The National Opera and Ballet Theatre was opened on May 25 1933. But its history began in 1920s on the stage of the National Drama theatre, that had the opera soloists, choral and ballet troupe and a small symphonic orchestra in its structure. Already then musical-drama performances, parts of operas and ballets were created and national music was played.

In 1920s future stars of belarussian opera and ballet were trained in Minsk, Vitebsk, Gomel technical schools. And also in National Studio of opera and ballet, created in 1930, that was headed by a famous singer by Anton Bonachich, who was formerly Shalyapins partner in performances in Mariinsky Theatre. For 3 working years professional actors were prepared and operas “Golden Cockerel”, “Carmen”, “Eugeny Onegin”, “Tsar’s Bride” were staged.

In 1933 in Minsk the National Opera and Ballet Theatre was opened with the performance “Carmen”. Belarus found its highly professional centre of musical-drama creativity and performing art, joined a European opera inheritance, and joined a world cultural progress.

Fist performances – “ Carmen”, “Eugeny Onegin”, “the Queen of Spades”, “the Red Poppy” were in 1933. The first theatre figures were Gitgartz ( creative direcor), Petrov (a conductor), Borisovich ( a director), Kramarevsky (a choreographer); singers: Aleksandrovskaya, Mlodek, Druker, Bolotin, Denisov; ballet soloists: Nikolaeva, Usunova, Herasko, Drechin and other.

The ballet studio was working at the theatre, where the most talented children and the participants of amateur group from all over the republic were studying.

The theatre building on the Trinity Hill was open on May 10 1939 with the premiere of the opera by belarussian composer Eugene Tsikotsky “Mihas Podgorny”, that was built by the project of a famous architect Iosif Langbard. The first ballet performance, showed in 1939 on stage of a new building, was “the Swan Lake” in production of Muller, who graduated from St. Petersburg’s choreographic college, who danced the leading parts in the biggest theatres of the country. The ballet troupe consisted of more than 100 people, whose professional preparation was pretty high.

In June 1940 the Theatre has ludly declared about itself in Moscow, where 3 national operas were a great success: “Mihas Podgorny” by Eugene Tsikotsky, "In the Dense Woods of Palesie" by Bogatirev, and "The Happiness Flower" by Turenkov.

The production of the first national ballet “Nightingale” (from a book written by Źmitrok Biadula, the ballet was choreographed by A. Jermolajev, set to music by M. Kroshner, and the art director was Matrunin, 1940) was a meaningful event for the theatre. The success of the theatre depended on a successful integration of a classical dance and a national belarussian choreography, embodiment of an actual image of the nation, the expressiveness of lyrical lines of main heroes of Zoska and Symon (Nikolaeva and Drechin). The ballet performance of “the Prince Lake” was a noticeable event in the history of the national ballet. The advantages of the music of Zolotorev, the through symphonic progress, the successful decision of the mass, ensemble and solo dances made by the choreographer Muller, the enrichment of the dances with the folk elements, the skills and the temperament of the  actors playing leading roles ( Nikolaeva and Drechina), graphic scenery by Nikolaev defined thye success of the performance.

During World War II (1941-1945) Belarus was occupied by the fascists. Minsk has undergone to the most severe bombardments in which result the city has been ruined. Many actors of theatre have left on front or have joined guerrilla movement. The theatre was evacuated in the Volga region Russia. Actors of different genres created front concert brigades and acted on a front line before soldiers of the Soviet Army. Right after the liberation of the capital the crew has returned to Minsk and in December, 1944 has opened a season a premiere of an opera of Evgenie Tikotskogo "Alesya".

This event has marked the revival of the National theatre of an opera of Belarus. After the renovation and reconstruction of a building of the theatre damaged by bombardment, theatre activity has renewed. Soon after that Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus was included into the number of recognized leaders on cultural space of the USSR.

In the former Soviet Union the theatre had steady reputation of one of the brightest and creatively viable opera collectives.  Such known conductors, as Onisim Bron, Vladimir Piradov, Lev Ljubimov, Tatyana Kolomijtseva, Yaroslav Voshchak, Vladimir Moshensky, Gennady Provatorov, Alexander Anisimov defined; directors Oleg Moralev, Dmitry Smolich, Jury Juzhentsev, Simeon Shtejn, Vyacheslav Tsjupa, Margarita Izvorska-Elizareva; artists Sergey Nikolaev, Evgenie Chemodurov, Ernest Gejdebreht, Evgenie Zhdan, Vyacheslav Okunev defined its high artistic level in different times.

The theatre repeatedly went on tour on the most prestigious stage of the former USSR – in the Bolshoi theatre in Moscow. Successful tours of 1940 have brought to theatre an honorary title "Big", 1964 – "academic".

In 50th years considerable achievements of the Belarussian ballet are connected, basically, with an embodiment of ballet classics – performances "Esmeralda" on Caesar Puni, "Giselle" and "Corsair" music by Adolf Adana's, "La Bayadere" by Ludwig Minkus. All ballets by Peter Tchaikovsky ("Swan lake", "the Sleeping beauty", "Nutcracker") have been staged.

The development of national tendencies in ballet are connected with creativity of composer Evgenie Glebov. On a theatre scene three ballets by him have been staged: "Dream", "the Alpine ballad" and "the Chosen one”.

