The Voronezh Opera and Ballet Theatre, although relatively young, has a rich and fascinating history. In September 1931, the Musical Comedy Theatre began its work in Voronezh, created from a collective of professional artists under the guidance of the talented organizer, director, and actor Lazar Arkadyevich Lazarev.

In the early 1930s, Voronezh was the center of the Central Black Earth region, which included cities that later became regional centers: Kursk, Oryol, Tambov, and Lipetsk. The main task of the Voronezh Musical Comedy Theatre was to serve the workers of the Central Black Earth region. At that time, the theatre's repertoire included not only classic operettas but also modern musical comedies. The high level of performers ensured the constant success of the performances.

In 1958, the theatre held a creative report in Moscow, which was successful and received high praise from the audience and the musical community of the capital. During the tour, the chairman of the Union of Composers of the USSR, T.N. Khrennikov, proposed to transform the Musical Comedy Theatre into a Musical Theatre. This proposal was supported by the Ministry of Culture and the leadership of the Voronezh region, and the decision to reorganize was made in 1960.

The first performance of the new theatre was Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin," staged by the theatre's first chief conductor, V. Timofeev. The premiere took place on February 25, 1961, which effectively became the birthday of the opera and ballet theatre. The ballet troupe began its journey into the great art with the performance of "Swan Lake" under the guidance of the talented choreographer T. Ramonova.

In the 1960s, well-known creative leaders worked here: director, People's Artist of Belarus S.A. Stein, chief choreographer, Honored Artist of Belarus K.A. Muller, chief artist, Honored Artist of the RSFSR V.L. Tsybin.

The period of formation of the young team is associated with the name of People's Artist of the RSFSR, State Prize laureate Anatoly Alexeyevich Lyudmilin, a talented conductor, educator, and organizer. He laid the foundations of the classical opera and ballet repertoire in the theatre, often turning to the works of contemporaries. Under his leadership, more than 10 performances were staged, including "Aida," "Rigoletto," "La Traviata" by G. Verdi, "Carmen" by G. Bizet, "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly" by G. Puccini, "The Queen of Spades" by P. Tchaikovsky, "The Demon" by A. Rubinstein, "Lud Gidiy" by Bulgarian composer P. Hadjiev, and "Fiery Years" by A. Spadavek.

In 1967, the chief conductor became People's Artist of the USSR Yaroslav Antonovich Voshchak, who continued the traditions of A. Lyudmilin, paying special attention to high musical culture. The operas he staged, "Mazepa" by P. Tchaikovsky, "Il Trovatore" by G. Verdi, and "Russian Woman" by K. Molchanov, became significant events, receiving love from the audience and high praise from critics.

Under Y.A. Voshchak, in 1968, the theatre was renamed the Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In the 1970s, the main conductors played a significant role in the creative life of the theatre: Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR I.Z. Ostrovsky and Honored Artist of the RSFSR V.G. Vasilyev, chief director, Honored Artist of the Moldavian SSR G.M. Gelovani, chief choreographer, Honored Artist of the RSFSR G.G. Malkhasyants, chief artist N.I. Kotov, and chief choirmaster, Honored Artist of the RSFSR L.L. Ditko. For over 10 years, the artistic director of the ballet was People's Artist of Russia N.G. Valitova.

In the 1990s, new leadership came: chief conductor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Y.P. Anisichkin, chief director, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation A.N. Zykov, chief artist, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation V.G. Kochiashvili. In 2000, the choir was headed by international competition laureate V.K. Kushnikov.