The Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival, launched last year in the southeastern province of Şırnak by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet (DOB), will continue its artistic journey in the northern province of Bayburt this year.
The festival will bring dozens of free performances from opera and ballet to musicals, concerts and children’s plays to audiences of all ages at 23 locations.
Speaking at the press conference held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), DOB General Director and Artistic Director Tan Sağtürk.
noted that the festival reached approximately 30,000 people with 51 performances in 24 cities and districts, including Erzincan, Kırklareli, Ardahan, Hatay, Denizli, Çerkezköy (Tekirdağ), Amasya, Karabük, Bilecik, Tokat, Burdur, Manisa, Diyarbakır, Uşak, Nevşehir, Kayseri, Niğde, Malatya, Kütahya, Kars, Mardin, Edirne and Lüleburgaz.
Sağtürk stated that DOB has six main centers in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, adding, “We have neglected many regions of Anatolia until now. We took this into account while determining our locations. This year, we will visit 23 provinces, and within four years we aim to travel across the entire Anatolian region to create a cycle. Together with our other directorates, we will work to visit these areas more frequently and continue to bring Anatolia together with art.”
Speaking about the interest of people, he said, “The interest from audiences was great and heartfelt. In our colder cities like Şırnak and Kars, we saw elegantly dressed people attending performances. These meetings and shows were very meaningful to us.”
Sağtürk underlined that the second edition of the festival will begin on Nov. 22 in Bayburt, saying, “The festival will meet audiences in 23 different cities and districts with a rich program ranging from concerts and children’s plays to operas, ballets, musicals and young talent screenings.”
The cities to be visited include Bayburt, Çemişgezek (Tunceli), Rize, Çorum, Artvin, Aydın, Batman, Ceylanpınar (Şanlıurfa), Doğubayazıt (Ağrı), Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş), Ezine (Çanakkale), Giresun, Gümüşhane, Isparta, Karaman, Osmaniye, Sarıkamış (Kars), Siirt, Sinop, Şarköy (Tekirdağ), Tire (Aydın), Tosya (Kastamonu) and Uzunköprü (Edirne). All performances will be free of charge.
Calling the festival an “art mobilization,” Sağtürk said: “This major journey is not only the result of the artists on stage but also the joint achievement of the technical crews and administrative teams behind the scenes. This effort is the best example of the powerful bonds art can build within society.”
The festival aims to support the discovery of young talent, help them build a strong foundation for their careers, introduce them to universal arts and make these arts more accessible. Talent screenings will be held in every city visited.
As part of the Bayburt tour, soloists from Samsun DOB will perform the “Museum Concert” at Bayburt Baksı Museum at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22. Later the same day, at 7 p.m., “Anatolian Melodies” will be presented at Bayburt University Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall, concluding the tour.
On Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., Samsun DOB will perform “Anatolian Melodies” at Çemişgezek Municipality Cinema Hall. The Çemişgezek tour will end on Nov. 26 with the children’s event “Opera for Little Ears,” staged at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
İzmir DOB will begin its Rize tour with the musical “Folklorama” at Rize İsmail Kahraman Cultural Center Grand Hall on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. The tour will conclude on Nov. 30 with the children’s play “Şekeronya,” presented at 2 p.m.
Samsun DOB will perform the opera “Doctor Miracle” at the Çorum State Theater Stage on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. The Çorum tour will finish on Dec. 6 with the children’s play “Our School Forest,” staged at 2 p.m.
