Leyla Gencer

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