Sağtürk, General Director of State Opera and Ballet: It is our duty, the duty of the youth, to carry DOB much further

DOB General Manager Tan Sağtürk, in his statement regarding the 2024-2025 season, stated that they had a dream season and that a historical record was reached with 44 world premieres and the interest of the audience. Reminding that they started the Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival, which was held for the first time this year, in Şırnak, Sağtürk stated that the interest of the audience in the festival, which stretched from Şırnak to Erzincan, Kırklareli and Ardahan to Hatay, was tremendous. Sağtürk also stated that they conducted screenings under the title of "Talent is Everywhere" to discover young and talented artists this year, and said, "We tried to identify the talents of our young people and direct them to the conservatory. This screening will be held every year." 16TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL OPERA AND BALLET FESTIVAL STARTS TOMORROW

Referring to the "16th International Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival" that will start tomorrow, Sağtürk said, "Since our established performances are over, it means our festivals are starting. Our Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival will be a marathon from May 10 to June 3. We will appear before the audience with 11 works and 20 performances. It will be a fulfilling festival, with very high international quality, and with the participation of very large groups and artists." Tan Sağtürk stated that the world premiere of the opera "Gilgameş ", whose composition and libretto belong to Ahmet Adnan Saygun and inspired by the stories of the Sumerian King Gilgameş, the main character of the Epic of Gilgameş, will be held at the festival, and continued as follows: "In our established performances, we had the opportunity to stage the 'Çelebi Opera' written by Cemal Reşit Rey for the first time after many years. The State Opera and Ballet had directed all its laboratory studies to this work. After this work met with our audience and received great interest, I believe that the Gilgameş opera will have the same effect. Because it will be staged for the first time. In addition, Boris Eifman himself is coming to the festival from St. Petersburg with the Eifman Ballet. He will meet our audience with both Anna Karenina and Russian Hamlet." "THERE IS A PERCEPTION ABROAD AS 'IS THERE AN OPERA OR BALLET IN TURKEY?'"

Sağtürk, who stated that they wanted to see the rewards of these efforts on an international platform rather than just hearing about DOB's work in Türkiye, said, "Very important newspapers and magazines in the world have now started to make headlines about our works. One of the most important ballet magazines put 'Romeo and Juliet' on its cover and gave it a lot of space. It spoke of it with very complimentary sentences. There is a perception abroad that 'I wonder if there is opera and ballet in Türkiye?' And there is, and it is. First, we need to break this perception. Because with an adventure that started with Muhsin Ertuğrul 75 years ago, we have come to this day under the leadership of many valuable artists such as Cüneyt Gökçer, Rengin Gökmen and Gürer Aykal. From now on, it is our duty, the duty of the youth, to carry DOB much further." Sağtürk, drawing attention to the fact that the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet has a very good program for the next season, noted the following: "In order to be able to sell tickets well in advance, the programming needs to be organized well in advance. We have put the tickets of all our festivals on sale. The tickets for the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival in September will also be on sale soon. Therefore, this early planning, the ability to put on works according to the qualities of our festivals, to create new premieres, can only be possible with a very large artistic team. We put our heads together and find ourselves in a big work. Maybe in the future, a national team can be created and why not a world tour with our very best. We should have performances at the Bolshoi Theater, the Royal Opera House, and the New York Metropolitan. Hopefully, we will see the projects for this being realized soon." DOB'S NEXT SEASON WILL BE A MUSICAL YEAR

Tan Sağtürk, who said that DOB has a tremendous potential for artists, said, "We are trying to produce the most effective works. We are trying to produce new works that we will leave as a legacy for the coming years. In other words, quality and quantity must be brought together." Sağtürk, emphasizing that the next season will be a year of musicals, said: "Next season, we will see a State Opera and Ballet that gives importance to musicals while performing works by Giacomo Puccini and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Whether we stay on duty again for our fourth year or not, we need to be able to produce musicals that present stories from our own lands on a working platform that we leave to the next general director. The State Opera and Ballet has the power to do this." Emphasizing that they also attach great importance to social responsibility projects as an institution, Sağtürk said, "For example, we produced 'The Nutcracker'. Students who watched ballet for the first time in their lives filled the place. The students' comments were incredible. We organize tours of state schools and tour the opera. What is important is not just the story seen in that area after the curtain opens and closes, but how much effort was put into it." 2ND ANATOLIAN OPERA BALLET FESTIVAL WILL MEET ART LOVERS IN BAYBURT AND TUNCELİ

Sağtürk, explaining that as DOB, they proceed in consultation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in all projects, said, "If we did not proceed in consultation with our Ministry, these successes would not have been achieved. How can the Anatolian Festival emerge from Şırnak and new productions emerge while cultural route projects are being carried out? I see these as the results of working in consultation and harmony with our Ministry and I believe that this should continue." Emphasizing that all routes for the 2nd Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival to be held next year are ready, Sağtürk stated that one of these is Bayburt and the other is the Çemişgezek district of Tunceli. Tan Sağtürk said that boarding education units should be re-established in conservatories and continued his words as follows: "If there were boarding units, schools would also host talents from Anatolia, perhaps from earthquake zones. As DOB, we are struggling hard for this. We need to sit side by side and work in consultation with YÖK, the Ministry of National Education, the fine arts and the State Theaters. I realize that we can do that too. I want to look to the future with hope and I feel it inside me."