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Leyla GencerTurkish opera singer (soprano)
Date of Birth: 10.10.1928
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Leyla Gencer
Early Life and EducationLeyla Gencer, a Turkish operatic soprano renowned for her mastery of bel canto, was born on October 10, 1928, in Istanbul, Turkey. Her birth name was Ayşe Leyla Çeyrekgil. Her mother, Lexanda Angela Minakovska, had Polish roots and came from a Lithuanian aristocratic family. She grew up in the Catholic faith but converted to Islam and took the name Atiye after the death of her husband. Leyla's father, Hasan Zade İbrahim Bey, later changed his surname to Çeyrekgil according to the 1934 Law on Surnames. He was a wealthy Turkish businessman from the city of Safranbolu.
Early Career
Leyla Gencer lost her father at a very young age and grew up in the Çubuklu area on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus. She began studying music at the Istanbul Conservatory but interrupted her studies to take private lessons with Italian soprano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi after moving to Ankara. She sang in the chorus of the Turkish State Theater for some time until making her debut in 1950 in Ankara as Santuzza in "Cavalleria Rusticana." Over the next few years, Leyla gained recognition in Turkey and frequently performed at official events for the country's ruling figures.
International Success
In 1953, Leyla Gencer made her debut at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples as Santuzza. The following year, she returned to Naples and performed in "Madama Butterfly" and "Eugene Onegin." In 1957, she debuted at Milan's La Scala as Madame Lidoine in the world premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmélites." Leyla continued to appear regularly at La Scala and sang nineteen roles between 1957 and 1983, including Leonora in "La forza del destino," Elisabetta in "Don Carlos," Aida, Lady Macbeth, and Norma, among others.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1960, Leyla Gencer performed concerts in the USSR, including Moscow and Baku. In 1962, she made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, singing Elisabetta di Valois and Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni." She also performed in various American opera houses but never appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, despite talks of her singing Tosca there in 1956. Leyla retired from the opera stage in 1985 and devoted herself to teaching, although she continued to give concerts until 1992. In 2007, she was still leading an active lifestyle and mentoring young artists at La Scala upon the request of musical director Riccardo Muti.
Throughout her career, Leyla Gencer was renowned for her interpretations of Gaetano Donizetti's works. Her best performances included "Belisario," "Poliuto," "Anna Bolena," "Lucrezia Borgia," "Maria Stuarda," and "Caterina Cornaro," but her portrayal of Elisabetta in "Roberto Devereux" was highly esteemed. In addition to bel canto roles, she also performed works by composers such as Prokofiev, Mozart, Puccini, Menotti, Britten, Monteverdi, and appeared in lesser-known operas like Antonio Smareglia's "La Falena," Rossini's "Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra," and Gluck's "Alceste." Her wide vocal range allowed her to effortlessly transition from lyric soprano to dramatic coloratura.
Leyla Gencer passed away on May 10, 2008, in Milan, Italy. As per her wishes, her ashes were scattered over the waters of the Bosphorus a few days after her cremation.
