Opera and Ballet in Turkey

In the period prior to the proclamation of the Republic in Turkey, opera, ballet and the theatre arts were mostly centered around Istanbul and Izmir. The first showing of opera at the imperial court was by artists trained by Guiseppe Donizetti (1788-1856) from the Italian opera. During the Republic, Ahmet Adnan Saygun, Necil Kazim Akses and Cemal Resit Rey were the first composers of opera, operettas and musicals.

Today's State Opera and Ballet is the product of earlier experiments in the performance arts: A. Adan Saygun's first two operas, "Ozsoy" and "Tasbebek"; Necil Kazim Akses's "Bay Onder," staged in Ankara; a Mozart musical Bastienne staged at the Ankara State Conservatory with pupils playing the libretto in Turkish (1936); the staging of western operas such as Madame Butterfly and Tosca (1940-1941); and the orchestrations, chorus and solo recitals of 1950-1952.

In 1947 the famous ballerina and teacher Ninette de Valois was invited to Istanbul and at her instigation, the National Ballet School at Yesilkoy was established. In 1956-57 the first dancers graduated from Ankara State Conservatory and in 1959-60 the State Opera formed a corps de ballet. "Cesmebasi," one of the most important works in Turkish ballet history, was first performed in 1965.

The history of opera in Turkey spans only 56 years, but many artists of international acclaim are members of the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet. Ankara and Istanbul are leading cities for opera performances, and branches have been established in smaller cities such as Mersin.