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 In the period prior to the proclamation of the Republic in Turkey,
opera, ballet and the theatre were mostly centred 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, operettes
and musicals.
 A. Adnan Saygun's first two operas, Ozsoy and Tasbebek, Necil
Kazim Akses's Bay Onder staged in Ankara, a Mozart musical Bastien and
Bastienne staged at the Ankara State Conservatory with pupils playing
libretto in Turkish (1936),and the staging of western operas such as
Madame Butterfly and Tosca (1940-1941) and the orchestrations, chorus and
solo recitals of 1950-1952 all contributed to form a foundation for the establishment of today's State Opera and Ballet.
Meanwhile in 1947, the famous ballerina and teacher Ninette de Valois
was invited to Istanbul and through her intermediary the National Ballet
School at Yesilkoy was set up. In 1956-57 the first dancers graduated from
Ankara State Conservatory and in 1959-60 the State Opera formed a corps de
ballet. "Çesmebasi" which is one of the most important works in Turkish
ballet history was first performed in 1965.
 Notwithstanding
the short history of opera in Turkey which only spans 56 years, the
General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet numbers amongst its members
many artists of international fame, and aside from Ankara and Istanbul
branches have been set up in cities such as Mersin and everywhere very
successful results have been achieved.
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