Plovdiv Opera was founded in 1953. In 1999 the State Opera of Plovdiv and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Plovdiv were united in a single society. Both of the professional institutions have over a 50-year-old history. In the summer of 2010 the society was called State Opera of Plovdiv – a state cultural institute creating and performing symphonic and chamber concerts in the field of opera, symphony and ballet.
The Symphonic Orchestra of Plovdiv is the first state orchestra outside the capital. It is established in 1945, but its roots lie on 100-year-old tradition for orchestra music in Plovdiv – the biggest cultural center in the legendary Thracia. Nowadays over 100 high-qualified performers are included in the orchestra with a huge repertoire of symphonic and opera music. A huge number of professional performers, conductors and soloists have started their career in the Symphonic Orchestra. The orchestra itself has played in renowned concert halls all around Europe.
The Opera of Plovdiv was established in 1953 with its first spectacle –“A sold bride” by B. Smetana. In the course of time the repertoire of the Opera was enriched with works by Cimarosa, Pergolesi, Motzart, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Masani, Leonkavalo, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Chaikovski, Musorgski, Borodin, Rahmaninov, Stravinski, Carl Orff, Yanachek, Ravel, Briton, Menotti, Burnshtein, Gershwin, Prokofiev.