Leyla Gencer

Leyla Gencer (Turkish pronunciation: [lejˈla ɟenˈdʒeɾ], née Çeyrekgil; 10 October 1928 – 10 May 2008) also known as La Diva Turca was a Turkish operatic soprano.

Gencer was a notable bel canto soprano who spent most of her career in Italy, from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, and had a repertoire encompassing more than seventy roles. She made very few commercial recordings; however, numerous bootleg recordings of her performances exist. She was particularly associated with the heroines of Donizetti.