Opera and ballet in Chișinău, the Maria Bieșu theatre

The Maria Bieșu National Opera and Ballet Theatre is Moldova's state opera company, with its own orchestra, chorus, soloists and ballet company. Since 1980 it has performed in a monumental building with 1,200 seats on Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare. Performances are affordable, and an evening here is a good introduction to the cultural life of Chișinău.

What you see

The theatre stands at the top end of Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare, at number 152. The company moved into this new building in 1980, designed by the architects A. Gorșkov and N. Kurennoi. The façade and interior were given sculpture by artists including B. Novikov, B. and G. Dubrovin and N. Sajin. The auditorium has about 1,200 seats.

The programme features the classic opera and ballet repertoire, from Verdi and Puccini to Tchaikovsky. The company is one of the few in the former Soviet Union that still has a complete orchestra, chorus, soloist ensemble and ballet of its own, and it has toured to places such as Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris and the United Kingdom. In 1998 the Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich staged his version of The Nutcracker here.

History

Opera in Chișinău is older than the present company. In 1919, when Bessarabia belonged to Romania, an opera theatre started on the initiative of Bojena Belousov, staging works by Verdi, Gounod and Puccini. The present state company was founded in 1957; professional ballet also began in Chișinău that year.

The soprano Maria Bieșu was the face of the house for decades; Puccini's Turandot was performed in Chișinău with her in the title role. After her death in 2012 the theatre was named after her. The international festival Maria Bieșu invită (Maria Bieșu invites) has been held here every year since 1990; she was its patron until her death.

Tips for your visit

Buy tickets at the box office or online; for premières and festival evenings, booking ahead is sensible.
The programme varies from month to month; check the theatre's calendar before you fix your travel dates.
Smart clothing is customary, although there is no strict dress code.
The building is worth a look by day too, at the start or end of a walk along Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare.

You will find background on the building and the festival on Visit Chișinău.