Ankara - Culture and Education

Culture and Education

Turkish State Opera and Ballet, the national directorate of opera and ballet companies of Turkey, has its headquarters in Ankara, and serves the city with three venues:

• Ankara Opera House (Opera Sahnesi, also known as Büyük Tiyatro)
• Leyla Gencer Sahnesi (named after world-famous soprano Leyla Gencer)
• Operet Sahnesi (also known as the Türkocağı Binası)

The Turkish State Theatres also has its head office in Ankara and runs the following stages in the city:

• 125. Yıl Çayyolu Sahnesi
• Büyük Tiyatro (also doubling as the Ankara Opera House)
• Küçük Tiyatro,
• Şinasi Sahnesi,
• Akün Sahnesi,
• Altındağ Tiyatrosu,
• İrfan Şahinbaş Atölye Sahnesi,
• Oda Tiyatrosu,
• Mahir Canova Sahnesi,
• Muhsin Ertuğrul Sahnesi.

In addition, the city is served by several private theatre companies among which Ankara Sanat Tiyatrosu who have their own stage in the city centre is a notable example.

Ankara is host to five classical music orchestras:

• Cumhurbaşkanlığı Senfoni Orkestrası (Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra)
• Bilkent Senfoni Orkestrası
• Hacettepe Senfoni Orkestrası
• Orkestra Akademik Başkent
• Başkent Oda Orkestrası (Chamber Orchestra of the Capital)

There are four concert halls in the city:

• CSO Konser Salonu
• Bilkent Konser Salonu
• MEB Şura Salonu (also known as the Festival Hall)
• Çankaya Çağdaş Sanatlar Merkezi Konser Salonu

The city has been host to several well-established, annual theatre, music, film festivals:

• Ankara Film Festivali (Ankara Film Festival)
• Ankara Uluslararası Müzik Festivali (International Ankara Music Festival)
• Ankara Tiyatro Festivali (Ankara Theatre Festival)
• Ankara Caz Festivali (Ankara Jazz Festival)