Conductor Beatrice Venezi: After a heated argument: Fenice Opera House ends collaboration

The Teatro La Fenice – the largest and best-known opera house in Venice – appointed Venezi as its new music director last October. She was actually supposed to take over the office from October of this year – until March 2030.

Since Venezi’s appointment, however, the dispute over the new music director has been raging in Venice. Critics complained that she was inexperienced, having never conducted one of the world’s major orchestras. She is also considered politically close to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The workforce criticized not being involved in the decision.

Venezi previously caused outrage in an interview

Intendant Nicola Colabianchi in particular received criticism from the orchestra, choir and employees. The workforce responded with work stoppages and other actions that caused a stir beyond the borders of Venice.

According to the opera house foundation, the decisive factor for ending the collaboration was “repeated and serious public statements” by Venezi. These had “insulted and impaired the artistic and professional value of the Teatro La Fenice Foundation and its orchestra”. They are incompatible with the principles of the theater.

In an interview with the Argentine newspaper “La Nacion,” Venezi recently criticized the work in the orchestra and claimed, among other things, that positions were “practically passed on from father to son.” She criticized an environment in the opera house that did not want to accept necessary changes.