It was founded on the 3^rd of November 1956, the inaugural concert being "Tosca" by G. Puccini. Its founding corresponded to an elder will of the public, initiated by the tours of the Italian, German and French operetta anssambles, during the 19th century. After the founding of "Conservatorul de muzica si declamatiune", they tried with different productions (opera aria, fragments and after 1900 even entire operas), continuing with trying to found a stable opera (in 1942 and 1944 - unaccomplished because of the conditions imposed by the war). However, these came to reality by the act dated the 3rd of November 1956, which marked the founding of the opera; the main merit is to be attributed to professor Ioan Goia, the manager of the opera between 1956-1965.

Up to the present time, The Opera has gone through more developing stages, several generations succeeded and presented to the public the majority of the opera, operetta and ballet titles, from the national and world-wide repertoire. Here are some of the personalities whose names are related to the institution:
Radu Botez, prime conductor of the institution between 1956-1977 and considered to be one of the great Romanian opera and symphonic concerts conductor, in our country and abroad; teacher at the Music Academy from Iasi. Ion Iorgulescu, lyric-spint tenour between 1956-1974; he excelled in roles from "Aida", "Carmen", "Tosca", "Butterly", "Othello".
Florica Maries, spint-soprana between 1956-1975; in her repertoire:"Aida", "Tosca". Natalia Vronski-Gastel, prime ballet-dancer between 1956-1975; in her repertoire: "Giselle"etc. Ion Baitanciuc, prime ballet-dancer between 1956-1977; the entire ballet repertoire. Dimitrie Tabacaru, artistic director between 1956-1985, manager of The Opera between 1974-1982. Reference works: "Manon Lescaut", "Le Marriage de Figaro", "Don Carlos"; he staged opera works in the country and abroad; teacher at the Music Academy from Iasi. Bella Balogh, coregrapher; worked between 1958-1977 and 1980-1986; he made the majority of the ballet works. Mioara Cortez, spint-soprana; she works for The Opera since 1980; she interprets the most important specific roles: "Tosca", "Boema" "Aida", "Norma" etc; she performed numerous concerts in the country and abroad; teacher at the Music Academy from Iasi. Corneliu Calistru, conductor; he works for The Opera since 1965; he is the manager of the institution since 1991; he approached the entire opera, operetta and ballet repertoire (Giacomo Puccini, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi, Charles Bizet, Pietro Mascagni, Rugierro Leoncavello); symphonic concerts in the country and abroad; teacher at the Music Academy from Iasi.

Opera Româna Iasi develops its activity, since 1956, in the building of Teatrul National Iasi (The National Theatre Iasi), a historic monument that had been built between 1894-1896 by the Viennese architects Felnner & Helmer (they also built the operas from Vien, Zagreb, Odessa, Cluj). At that time the major of Iasi was Nicolae Gane.

Text offered by Opera, 1996