The 32nd International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival begins

The 32nd International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival , organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet , will be held from September 14 to October 1 .

According to the statement made by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, the festival, which was first organized in 1994 and moved to an international level in 1998, becoming one of the world's most renowned festivals, and was accepted into the European Festivals Association (EFA) in 2003, will be held at the Aspendos Ancient Theater in the Serik district.

With its two-thousand-year history, the Aspendos Ancient Theatre, with its unparalleled acoustics and unique atmosphere, will once again be the heart of art this year with its rich program of 3 operas and 3 ballets, along with foreign guest artists and groups from around the world.

OPENING WITH PUCCINI'S OPERA "TURANDOT"

The festival will open on Sunday, September 14, at 9:00 PM with Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot," one of the most staged and beloved works in opera history, a joint production of the Ankara and Antalya State Opera and Ballet Directorates.

The production, which will be staged by Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini, is about the marriage of the Chinese princess Turandot living in Beijing and is a story full of passion, challenge and love set in the mysterious atmosphere of the Far East. The mysterious and inaccessible Princess Turandot will be played by soprano Olga Maslova and tenor Riccardo Massi.

The Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Lorenzo Casriota Skanderberg , and the Ankara and Antalya State Opera and Ballet choirs, under the direction of choirmasters Mahir Seyrek and Ivan Pekhov, will accompany local and foreign soloists on stage.

The Antalya State Opera and Ballet Children's Choir, directed by children's choir conductor Sinem Ulusoy, will also take part in the performance.

THE DANCE OF PASSION AND FREEDOM IN ASPENDOS, "ZORBA"

The ballet "Zorba" will be performed by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet on September 17 at 9:00 PM, inspired by Nikos Kazantzakis' novel of the same name, with world-renowned melodies by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis and music by choreographer Lorca Massine .

"Zorba" will meet the audience with the interpretation of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet artists under the direction of conductor Sunay Muratov .

The choreography and libretto of the work, which also bears the signature of Lorca Massine, will feature set and oriental costume design by Gürcan Kubilay, costume design by Tülay Şimşek, and lighting design by Fuat Gök .

The main roles will be played by Ankara State Opera and Ballet ballet artists Eren Keleş, İlhan Durgut, Umutcan Arzuman, Sultan Erol, Serapsu Yaşar, Nilay Tahiroğlu, Berkay Saraçoğlu, Kutay Yaşar and Beril Baştürk, and Ankara State Opera and Ballet soloist Selva Erdener .

The festival will also feature performances of "Swan Lake," the ballet "Don Quixote," and the opera "Tosca."

"LA TRAVIATA" OPERA WILL BE STAGED AT THE CLOSING

The closing of the festival will be held on October 1st at 9:00 PM with the opera "La Traviata" performed by the State Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre in the name of Alisher Navai, who is participating in the festival from Uzbekistan, at the Aspendos Ancient Theatre.

The Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Viacheslav Chernukho-Volich, will accompany the soloists in the work staged by director Konstantin Kamynin .

The Uzbek ensemble will present a performance to the festival audience accompanied by Verdi's dramatic music.

Named after the great poet and thinker Alisher Navoi, the Uzbekistan State Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre is known for being the only artistic institution in Central Asia to bear the title of "Grand Theatre" (Bolshoi) .

In the main roles, "Violetta" Liatife Abiieva, "Alfredo" Ramiz Usmanov, "Giorgio Germont" Rahim Mirzakamalov, "Flora" Anastasia Yudina, "Marquise" Kamoliddin Muhammadiyev, "Baron Douphol" Mukhammad-Yusuf Abdukodirov, "Doctor" Azizbek Usmonov, "Gaston" Otemis Djumaniyazov, "Annina" Gulmira Nurmetova, "Commissar" Muhammadali Jorayev will be on stage.

Art lovers can purchase event tickets from the ticket sales websites www.operabale.gov.tr ​​and www.biletinial.com, as well as from the box offices of the Haşim İşcan Cultural Center, Aspendos Ancient Theatre, and Side Ancient Theatre Tourist Information Office.