Aspendos Festival to open in September

The 28th International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival will be organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry at the Aspendos Ancient Theater in Antalya between Sept. 4 and 12 and will open with the opera "Murat IV."

According to a written statement made by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, the festival will present five shows this year, including two operas, a ballet and two concerts by the soloists of the State Opera and Ballet directorates to be accompanied by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

The festival will start with the opera "Murat IV" by Turkish composer Okan Demiriş.

The play, which has an important place in the Turkish opera repertoire with its subject, inspired by the life of Sultan Murat IV, his relations with his mother Kösem Sultan and periodical and historical events, will be staged by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet artists on Sept. 4 at 9 p.m.

Haldun Özörten directed the three-act opera with the libretto by Turan Oflazoğlu. Under the direction of conductor Hakan Kalkan and choir conductor Mahir Seyrek, the work will be accompanied by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Antalya and Ankara State Opera Ballet choirs, with the decor design by Özgür Usta, the costume design by Gazal Erten and the lighting design by Mustafa Eski.

As part of the festival, on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m., Giacomo Puccini's famous opera "Madama Butterfly" will meet with art lovers at the Aspendos Ancient Theater, accompanied by popular arias by Cio-Cio San on the stage.

The soloists, accompanied by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Orchestra under the baton of Zdravko Georgiev Lazarov and the Antalya State Opera and Ballet choir under the baton of Mahir Seyrek,...