- Semiha Berksoy
Semiha Berksoy (1910 –
August 15 ,2004 ) was one of the first Turkishopera singers, theprima donna of the Turkish opera, a painter, and an internationally acclaimed artist.She was born in Çengelköy,
Istanbul ,Turkey in 1910. She studied painting at theIstanbul Academy of Fine Arts . She studied singing at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory.Career
Berksoy started her acting career the role of "Semiha" in the first Turkish sound movie "İstanbul Sokaklarında" directed by
Muhsin Ertuğrul in 1931. She was cast in operettas in Istanbul theaters early in her career. She sang in the first Turkish opera "Özsoy" in 1934 (commissioned byKemal Atatürk , composed byAdnan Saygun ). She was honoured as the First Turkish Opera Singer and awarded with the opportunity to go to Berlin Music Academy for further training. She started her international singing career in 1934, performing inTurkey ,Germany andPortugal , becoming known as a Wagneriansoprano . In 1939, for the 75th birthday ofRichard Strauss inBerlin , she sang the role of "Ariadne" in "Ariadne auf Naxos ", becoming the first Turkish prima donna to perform on stage in Europe. Back in Turkey she worked withCarl Ebert helping him in his efforts to create theTurkish State Opera and Ballet . This initiative lead to the creation of the Experimental Stage of the Ankara State Conservatory 1940.She retired from the Istanbul Opera in 1972. She was decorated with the "Atatürk Opera Award" at the 50th anniversary ceremonies commemorating the introduction of women's rights to vote and to be elected. She received the title of "
State Artist " in Turkey in 1998. Following her retirement, she remained active mostly as a theater artist.Four years preceding her death, at the age of 90, she appeared in a dramatic scene singing "Liebestod" in Robert Wilson's opera "The Days Before: Death, Destruction and Detroit III" at the
Lincoln Center inNew York City (1999).She died in Istanbul at the age of 94 due to complications related with heart surgery. She is survived by a daughter, Zeliha Berksoy.
Filmography
* "İstanbul Sokaklarında" ("In the Istanbul Streets"), (1931)
* "Söz Bir, Allah Bir", (1933)
* "Büyük Sır" ("The Big Secret"), (1956)
* "Karanlık Sular" ("The Serpent's Tale"), (1995)
* "Boulevard Bio", (2002)ee also
*
Turkish State Opera and Ballet External links
* [http://www.semihaberksoy.com Semiha Berksoy Official Web Site]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/arts/music/23berksoy.html?fta=y Obituary from the "New York Times"]
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