2nd Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival opens in Rize

RİZE

The second edition of the Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival, organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet (DOB) under the Culture and Tourism Ministry, kicked off in the Black Sea province of Rize.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the İsmail Kahraman Cultural Center, Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş said the festival would make a significant contribution to Rize’s cultural life, expressing gratitude to those involved in its organization.

DOB General Director and Artistic Director Tan Sağtürk said they gathered in Rize to “breathe the unifying power of art together.”

Noting his excitement at bringing the festival to its new stop in Rize, Sağtürk recalled that the initiative began last year in Şırnak with the motto “Opera and Ballet Everywhere.”

“We staged 51 free performances across 24 provinces and districts from Ardahan to Denizli and Diyarbakır to Edirne. Each performance and each round of applause showed us once again how meaningful this journey is,” he said.

Sağtürk added that this year’s program would continue with bringing operas, ballets, concerts, modern dance, musicals and children’s productions to 23 different locations, starting from Bayburt.

“Every performance will turn into a new story in a new city, and each will come to life with you because the true owners of this journey are you,” he said.

Sağtürk added, “Six outstanding young artists selected last year performed the concert ‘My Whole Hope Lies in Youth’ on May 19 as part of the 16th International Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival. It was more than a concert — it was the realization of a dream on the path opened by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” he said.

This year, screenings will continue in 23 provinces and districts, aiming to discover young talents and open doors to the world of art.

“Today’s step is not only the opening of a festival but a new link in the bridge of hearts we build through art,” Sağtürk said.

Following the speeches, artists from the Izmir State Opera and Ballet staged the musical “Folklorama.”