(Photo Credit: New.MN)

Opera exists all throughout the world, from more traditional forms which depart from the Westernized form like Peking opera, to more blended forms like the Zarzuela. Outside the European framework, opera has taken on an incredibly diverse range of complexions, from the Savoy opera to the Farsa. And while many more categories exist, it cannot be denied that European-styled opera is a global phenomenon. Away from the typical Western cultural centers lies a large amount of venues for opera which, unless one lives close to them, go unnoticed by the rest of the world. Across the globe, opera is experienced in many different ways and in many unique settings.

In this new three-part mini-series, we will explore venues for operatic theatre from underappreciated cultural centers of the non-Western world, giving new audiences a chance to appreciate the truly global celebration of opera. While venues like the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Teatro Alla Scala in Italy, Teatro Real de Madrid in Spain, and the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia are internationally recognized, there are many more venues left undiscovered by the wider public. One of the rising venues in the world is the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, but there are many, many others not yet able to claim their place on the world’s stage. One of those places happens to be in the capital of Mongolia, namely the Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Founded in 1963, it is among the younger houses in the world, although not the youngest.

The story of Mongolia’s state theatre is a fascinating one. Formally established on May 13, 1963, two years after Mongolia officially joined the UN and during a period of cultural modernization for the country, the opera house represented a radically new step in the history of Mongolian culture as a whole. With a repertoire including both national and international titles from composers like Donizetti, Mozart, Verdi, Gounod, Bilegiin Damdinsüren, and Dagvyn Luvsansharav, the house serves as a vital function in mixing domestic culture with European compliments. However, its history can be traced all the way back to the 1920s with the establishment of the State Central Theatre.

In 2020, the opera house opened after COVID and celebrated its 70th anniversary, performing the domestically popular opera, “Three Dramatic Characters” by Damdinsüren. Closing their 61st season, Adolph Adams’s “Giselle” and Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” were performed, the latter premiered with the opera house in 1967.

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