Opera director bears torch

Yekta Kara is a grand dame in the Turkish arts world. Beginning her music and art life when she was only 5 years old, Kara felt compelled to choose a path early on. It would be either music or theater. But, she found an art form that combined both: Opera.
 
After completing her studies in university in Germany, Kara returned to Turkey to begin her professional life.
 
It’s hard making a place in a man’s world, Turkey’s first woman opera director told the Hürriyet Daily News Wednesday. It wasn’t easy for her to prove herself in an environment of male directors and artists. “I had three barriers before me,” Kara said, “being a woman, being young and being educated in another country. Of course people got used to the fact that I was a woman and I became successful in a short time. But in the beginning it was also wierd for me to direct artists who were older than me.”

Wake up call for success
The torch usually passes from one to another but there wasn’t a woman from whom she could take over the torch. But Kaya says people are admired for the work they represent. “Women have many responsibilities in this tough life,” said Kara, who described her success as being well-planned all the time. “As soon as I wake up I begin planning my day and my life.”
 
 
Kara, who has been working for 30 years, said she never thought about staying in Germany after finishing her studies. Thankful to her family and those who supported her during her education, Kara said she feels she belongs to Turkey and that the Turkish society feeds her soul. Growing up with Turkish culture she said if she would have left her country behind she wouldn’t be comfortable. "I wanted to return to my roots," she said.
 
 
When she returned from Germany, Atatürk Culture Center, or AKM, had burned down and there were no performances in Istanbul. She decided to go to Ankara to work in the Ankara State Opera and Ballet. “I didn’t want to wait only doing rehearsals until the theater was renovated. After two seasons I returned to Istanbul.”
 
After careers as a soloist, dramaturge, and an art director, she is now the general director and art director of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. She has also taught in Istanbul’s Mimar Sinan University and still gives lectures there. For 29 years she has been working in the same establishment and for 28 years she has lived on the same street. She calls herself ‘stable’.
 
Although she has been steadfast in her efforts to improve Turkish opera, Kara has maintained her ties abroad. She has directed many operas in Germany, France, Mexico and the United States.

“As a director I had an aim, which is promoting Turkish opera,” she said. Emphasizing that Turkish opera is not really well known abroad, she wanted to introduce Turkish opera to the world. Remaining undeterred in her mission even when people would ask if opera existed in Turkey, she has thrown all of her ambition into her work.
 
“Opera is not a Turkish art form, but it was adopted during the first years of the Turkish Republic and in only 50 years time improved rapidly,” said Kara.
 
Kara motivates herself with her own motto “Opera for everyone.” “Opera should not be for the elite class,” she said. “Society should be informed that opera is an art form that needs audience. Without the audience we are nothing.”

According to Kara it is easier to reach people with new technology, but cautions against young people focusing too much on easy money. “Turkey has a great young generation and they are willing to learn everything, yet, they shouldn’t look for shortcuts to get rich. With all those programs on TV, even talented people ruin their lives thinking they can be famous by only releasing an album,” Kara said. “Especially those women who are young and beautiful should know that without education and effort, fame is short-lived.”
 
Art consists of an effort we give to reach the perfection,” she added.
 
The successful opera director, who is also the author of over 100 essays and articles published in various newspapers and magazines, will wake up tomorrow and plan another venture.