Georgian opera and ballet theater, located in the city of Tbilisi, is the largest musical theater in the country. City Theatre was founded in 1851 Governor Mikhail Vorontsov. Moreover, its construction began in April of 1847 the author of this project was made by the famous architect Antonio Skudieri. Painting the new theater he was engaged in a famous Russian artist GG Gagarin.

Despite the fact that Tbilisi in 1851 operated several theaters, opera and ballet theater quickly became the center of cultural life of the city. In November 1851 opening of the first season of theater production of "Lucia di Lammermoor" by G. Donizetti. The repertoire of Georgian Opera consisted mainly of operas George. Verdi, George. Rossini, John. Meyerbeer, Donizetti, Bellini, F. Auber, F. Halevy, Mozart.

In October of 1874 due to strong fire theater building was destroyed. During the fire burned the scenery, costumes, music library and tools, resulting in the establishment was closed. New life of the theater began in 1896 in a new building. The theater season has opened production of the opera "Ivan Susanin" by Glinka. On the stage of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet were first operas of Georgian composers as Z.Paliashvili "Abesalom and Eteri" and "Daisi" Dolidze opera "Keto and Kote", Arakishvili "The Legend of Shota Rustaveli," M. Balanchivadze "Insidious Tamara, "Tsintsadze" Cabin Fever "and many others.

Over the years, the theater has produced many well-known figures of culture and art, including Ivan Paliashvili, whose name has been named a theater in 1937. It was here that started his career in the future founders of Folk Dance Ensemble of Georgia - N. Ramishvili and I. Sukhishvili.

At the end of the twentieth century. theater gradually began to decline. After the war, the government did not have enough money to maintain it. At the beginning of the 2000s. Local authorities have radically changed the attitude to Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre and began his sponsorship.