The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius traces its origins to the Operos vaidykla, founded in 1920 by the Society of Lithuanian Creators of Art in the then temporary capital, Kaunas. Its first premiere, Verdi's La traviata on 31 December 1920, is still regarded as its founding date; the first ballet, Delibes' Coppélia, followed in 1925. In 1948 the theatre moved to Vilnius, and in 1974 it moved into its present building on the bank of the Neris, designed by architect Elena Nijolė Bučiūtė after a competition held in 1960. Since 1998 it has had the status of a national institution. Alongside the international repertoire it cultivates Lithuanian works; Vytautas Klova's opera Pilėnai has been staged outdoors at Trakai Island Castle every summer since 2001. In 2023 the building was technically and energetically renovated.
The Lithuanian National Opera in Vilnius, founded in 1920, is home to a rich Baltic opera tradition — the current building at Vingis Park was constructed in 1974 in Soviet modernism and redesigned after 1990.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Vilnius, Lithuania