In memory of Leyla Gencer, the greatest Turkish opera soprano ever and one of the most remarkable and admired opera singers in the world, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) in Şişhane has lovingly recreated her Milan home in Istanbul. Named “Leyla Gencer House”, the house contains her living room, library, dining room and bedroom. In the living room, her piano has been put at the forefront, and all furnishings including chairs, curtains, and carpets have been painstakingly placed as they were when she was alive.

At every corner of the house, her awards and medals can be seen. Many pictures of her hang on the walls allowing visitors to remember the most important moments in the charming life of the Diva. In her bedroom, her favourite accessories and costumes are laid out. The library, where she spent most of her time, is full of her books about philosophy, art and opera.

This project has been organised by the art director of Sferisto Opera, Pier Luigi Pizzi, who worked with Gencer as a set designer, in cooperation with Melahat Behlil, Franca Cella, and Massimo Gasparon. The house reflects the colourful and dramatic character of both Gencer’s career on stage and her personal life.
 
The house opened its doors this spring with a ceremony that was attended by many close friends and relatives of the soprano. Nazlı Deniz Boran, winner of the Leyla Gencer Voice Competition of 2008, gave a short concert of Gencer’s well-known arias.  

 

The life of Leyla Gencer

Known as La Diva Turca (the Turkish Diva), she made her career mostly at La Scala, Milan between the years 1957 and 1985, and appeared at opera houses all over the world, from Vienna to Buenos Aires.

She was born Leyla Çeyrekgil in Istanbul to a Polish mother and a Turkish father. After attending Istanbul’s Italian high school, she entered the Istanbul State Conservatory at the age of 16. In 1946, she married a wealthy banker, Ibrahim Gencer, and took his surname. While she was studying at the conservatory, she met with renowned Italian soprano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi and left Istanbul to study with her in Ankara.

She made her operatic debut in Ankara in 1950, as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana”. After the death of Arangi-Lombardi, she continued to study with Apollo Granforte, and during those years, she gave numerous recitals at official receptions for political figures such as Eisenhower, Tito and Adenauer.

She made her debut on the Italian stage in 1953 in Naples, again as Santuzza. Her La Scala debut was in the world premiere of Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des carmélites” in the role of Madame Lidoine, in 1957. Although she is best known for performing works by Verdi and Donizetti, she had a wide repertory including more than 70 roles by composers as diverse as Bellini, Mozart and Prokofiev.

After retiring from the stage in 1985, she continued to give recitals for some years and devoted herself to educating and guiding young talents as the artistic director of La Scala. In 1987, she received the first Donizetti Prize awarded by the city of Bergamo. Since 1995, a voice competition has been held in her name in Istanbul. Unfortunately, she made hardly any commercial recordings, but some of her broadcasts from radio and live performances have now been recorded onto CDs.

Leyla Gencer died of respiratory problems and heart failure at her home in Milan on 9 May 2008. In line with her wishes, her ashes were scattered over the Bosphorus.

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Leyla Gencer House is open for visits between 11 am and 4.30 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the guidance of IKSV personnel. Before visiting the house, a reservation must be made by phone.

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