Number of opera and ballet viewers falls in Turkey

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The number of opera and ballet viewers in Turkey decreased by 19.1 percent in the 2015-16 season, while the overall number of viewers of choirs, operas, orchestral concerts and ballets fell by 4.2 percent.

Figures released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on performances affiliated with the Fine Arts General Directorate show that opera and ballet shows were organized in six cities by six orchestras, 13 choirs and nine performance groups.

The number of works staged in this season decreased by 10.5 percent to 170, while the total number of shows in opera and ballet halls was 685, with a 9.7 percent fall. 

Compared to the previous season, the number of opera and ballet viewers fell by 19.1 percent to 272,578. 

Among six cities where opera and ballet shows were organized, the highest decline in the number of viewers was in the southern province of Mersin. It was followed by Istanbul with a 26.3 percent drop and İzmir with a 22.9 percent drop. 

The total number of viewers of choirs, operas, concerts and ballets fell by 4.2 percent in the 2015-16 season, down to 463,422.