The 13th International Opera Festival starts on Saturday at the Haliç Congress Center Open Air Stage and Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) Theater Stage.

The festival, organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, will kick off with a "7 Tenor" concert at the Haliç Congress Center Open Air Stage.

Seven tenors including Bülent Bezduz, Erdem Erdoğan, Levent Gündüz, Murat Karahan, Bülent Külekçi, Hüseyin Likos and Aydın Ustuk will share the stage in accompaniment with the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB) orchestra conducted by Zdravko Lazarov.

On July 20, the Italian opera "Tosca," which will be staged by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet, will be performed for music lovers. Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu will play the role of "Tosca" and tenor Murat Karahan the role of "Cavaradossi," while baritone Eralp Kıyıcı will appear onstage as "Baron Scarpia." The opera will be conducted by Raoul Gruneis.

The "Murat IV" opera, revolving around the life story of Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, will be performed at the Open Air Stage of the Haliç Congress Center on July 23.

Engin Suna will be playing the role of Sultan Murad, while Arzu Yaman will play Sultan Murad's mother, Kösem Sultan, and Umut Tarık Akça the role of Grand Vizier Topal Recep Pasha.

French composer Georges Bizet's "Carmen" will be performed with the production of Italian director Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini and the choreography of IDOB chief choreographer Ayşem Sunal Savaşkurt on July 27.

As a classical tradition, the Istanbul Opera Festival will close with a performance of Mozart’s "The Abduction from the Seraglio" on July 30 at the AKM. The opera, prepared by director Caner Akın with choreography by Tan Sağtürk, will be performed in its classical form but with some references to the latest pandemic.

All performances will take place at 9 p.m. and tickets can be purchased through https://biletinial.com