The peculiarities of a plot of the ballet on a modern theme "Dream" (ballet master A.Andreev) have demanded from founders of the performance the development of a new intonational sources and layers of dancing lexicon (performance was under  construction on figurative contrast between scenes of the Latin American and Belarus validity). In its scenic embodiment the big role was played by actors A.Korzenkova, I.Savelyev, V.Krikova, V.Davidov, M.Krasovsky. The ballet "Alpine ballad" (under the story of V.Bykova with the same name, the choreographer O.Dadishkiliani) opened a drama of heroes by the means of modern symphonic dramatic art, that basis on the collision of opposite intonational spheres where one embodies images of humanity, and another – the world of violence and harm. In a role of Dzhulii with the big success K.Malysheva has acted. A considerable contribution to the development of the Belarussian Musical Theatre was made by Heinrich Wagner. On stage of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus a lyrically comic ballet “Front Fiancée” (1958), lyrically dramatic ballets “Light and Shadows” (1963) and “After Ball” (1971), and also an opera “Lifepath” (1980) were staged on his music.

The national operas created by the Belarus composers, are devoted to the pages of history of Belarus: “Nadezhda Durova” by Anatoly Bogatyryov (1956), "the Star Venus" (1970) and "New land" (1982) by Jury Semenjako, "Grey  legend" by Dmitry Smolskogo (1978), "the Way of a life" by Henry Wagner (1980), "Dzhordano Bruno" (1977), "Visit of the lady" (1995) and "Anniversary" (2002) by Sergey Cortess, "The wild hunt of king Stah" by Vladimir Soltan (1989)," the Master and Margarita" by Evgenie Glebov," the Prince Novogradsky " by Andrey Bondarenko (1992)," the Note of the madman " by Vyacheslav Kuznetsov (2005)," the Dark blue Beard and his wives " by Victor Kopytko (2006) and a number of others.

The basis of repertoire of theatre was  also made by operas from the treasury of the European and Russian classics, and first of all – Italian masterpieces belсanto: "Nabukko", "Masquerade", "Aida", "Othello" by Juseppe Verdi, "Madam Butterfly", "Melancholy", "Bohemia" and "Turandot" by Dzhakomo Puccini.  The most favourite performances of the Belarusian spectators were and is an opera by Alexander Borodin "Prince Igor", George Bizet's "Carmen",  "Traviata" by Juseppe Verdi and, certainly, Russian opera smash hit "Evgenie Onegin" of Peter Tchaikovsky.

Scale statements of operas like  "War and peace"by Sergey Prokofiev,  "Lady Makbet of Mtsensky district" by Dmitry Shostakovich, "Boris Godunov" by Modest Musorgsky became considerable events in the history of the Belarus opera.

The activity of the ballet troupe in 80-90th is characterised by continuous enrichment of the repertoire by classics masterpieces, the further development of lexicon of a modern choreography. Productions by Valentine Elizarev– "Carmen-suite", "the World Creation", "Til Ulenshpigel", "Spartacus", "Nutcracker", "the Snow-storm Carmine", "Bolero", "Romeo and Juliette", "Passions", "Firebird", "Spring sacred" – became the collective card, both in the homeland, and abroad.

The production of the ballet "Til Ulenshpigel" (E.Glebov's music, E.Lysika's scenography) became the big art achievement of ballet troupe. The performance has expanded representation about creative possibilities of executors of the main parties (L.Brzhozovskoj, J.Trojana, T.Ershovoj, V.Ivanov, S.Pestehina, V.Sarkisjana, V.Komkova, etc.). The history and the present have found the reflexion in ballet of S.Prokofiev's music of "Romeo and Juliette". For the first time in the territory of the former Soviet Union K.Orfa's well-known scenic cantata "Carmina Burana" was embodied in theatrical action.

The ballet "Passions (Rogneda)" became the event which has received wide public publicity. It is devoted to the destiny of Polotsk princess Rogneda and covers a wide range of events of ancient Slavic history, up to a christening of Russia at prince Vladimir in beginning  of the tenth century.

In 1996 as a result of reorganization the uniform theatre was divided into independent structures: an opera and ballet. In 2009 after capital reconstruction of a building the decision to unite troupe in one big theatre called the National Academic Great opera and Ballet Theatre was accepted again.

In the updated building of theatre new opera and ballet statements performances. In 76th theatrical season the premiere of the Belarus comic opera "Another's riches", reconstructed by Vladimir Bajdovym and Victor Skorobogatov under authentic scores of the composer Yana Gollanda has taken place. And also ballet "Vain precaution" by German choreographer-director Ditmarom Zajffertom is restored. In 77th theatrical season statement of premier ballet performance "Cinderella" and operas "Troubadour" is planned.

As a part of theatre the creative collective "Belarus chapel" which is engaged in the scientific, publishing and concert activity directed on revival of ancient Belarus music (particularly works, under the initiative and with the assistance of collective records of ancient Belarus operas "Agatka" and "Apollo-legislator", statement of an opera "Faust") have been carried out. Since 1990 at theatre the Children's musical theatre-studio works. In its poster – 5 performances for children.

For the last 15 years the theatre collective has visited more than 30 countries of the world, and in many countries went on tour repeatedly. Probably, on a map soon there will be very few states where at least the Belarus ballet once did not act: from Portugal and Spain to Japan and China, from Norway and Great Britain to Turkey and Thailand – everywhere the theatre has found the hot admirers.