The 1934 premiere of the opera Özsoy, commissioned by Kemal Atatürk and composed by Adnan Saygun, marked a pivotal moment for Semiha Berksoy. This performance established her status as the first Turkish opera singer and secured her the opportunity to pursue advanced musical training at the Berlin Music Academy, initiating a career that spanned seven decades.
Early Career and European Training
Born in 1910 in Çengelköy, Istanbul, Berksoy received her initial training in music and visual arts at the Istanbul Conservatory. Her professional start began with cinema rather than opera, as she appeared in the 1931 sound film İstanbul Sokaklarında, directed by Muhsin Ertuğrul. Following her early work in Istanbul operettas and her breakthrough in the opera Özsoy, she expanded her reach into the European sphere. By the late 1930s, she gained recognition as a Wagnerian soprano.
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Returning to Turkey, Berksoy collaborated with Carl Ebert to establish national operatic institutions. Her efforts contributed to the formation of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet and the Experimental Stage of the Ankara State Conservatory in 1940. She remained a member of the Istanbul Opera until her retirement in 1972. During this period, she was honored with the Atatürk Opera Award and eventually earned the title of State Artist in 1998. Even after departing from the opera house, she maintained a presence in the arts, working primarily as a theater artist and continuing her practice as a painter, often depicting herself as a small girl in her visual compositions.
Legacy and Late Career
Berksoy maintained a professional trajectory into her final years. In 1999, at age 90, she performed a dramatic interpretation of Liebestod in the opera The Days Before: Death, Destruction and Detroit III. She passed away in 2004 in Istanbul due to heart surgery complications. Her cultural contributions continue to be acknowledged, notably through a 2019 Google Doodle and her inclusion in the 2023-2024 Goethe-Institut Ankara exhibition, which examined the influence of women who bridged the educational environments of the young Turkish Republic and the Weimar Republic.
Fast facts
- Born: 1910, Istanbul
- Died: 2004, Istanbul
- Occupation: Opera singer and painter
- Notable role: Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos
- Awards: State Artist, Atatürk Opera Award
- Burial place: Çengelköy Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Semiha Berksoy's contribution to Turkish opera?
She was the first Turkish opera singer and played a key role in founding the Turkish State Opera and Ballet alongside Carl Ebert.
Did Berksoy pursue other artistic interests?
Yes, she was a recognized painter whose work often featured personal, symbolic self-portraits of a small girl.
Achievements
- Instruments: voice