • Donizetti: Anna Bolena 1965/Gavazzeni, Gencer, Cava, et al.
  • Donizetti: Caterina Cornaro 1972/Cillario, Gencer, Aragall
  • Donizetti: Les Martyrs/1975 Camozzo, Gencer, Bruson, et al.
  • Donizetti: Les Martyrs/1978 Gelmetti, Gencer, Bruson, et al.
  • Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia/1970 Gracis, Gencer, Raimondi et al.
  • Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia/1966 Franci, Gencer, Aragall, Petri et al.
  • Donizetti: Maria Stuarda/1967 Molinari-Pradelli, Gencer, Verrett, Tagliavini et al.
  • Donizetti: Messa di Requiem/Gavazzeni, Teatro La Fenice
  • Donizetti: Roberto Devereux 1964/Gencer, Cappuccilli, et al.
  • Donizetti: Belisario 1969/Gavazzeni, Gencer, Taddei et al.
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni 1960/Molinari-Pradelli, Gencer, Petri, Bruscantini, Stich-Randall et al.
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni 1962/Solti, Gencer, Jurinac, Freni
  • Ponchielli: La Gioconda 1971 / de Fabritiis, Gencer, Raimondi
  • Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites 1957/ Nino Sanzogno conductor, Gencer, Virginia Zeani, Gianna Pederzini, et al. (premiere in Italian translation)
  • Zandonai: Francesca da Rimini 1961 / Capuana, Gencer, Cioni, et al.
  • Rossini: Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra 1971/Sanzogno, Gencer, Grilli
  • Verdi: I due Foscari 1957/Serafin, Gencer, Guelfi
  • Verdi: La Battaglia di Legnano 1959/ Gencer, Limarilli
  • Verdi: Rigoletto 1961/Quadri, Gencer, MacNeil, Raimondi
  • Verdi: Gerusalemme 1963/Gavazzeni, Gencer, Aragall, Guelfi
  • Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani 1965/Gavazzeni, Gencer, et al.
  • Verdi: Macbeth 1960/Gui, Gencer, Taddei, Picchi et al.
  • Verdi: Macbeth 1968/Gavazzeni, Gencer, Guelfi, Corradi, et al.
  • Verdi: Attila 1972/Silipigni, Gencer, Hines
  • Verdi: Ernani 1972/Gavazzeni, Gencer, Bergonzi
  • Verdi: Simon Boccanegra 1961/ Gavazzeni, Gobbi, Gencer
  • Verdi: Il Trovatore 1957/Previtali, Gencer, Del Monaco, Barbieri, Bastianini
  • Verdi: Un ballo in maschera 1961/Gencer, Bergonzi
  • Verdi: Aida 1966/ Capuana, Gencer, Bergonzi, Cossotto
  • Verdi: La Forza del Destino 1957/Serafin, Gencer, Di Stefano
  • Verdi: La Forza del Destino 1965/Molinari Pradelli, Gencer, Bergonzi
  • Spontini: La Vestale 1969/Previtali, Gencer, Merolla, Bruson

See also

  • Turkish State Opera and Ballet

References

  • Leyla Gencer biography, performance chronology, discography and videography
  • Leyla Gencer Voice Competition
  • Biography with photo gallery
  • Tribute of the Teatro alla Scala to Leyla Gencer
  • Leyla Gencer Commemorative Coin (Lira)

Obituaries

  • The Independent Leyla Gencer: Operatic soprano idolised in Italy
  • The Guardian A Turkish soprano of great dramatic power, she excelled in a wide range of Italian opera
  • Times Turkish operatic soprano who excelled in bel canto and Verdi roles
  • The New York Times Leyla Gencer, Turkish-Born Soprano and a Popular Star of La Scala, Dies
  • Los Angeles Times Turkish soprano thrived in Italy
  • International Herald Tribune Leyla Gencer
  • Boston Herald Soprano Leyla Gencer, known as La Diva Turca, dies in Milan
  • The Boston Globe Leyla Gencer; Turkish soprano made mark on Italian stage
  • BBC Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer dies
  • Turkish Daily News Turkish opera diva Leyla Gencer dies