The history of opera in Israel spans more than a century and reflects an ongoing process of artistic initiative, institutional development, and cultural establishment. Operatic activity existed in the country even before the founding of the State of Israel and accompanied the development of Israeli society from its earliest stages.
The origins of organized operatic activity date back to 1917 in Moscow, where Mordechai Golinkin formulated his plan to establish a Hebrew operatic theater in the Land of Israel. In 1923, Golinkin arrived in Palestine, and on July 28 of that year, La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi was presented in Tel Aviv in a Hebrew performance. This event is considered the starting point of organized operatic activity in the Land of Israel. In the absence of a dedicated opera house, performances took place in cinemas and temporary venues, and Golinkin managed the Eretz Israeli Opera for four years.
During the 1940s, the Eretz Israeli Popular Opera operated under the leadership of composer Marc Lavry and conductor Georg Singer. Between 1940 and 1946, this framework presented 16 productions, including the first Hebrew opera, Dan the Watchman, by Marc Lavry, poet Sh. Shalom, and writer Max Brod. This period contributed significantly to the establishment of original operatic creation in Hebrew.
In 1947, the Israel National Opera was founded by American soprano Edis de Philippe. The company performed throughout the country, presented operas on a regular basis, and nurtured many young singers and artists, among them Plácido Domingo at the beginning of his professional career. For the first time, a continuous and wide ranging operatic institution was active in Israel.
In 1982, the Israel National Opera closed. Three years later, in 1985, The New Israeli Opera was established, marking a transition to a more structured and independent framework for operatic activity in Israel. The first production of The New Israeli Opera was Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, presented in Tel Aviv in collaboration with the Israel Chamber Orchestra and the Cameri Theatre.
In 1994, the Opera House at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center was inaugurated, providing The Israeli Opera with a permanent home and enabling significant expansion and consolidation of its artistic activity. Since then, The Israeli Opera has presented a diverse repertoire of productions in their original languages, accompanied by Hebrew and English surtitles, and has engaged in collaborations with opera houses and artists from Israel and abroad.
In 2010, The Israeli Opera initiated the Masada Opera Festivals, during which large scale operatic productions were presented by hundreds of singers, musicians, and stage artists from Israel and around the world. These festivals constituted a distinct chapter in the activity of The Israeli Opera and positioned it within the context of international opera festivals held at heritage and natural sites.
These historical processes laid the foundation for the activity of The Israeli Opera today as an opera house that operates year round and maintains broad artistic activity in Israel and internationally.