The history of the theatre, which now takes a magnificent house in central Ekaterinburg, goes back to the 1870s, the time when Moscow opera enterprises were very popular. Local arts connoisseurs at first staged musical performances, and later on managed to persuade local authorities to build a theatre.

In 1912, the building, designed by architect Vladimir Semenov, was ready. Mikhail Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar opened the season, and the first ballet performance was in 1914.

The theatre has seen talented masters. Legendary tenor Ivan Kozlovsky began his career here, conductor Ariy Pazovsky, opera director Alexander Titel, prominent artist Galina Gorchakova and many others worked here.

The theatre is famous for performances based on classical plays and for modern versions and experiments. The repertoire includes the Satyagraha opera in Sanskrit – music by American minimalist Philip Glass, or the Romeo and Juliet ballet staged by Vyacheslav Samodurov – winner of the Golden Mask award, former premier of the Mariinsky Theatre, the Dutch Nationale Opera & Ballet and the British Covent Garden.

The Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is a many-times winner of prestigious prizes, its troupe tours across the world.