Three pioneering women in Turkish opera: Semiha Berksoy, Saadet Ikesus Altan, Leyla Gencer

Employing a literature review method, this study first gives a definition of the art of opera, explores its lexical meaning, and mentions about its building blocks, its types, its sections and its power of expression. The study, then, under the title Art of Opera in the World gives insight into the development of the Art of Opera in the world; its emergence, its founders, its earlier works, and the phases it passed through. It was during the Ottoman Empire when the Turks were first introduced to the Art of Opera. Then, with the proclamation of the Republic, serious works on the Art of Opera were commenced. In this context, the processes that the Turks passed through in the art of opera were examined under two headings: "Opera in Ottoman State" and Turkish Opera in the Republican Period and Atatürk". Opera artists have played a significant role for the recognition, improvement and transference of the art of opera to people all over the world. This is also true for our country. In Turkey, the first serious attempts related to the art of opera were initiated after the declaration of the Republic in accordance with the directives of Atatürk. Semiha Berksoy, Saadet İkesus Altan and Leyla Gencer, the first opera artists to be trained after the proclamation of the Republic, achieved great success both in the domestic and international arena in a country that had no background in field of opera. In this regard, these artists, who became art ambassadors of our country, have made serious contributions to the development of Turkish Opera with their artistic activities both as performers and through their other works in the field of opera. Key Words: Turkish Opera, Pioneering Women Opera Artists, Semiha Berksoy, Saadet İkesus Altan, Leyla Gencer