Symphonic orchestra of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre is one of the oldest creative teams of the republic. Historic base of its formation was laid at the beginning of the XX century and is closely connected with the traditions of Belarussian national culture.

In 1933 the State Opera and Ballet Theatre was opened with the premiere opera “Carmen”. Classical repertoire became the base of the professional establishment of the orchestra. In different years it was headed by famous conductors: I.Gitgarz, N.Grubin, O.Bron, V.Piradov, L.Lubimov, G.Dugashev, K.Tihonov, Ya.Voschak, G.Provatorov, A.Anisimov. In the conductor's stand many remarkable foreign masters stood: R.Satanovsky, J.Aleksa, F.Mansurov, E.Kolobov, V.Gergiev, R.Waikert etc.

Outstanding vocalists of modern times – Ivan Kozlovskiy, Sergey Lemeshev, Virgilius Noreika, Yevgeny Nesterenko, Bella Rudenko, Ludmila Shemchuk, Galina Vishnevskaya, Elena Obraztsova, Irina Arhipova, Maria Bieşu, , Vladimir Atlantov, Vladislav Piavko, Maria Guleghina, Paata Burchuladze and many others– spoke of the work with the orchestra team with the feeling of sympathy.

The orchestra of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus constantly participates in foreign tours, it is known to the audience of Moscow, Kiev, Vilnius, performed in the best theatres and concert halls of Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Hong Kong, Greece, Israel, Spain, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Thailand. Since February 1992, for the first time went on tour to Spain with symphonic programme and got an enthusiastic welcome from the audience of Madrid, La Coruña, Barcelona, the orchestra began to tour abroad with the programmes of symphonic music. Since 1998 till 2002 took part in opera music festivals “Classic Openair” in Solothurn (Switzerland). Famous foreign singers performed with the team – Giuseppe Giacomini, Gwyneth Jones, Christian Johanson, Francisco Araiza, Eduardo Tumadzhian, Antonio Salvadori, Salvatore Fisichella, Naomi Neidelman etc. the high professional level of the orchestra was noted in numerous publications of the foreign press.

The symphonic orchestra of the theatre numbers nearly more than 150 talented musicians, that got their education in the leading conservatories of the countries of the former USSR and in Belarussian State Academy of Music.
Orchestra repertoire is extraordinarily wide: operas, ballets, works of cantata and oratoria genre (“Requiem” Giuseppe Verdi, “Carmina Burana” Carl Orff, “Spring” S.Rachmaninoff etc.), symphonic programmes and gala concerts with the choir and soloists of the Belarussian opera.