A Short Story About Greek National Opera

The greek national opera was founded in 1939 thanks to the actions of Kostis Bastias, the director of the Royal Theater and Director of Letters and Arts of the Metaxas government. Melodramatic art had begun to flourish in the Ionian Islands in the 1800s as it was free from the Turkish yoke.

In the first years, the Greek Melodrama troupe was part of the Royal Theater and performed in the theater on Agiou Konstantinou Street.

The first operetta presented was Die Fledermaus and the first opera was Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The world-famous soprano Maria Callas also made her first appearances in this troupe. In 1944 the company became independent and with the name of the National Opera began performances at the Olympia Theater on Akadimias Street. As part of the artistic performances, ELS made excellent appearances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, starring Maria Callas.

From February 2017, the National Opera finds its new home at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and launches a series of productions aimed at extroversion. Its mission is to offer Greek and foreign spectators high quality productions, presenting operas, ballet, operettas, operas for children and recitals etc.