Semiha Berksoy: The first woman of modern Turkish arts

Opera singer, painter and theatre actress, Semiha Berksoy had worn many hats in her long, illustrious life, and adorned each discipline with her seminal contributions. But perhaps her lasting contribution to Turkish cultural life is in the glass ceilings she broke and institutions she helped establish in Türkiye.

Dubbed ‘the diamond among Turkish female vocalists’, she was born in one of Istanbul’s most charming neighbourhoods, Cengelkoy, in 1910. The daughter of sculptor and painter Fatma Saime Hanim and Ziya Cenap Berksoy, a finance clerk and poet, her early inclination towards fine arts was engendered by the liberal atmosphere at her home, though she lost her mother to Spanish Flu at the age of eight. Afterwards, she began living with her uncle, though he too later died of tuberculosis.

Her distinctive outlook on life was perhaps shaped by her early childhood adversities, and the shifts she had to endure. At school, she excelled in painting and composing music, infusing her narratives with dramatic elements evocative of theatrical plays.

While in second grade at Kadıkoy primary school, she wrote and illustrated her first story between classes. At this early age, she also drew attention with her soprano voice, performing various poems and operas.

Graduating from middle school with top honours, with her inherited artistic and vocal talent, Berksoy heard about the opening of a conservatory nearby and joined the Istanbul Girls' High School.

She had already got acquainted with the performing arts at Kadıkoy, where she had the chance to watch the most beautiful traditional theatres of the time at the art centre in Kusdili Cinema and Theatre. It made her interested in theatre.

In 1928, Berksoy approached Nimet Vahit Hanim, one of the first female Western classical vocalists in Türkiye, who was at the time working at Dar'ül Elhan — the first official music school of the Ottoman Empire — to become her student at classical vocals.

However, her father did not want her to attend both schools simultaneously. In a letter she wrote to his father, the young artist expressed, "There is something that drives my soul, something that turns into a burning passion within me, and that is the love of art."

Focusing full time on her vocal training under Hanım at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory, Berksoy gave her first vocal concert after completing her training there.

The Taming of the Shrew at Darulbedayi

Winning the audition for the role of Kate in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew at Darülbedayi Theatre School, which had been opened by Muhsin Ertugrul, Berksoy continued her education there.

She began her professional career in 1931 with the leading role in Ertugrul's first Turkish sound film, Istanbul Sokaklarında. Afterwards, she started working at Darulbedayi (Istanbul Sehir Tiyatrolari) in 1932, and played roles in various plays.

She also became the prima donna of Turkish operettas performed at Darulbedayi. During her theatrical studies, Berksoy met with poet and playwright Nazim Hikmet Ran and got involved in the staging of his play Kafatasi (The Skull). She played the role of Fatma in Ran's operetta Bu Bir Ruyadir (This is a Dream), and also of Marlene in operettas by Cemal Resit and Ekrem Resit Rey.

During this period, Berksoy and Ran corresponded for many years. These letters were later published as a book titled Nazim Hikmet and His Tosca, Semiha Berksoy.

The first Turkish opera performance

She played a role in the first Turkish opera performance Ozsoy, composed by Ahmet Adnan Saygun, on June 19, 1934. Berksoy caught attention with her role as Aysim, which was also scored with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

In the 1940s, she met and befriended the painter Fikret Mualla. Their friendship continued through letters, after Mualla moved to France before World War II. Before her death, Berksoy had prepared her correspondence with Mualla for publication, along with the drawings and designs they had exchanged. She left it as a legacy for her daughter Zeliha Berksoy, which was published as The Letters of Two Mavericks.

Berlin State Academy of Music Opera Department

Appointed as a soloist to the State Opera, Berksoy won the entrance exam for Ankara State Conservatory, receiving a government scholarship to study at the Berlin State Academy of Music Opera Department in Germany, where she graduated with honours in 1939.

That same year, she played the leading role of Ariadne in Richard Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos at Richard Strauss’ 75th Birthday Festival. With this performance, she became the first Turkish soprano to take the stage in an European opera performance.

Returning to Türkiye in 1940, Berksoy gave her first concert with Cemal Resit Rey. She appeared in Richard Wagner's operas and also played roles in Carl Ebert's productions of Tosca and Madame Butterfly in Ankara in 1941.

Her performance in Tosca marked her first professional opera appearance. Alongside these achievements, she also appeared in the operettas Lukus Hayat and Deli Dolu.

Soloist at the State Opera

Contributing to the establishment of Ankara State Opera, Berksoy was appointed as a soloist when the State Opera opened in 1950. In the 1951 opera season, she played Marta in Tiefland Cukurova Opera and was recognised as a First-Class Dramatic Soprano by vocal experts, including Giannina Arangi-Lombardi.

In 1952, she was assigned the role of Leonore by Carl Ebert in Beethoven's Fidelio.

Under the direction of opera director Feridun Altuna, Berksoy portrayed the leading role of Hexe in the premiere of the opera Hansel and Gretel in 1961.

In the gala of the 30th Year Jubilee of the Ministry of Culture in 1963, she performed Azucena in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Berksoy also appeared as a prima donna in operettas such as Emir, Cardas Furstin, Maskot and Leblebici Horhor Aga at Kadikoy Sureyya Opera.

In 1966, with the enactment of the personnel law, Berksoy once again became head artist, and retired in 1972. The master artist also participated in numerous dramatic plays at the State Theatre.

In 1999, at the New York City Lincoln Center, she performed Isolde's aria "Liebestod" from the opera Tristan and Isolde in Robert Wilson's production of Umberto Eco's work The Days Before Death, Destruction and Detroit III.

Painting and Surreal Stories

The accomplished artist, who received her first painting lessons from her mother, began attending the Namik Ismail Atelier at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1929, thanks to the successes of her works. It led to her being granted a scholarship. Throughout her life, she regarded painting to be as important in her life as eating, and left her mark on avant-garde modern works.

Engaging in sculpting at the Ismail Hakki Toygar Ceramic Atelier with Refik Epikman, and producing works in painting and surreal stories, Berksoy's works were exhibited in many cities, including Berlin, Paris, Istanbul and New York.

State awards

In 1984, recognised by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye as the first female opera artist in the public sector, Berksoy was honoured with the Ataturk Opera Award. She also received a painting award in 1961 from the Faculty of Language and History.

Ilber Ortayli, professor of history, described Semiha Berksoy as, "Since childhood, she has belonged to a generation of intellectuals who have lived through a drama, and stands at the forefront of the most creative portraits of that suffering generation. Some among us recognise this and others have understood it for a long time."

Berksoy, who was undergoing treatment for a heart condition, passed away on August 15, 2004, at the age of 94.

After a ceremony held at the Ataturk Cultural Centre, the artist was laid to rest in Cengelkoy.